Everyone has a favorite holiday. For me -there is no mistaking -it's Halloween -especially the costumes! And it isn't uncommon to hear me proclaim "That would make an AMAZING costume!" in January...or February...or even March. You can be anything you've ever wanted to become! In fact, I'd argue Halloween costumes aren't just a costume, but rather an opportunity to learnabout something new no matter how scary.

And for me, this all began when I was growing up in New Jersey. I was often told that I could be anything I wanted to be. Naturally, I started my career search at the age of 6 deciding that I wanted to become a Killer Whale Behaviorist.

Cue learning.

My parents never flinched and that Christmas one of my gifts was the adoption certificate for a Killer Whale living near Alaska. I received a photo of "my" Killer Whale, and -most importantly -information on what was being done to conserve his habitat.

The thing about becoming an Animal Behaviorist or Marine Biologist that I did not quite realize at age 6 -that I eventually learned as a pre-teen researching these careers -is that, it seemed, you had to be interested in science and math too -not just the animal.

Cue defeat.

I knew I could beanything, but as someone who was (yes, even at a young age) more prone to writing, photography, and the arts -the words "science and math" were my Achilles heel any time I researched a new career path.

Indiana Jones had snakes. I had science and math. And, yet, this artsy kid from New Jersey still wound up becoming a Woman in Tech!

Cue creativity.

Often, Halloween is a way for this ambi-but mostly-intro-vert to be an extrovert for a night or two. But I've also learned that there's no limits to my imagination, no payoff if you don't risk racing past your comfort zone, and that being true to who you are is where it's at.

And that's why Cisco is the place to be. Cisco's culture empowers a strong, diverse workforce with so many creative and inspiring people. And it's here that innovative ideas fly by us like wizards spells being tossed from the tips of wands at Hogwarts.

At Cisco, like during Halloween, you can be anything you've ever dreamed of becoming -and that extends far beyond careers in technology. There simply are no limits. From Marketing, Communications, and Sales to Engineering, Block Chain, and Artificial Intelligence -there is a place within Cisco to live out your dreams. Your wildest imagination runs free here, and comfort zones are sprinted through daily. Being your true self isn't just encouraged, it's expected.

For me, as a Social Media Strategist on our Talent Brand team, I get to live out my dream of using all my artsy-creative talents of writing, editing, and photography to help our employees tell their stories at one of the largest (and best) technology companies on the planet.

As the social media and technology industries change by the hour, each day brings a new hat or accessory for me to master and add to my costume.

And "Cisconian" is one costume that I'm proud I get to wear every day of the year.

Want to become a Cisconian too? We're hiring. Apply now.