He is convinced that if you deliver great work, show commitment to the company and think and act as an entrepreneur you will get your chance at ORACLE to have an amazing career. As part of his management responsibilities, Manfred is very clear on his recruitment strategy, training and development priorities and the importance of having the best employees on board.

Manfred, why is the continuous training of our sales employees important to you?

“Within the ORACLE corporate culture the leadership principles such as “Leading by Example” and fostering the “Continuous Learning” are highly valued goals. We consider our employees as our most important resource and as the key to our success. Only the best employees will be able to deliver outstanding results. My management team, as well as ORACLE as an organisation, invest heavily in the development of employees in terms of training and coaching.

In addition, ORACLE is known as an innovator and a market leader. Thus, it is important to anticipate the market changes and be ahead of the competition. This is why we continuously review and adjust our sales model and aim for more. In previous years, ORACLE has driven the IT market by its product innovations as well as by its mergers and acquisitions strategy. Both lead to a continuously increasing product portfolio, new customers and new opportunities which are followed up on. In times where the frameworks are constantly changing it is more important than ever to coach our employees to stay open minded and handle changes positively.

To support the Sales Representatives with this ongoing change and to make sure they have all the skills and tools they need, my management team and I have designed a clear learning path including soft skill training, product training, sales tools training, business & account planning and so on. The trainings are part of each individual’s business plan and are agreed and reviewed regularly between the manager and the sales representatives. Each training session is followed by an assessment period to make sure that the new content is fully understood and integrated into the daily business before overloading the sales expert with too much information at the same time. This “training path” was honored with an internal award of the Oracle Deutschland GmbH called the “ORACLE Continuous Learning Award” in 2009.

What do you consider as the characteristics of a great sales person?

“In addition to an IT affinity and if possible some sales experience, the inner motivation, drive and the willingness to perform at the top are the key factors to become a successful sales person. Good communication skills and good English language skills are absolutely essential. We are selling a large number of different and complex products. In order to maintain a good customer relation it is important to understand the customer’s viewpoints, interests and needs to implement the right products that help our customers achieve their goals. This makes it absolutely necessary that our sales experts are able to understand and explain complex topics and circumstances. Only if we really understand what the customer’s needs are, we will be able to offer the right solutions. In this job you will meet a lot of people and it is absolutely crucial you enjoy working in a truly global environment, and are a real team player.”

If you are interested in a little insight into our Oracle Direct Sales Teams than please see our video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFeoJclvXDE

Do you see yourself as a future sales specialist at ORACLE? Please have a look at our open positions at http://campus.oracle.com if you are a graduate. Or if you have already collected some experience go to Jobs@Oracle DE or send your CV to christine.angerer@oracle.com

As of November 30th 2009, all our open roles for german speakers in OracleDirect are as follows:

In Potsdam:

2x Vertriebsbeauftragte/r Public Services, Vertriebsbeauftragte/r Enterprise Sales, Vertriebsbeauftragte/r SOA Enterprise Sales, Vertriebsbeauftragte/r (m/w) GB, FMW, SOA/E2.0 in Vollzeit, Territory Manager (m/w) GB TSBU Mittelstand in Vollzeit- Potsdam/ Stuttgart, 2x Staff/ Senior Internet Sales Consultant- Presales.

In Dublin:

Business Development Consultant m_w für den Deutschen Markt_Dublin , Business Development Consultant (m/w) für den Deutschen und den Schweizer Markt, Business Development Consultant m_w Oracle University für den Deutschen Markt_Dublin, Business Development Consultant for Applications Response Team- German Market- Dublin, Marketing Intelligence Representative_German Market_Dublin.

Preparation for a telephone interview is as important as preparation before any other form of interview or meeting. The impression you create in the opening moments, and the manner with which you present yourself will determine whether or not you will be successful.

Find out as much as you can about the company and the job description. The company websites are one of the best sources of information. Find out about the size and structure of the company, its products and its markets.

Make a note of any questions you would like to ask. Ask questions about items that are important to you, especially if your decision whether to proceed depends upon the answers (for example: will I have to relocate? (if that is something you do not wish to do!). Otherwise, ask broad questions such as: What training will be given? What opportunities are there for advancement? Have these questions written down.

Have a notepad and pen ready, along with your diary. Have your CV at hand. In all probability the hiring manager will have a copy of it too, so you probably won't be asked to describe your background in detail.

The main rules are:

• Sound interesting/interested, energetic and enthusiastic
• Be succinct (don't waffle)
• Ask open-ended questions (beginning with who, what, when, why, where, how: these all ask for information, and keep the ball in the other person's court). Be prepared that they will do exactly the same!
• Don't use jargon
• Be polite
• Use the other person's name regularly throughout the conversation (but not all the time). Also, use the company name a few times.

Prepare to answer these questions

You can't prepare for every possible question, but there are a few which frequently come up:

• Tell me about yourself!
• What do you know about our company?
• What are you looking for?
• What would you like to know about us? (A good opportunity to ask your prepared questions)
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• What else would you like to know? (An ideal opportunity to 'close' - see below)

Closing the telephone interview

Part of the purpose of the telephone interview (from the recruiter or hiring manager's perspective) is to find out how keen you are, and (especially in the case of sales jobs) whether you have natural closing ability. As soon as it seems appropriate during the conversation, ask for a date to meet for a face-to-face interview. Say something like ‘I'd really like to visit you to show you what I can do for you. When can you meet me?'

If you are invited for a face-to-face interview, thank the recruiter, and discuss the details:

• When?
• Where?
• With whom?
• What should you take to the interview?
• What will the procedure or next steps be?
• Will they be able to make a decision after the next interview? If not, what will happen after that?
• How many people are you up against?
• What is the most important thing the company is looking for?

Don't worry if you don't feel able to ask all these questions. The first three questions are the most important obviously. Here you can find tips and tricks about how to handle your body language during a face-to-face interview.

If you have any questions related to this article feel free to contact virginia.italiano@oracle.com. You can find our job opportunities via http://campus.oracle.com

Oracle is looking for the most dedicated and the best employees on the market around the world. Oracle commits to providing an adequate salary and excellent benefits for its employees. Therefore, we have our own Compensation & Benefit Teams, which constantly benchmarks the package. The Compensation & Benefit Teams belongs to the Human Resources-family with its seven fields of expertise: local Human Resources teams, Organization and Talent Development, HR-Systems, M&A Team, Business Partner, Recruitment and Compensation & Benefits.

To work in the area of C&B is interesting due to its various tasks. The aim is to develop competitive terms & conditions, which include having a good knowledge of the social policies and the labour legislation. It also involves a high amount of market research and handling a huge quantity of figures and data. Additionally, it requires strong communicative skills to be able to discuss new plans with senior management and negotiate with the workers council for their consent and finally roll out to all Oracle employees.

We also work on the compensation and benefits aspects of the integration for acquired employees – which is very exciting. Oracle has made a large number of strategic integrations lately (for more details, see this website). Harmonising the terms and conditions of the acquired company with the ones Oracle is using, is a major operation and needs to be handled with great care.

I asked Andreas, Rebecca and Steffen what makes their job special for them:

Andreas: Working at Oracle means working in a constantly changing environment. The Oracle of 2001 is not comparable to the Oracle of 2009. There is no day like the other since this is a very vibrant company with new and exciting opportunities every day. Additionally, I like working with a huge amount of data and figures to get my analysis done and being in contact with all the Oracles employees at the same time.

Rebecca: Even as an intern I am having a lot of freedom to structure my own work and to come up with ideas. It is a great chance for me to collect practical experience in addition to the theoretical knowledge I gained at university. Here at Oracle I have the chance to build a network. I am not only working with Steffen and Andreas but am also part of a virtual team with colleagues around the world. The job in an international company is fascinating since everyone brings their experience/ ideas into the international projects and that has changed and broadened my viewpoints of how to solve problems.

Steffen: Since we are a matrix organisation I support the Comp & Ben activities in the different countries in EMEA. I enjoy being part of this international C&B team where I can work with very interesting people and customers every day. 

Current openings in the area of HR and others can you find on http://campus.oracle.com. For questions regarding German speaking positions for Graduates and Interns at Oracle please contact christine.angerer@oracle.com

Meanwhile, on the other side of the draw the favorites France faced the Scottish with the winners to play Ireland in the semis. The Scottish team was boosted by the fact that four of the Irish contingent that traveled over opted to represent the Scottish in the tournament. Both Garrett and Stuart put in sterling performances throughout the group stages but for one reason or the other were unable to help the Scottish overcome the French losing out 2-0 and setting up a mouth watering tie in the semis. Just as both Garrett and Stuart had decided to play for Scotland, along with Tony and Paul who were just as influential in the Scottish advancement into the quarters, Daniel too played for his native Germany but also failed to reach the semis losing out in the quarters to the English.

The semi finals drew a large crowd and feeling slightly aggrieved from the first encounter the Irish were determined to get the win, a result they had cruelly snatched away from them in the group match. Similar to the first match, both teams played some nice passing football creating some good chances in the process. It looked as though the game was heading for a stalemate until the final minute Darren was blatantly taken down in the box and awarded a peno. He duly dispatched of it and turned to see the Irish line jumping for joy, including Diarmuid who although on crutches traveled with the squad quickly forgot about his recent operation when the goal went in and the final whistle blew. The Irish had beaten the holders France 1-0 and looked forward to stern test in the Final against the Italians.

Similar to the previous day, temperatures soared and thanks to the ever willing support of Garrett the team kept well hydrated. The time had arrived; the coveted world cup was on show for all to see, and remarkably only Italy stood in Ireland’s way of lifting the trophy in their debut appearance. Similar to the French game, both sides played some good football with the Irish perhaps edging the better chances. Then an opportunity presented itself in the form of a penalty kick which was dubious to say the least. Again Darren stood up to hit it but unlike his previous two efforts the Italian keeper saved the spot kick and kept it 0-0 at half time. The Irish dusted themselves down and still held the belief and that of the crowd that they were the better side and could go on to win the game. Midway through the second half centre back Marco who was definitely in the running for player of the tournament suffered an injury to his shoulder and had to be substituted. This unnerved the Irish a bit and allowed the Italians some space in me behind their defense and it wasn’t long after that Italy put one of their chances away taking a 1-0 lead. The Irish didn’t lie down and die, showing true grit and determination, constantly pushing forward in search of a much-deserved equalizer. With the clock counting down and the Irish desperately pushing forward, the Italians broke on a counter attack and scored a second which effectively ended the game and in the process the dreams of the Irish team. Within seconds after the kick off the referee blew the final whistle and the Italians had taken the mantle of world champions.

As disappointed as they were, the team still felt a great sense of achievement and had most certainly earned the respect of their fellow nations, receiving the loudest cheer at the presentation ceremony. In their inaugural Oracle world cup the Irish team had finished runners up, and unfortunately on this occasion the luck was not with the Irish. They now look forward to next years tournament which will be held in Como in Italy were the Irish team will look to go one better and dethrone the Italians in their home country…..

FUNNIEST MOMENT : Paul picking the ball up mid match thinking it had crossed the side line but in fact was another marking on the pitch.

HIGH POINT : Against the odds beating the reigning champions France in the semi finals

LOW POINT : Losing out to Italy in the final.

If you are interested in working for Oracle in the UK or Ireland feel free to contact fiona.mcconnell@oracle.com or visit our website http://campus.oracle.com.

The venue; Zurich, Switzerland

The occasion; The Oracle Ireland football team’s debut at the annual Oracle World Cup

After months of planning and preparation by the management team of Patrick (manager), Miguel (head coach) and Scott (asst. coach) and weekly training sessions conducted by Declan including a number of friendly games, the Irish team flew out to their inaugural World Cup on  Friday the 18^th September.

The complete squad

Patrick (manager), Miguel (head coach), Scott (asst. coach) Adrian, Luca, Mark , Marco , Kevin, John R., Fabio, Patrick, John B., Darren, Derek, Scott, Jason, Maxime, Padraig, Diarmuid, Alex, Jamie, Daniel, Garrett, Stuart, Tony, Paul, Diarmuid and Garrett.

Arrival

Upon arrival the team was in jubilant mood and was greatly anticipating the draw which was to be held at a reception party later that evening. Some of the teams mooted to be contenders were the Scottish, the Italians, and of course the current holders France. At the draw, teams and representatives assembled and waited with baited breath to find out who stood between them and the coveted trophy which was also on display at the reception. As it was the Irish team’s first appearance they were put into pot two with the weaker nations potentially drawing some of the favorites. When the draw commenced, silence fell over the room, some of the audience could hardly bear to watch and John R. of the Irish team was one in particular who could not keep his eyes open. As suspected, the draw wasn’t particularly kind to the Irish team who drew France (champions), Spain, Russia and Czech Republic. Undeterred the team enjoyed their night and looked forward to the challenge which lay ahead.

Day 1

The following morning the team gathered in the hotel lobby and made their way in high spirits to the sports complex where the games would be played. Four group stage games to be played on day 1 and by late afternoon they would know their faith; would they be taking part in the quarters, semis or even final to be held tomorrow or would they be mere spectators?

The first game pitted the team against the technically gifted Spanish team. But it didn’t take long for the Irish to take the lead with John B. getting of the mark in the tournament closely followed by a second from Darren. The Spanish pulled one back but it was John B. again who put the Irish 3-1 up. At this stage the team looked comfortable but a sloppy penalty conceded gave the Spanish the opportunity to bring them back into the game. Unfortunately for the Spanish, goalkeeper Adrian  made a fantastic save and soon after Lacey finished the game as contest with his second resulting in a 4-1 win in the opening fixture. Great start!!

After a blistering start to their campaign, the team faced Czech Republic in their next fixture. In temperatures which peaked at 30 degrees, the team dispatched with Czech’s quite comfortably. Some stalwart defending from messers Luca and Mark accompanied by some battle hardened midfield work from Paul and Jamie created the platform for Derek to put the Irish 1 up, who although carrying an injury to his thigh played through the pain barrier for his country. A second was added soon after by the ever industrious player/manager Patrick and a Darren penalty gave the team a 3-0 victory and 6 points to go with it. Looking good!!

The next encounter would hand the Irish their toughest test yet as the French lay in wait, the current champions who hold an impressive track record that has seen them finish no worse than the semi finals in the last 4 years of the competition. The flamboyant French did as expected and passed the ball well but it was the Irish who took the lead when John broke through the French defense and slotted home neatly. It looked as if this may have been the decisive goal as we headed into the last minute but the French struck with a floated ball into the box which to all present looked as though it had been hooked away by Kevin before it had crossed the goal line but to the person who really mattered, in this instance the referee, decided otherwise and awarded the French a controversial equalizer which tied the game at 1-1 earning both teams a point, in the process confirming the Irish teams qualification. We’ll take that!!

Going into the final group game against the Russians having secured qualification, the Irish team took the opportunity to show the squads strength in depth by fielding other members of the squad Maxime, Padraig, and Alex, all of whom gave the management food for thought with some sterling performances. Clearly the training regime had paid off and the Irish comprehensively dispatched of their Russian counterparts with a 4-1 victory. Goals from the ever reliable player/coach Scott, midfield maestro Fabio, the defensive rock Kev  and striker Darren who netted his 4^th in as many games. The game didn’t pass without controversy however with Jason being booked after his second bone crunching tackle in the space of minutes followed shortly after with the sending off of Diarmuid for serious foul play. This unfortunate setback failed to take any of the gloss of the fact the Irish were through to the quarter finals tomorrow as group winners with 10 points. Half way there!!

After their display on day 1, the Irish team had ensured people were sitting up and taking notice, laying down a marker that although this was their first year at the tournament, they meant business!! That evening the team wound down by gathering together and going for some food/refreshments with some opting to go the supermarket and others looking to enjoy some samba dancing.

How will this story continue……? Next week more news about the exciting Annual Oracle World Cup!

As part of my course in Business Economics at Rotterdam University I had to do two Internships. The first internship was supporting the company and the second internship was to write a thesis for my graduation. During my first internship I met someone from Oracle. We started to talk about my experience as a sales intern and she started to tell me about Oracle. After a while I received a phone call to discuss if I was interested in an Internship for Oracle. I was open to this, but I did not have any experience in an IT environment. After my job interview I was convinced that Oracle is a company, which could offer me a great sales environment and a lot of knowledge of IT. During my internship I wrote a thesis about Enterprise Content Management (ECM) in the Dutch Public Sector. The interest in ECM systems was growing and I was asked to look at the challenges the Public Sector faces around document life cycle management. Oracle offered me all the freedom to write my thesis.

During my internship I had the opportunity to attend Field Sales and product trainings in Ireland, Public Sector events and various social events. Oracle showed me what it is like to work in a Sales role as a young professional, with innovative products, in an international environment and with great colleagues. This made me think about starting my career at Oracle and so I applied for the role of Business Development Consultant at Oracle Direct in Dublin. I started in July 2009.

It is a great opportunity to start in a Sales Role as a BDC. You receive a lot of training and coaching, and learn all about complex selling processes, the Oracle products, the different markets and different companies. My job is to create and find opportunities and build a pipeline. This is only possible when you are in close contact with the field and inside sales representatives and can benefit from high quality campaigns that are organised. I work closely with different colleagues to start up campaigns and to qualify the opportunities. I do not have to talk about technical issues; I only need to understand the different products and the added value to customers.

Oracle offered me two great opportunities  and more opportunities are possible in the future.

If you are interested in an working for Oracle in Dublin, focusing on the Benelux? Please contact jessica.ebbelaar@oracle.com

Barbara (Legal Intern working for the legal department), law student in the final year at the University of Zurich, working at Oracle since March 2009. Yudi (Contracts Intern working for Consulting contracts), law student for 5 Semesters at the University of Lucerne, certified in Marketing and Communication, working at Oracle since May 2009.

B: Good morning, how is life?

Y: Hi, the longer the better, how about yourself?

B: Ahh…I studied a lot last night and I have got loads of work to do.

Y: Yeah…I know how you feel…

B: Do you remember the day you started at Oracle?

Y: How could I forget…..I had just stopped working at the airport in Zürich-Kloten….I wanted to go back to working in an office, preferably something in connection to law, as I studied law for 5 semesters. Besides that my goal was to begin a further education in marketing & communication. Therefore a job at Oracle seemed like an excellent opportunity. How did you end up at Oracle?

B: Hmmm… Actually, it was quite a coincidence! I did something totally different before: I was doing an internship at UNHCR (United Nation’s High Commissioner for Refugees) when I applied for the job here. Basically, I wanted to take my final law exams in June but had to postpone them due to medical reasons. So, the job at Oracle suited me perfectly: part-time, legal, working in different languages and rather demanding… But tell me, how do you like it at Oracle after half a year?

Y: Wow,I have so many impressions! But, what I like in particular is the multicultural and international atmosphere. It’s also interesting to be involved with many different lines of business: License Contracts, Sales, HR, Legal… How do you cope with working and studying at the same time?

B: Oh, it’s sometimes rather challenging but work keeps me motivated to study. There are quite a lot of things I’m allowed to do: Localizations, Translations, Research, Justifications and giving my opinion. There’s always something to keep me busy… What keeps you occupied?

Y: Well, at first I worked more in the field of consulting, things like checking contracts for non-standard clauses, supervising signature processes and assembling contracts for funding. In the course of time, I have been allowed to do many other things, especially related to Partner Agreements. What are your plans for the future?

B: First of all I have to finish my law studies and then I’d either like to join an international organization, the diplomatic corps or a private company like Oracle. What do you want to do after your internship at Oracle?

Y: Generally, I’d like to pursue my marketing education and then join the marketing or communication section of an international company. Why not return to Oracle then?

B: Wow, sounds good! Look, I’ve got to go now, let’s meet up for a coffee at 10?

Y: Perfect! I hope I will have reduced the mountain of paper on my desk by half till then…

If you wish to know more about being a graduate and working for Oracle in Switzerland, contact julie.roi@oracle.com.

When you start working for the first time probably the most important challenge you will be facing is crossing the bridge between school and a working environment. Being able to land on corporate grounds and embrace the culture is key. You can make the crossing easy on yourself by preparing even before you graduate by taking a number of actions. For example get in touch with what is happening in the company you are interested in. Start networking with people from the group you are interested in working for, and inform yourself by looking at company websites and other social networking sites. Once you are a part of the organization that you wanted, don’t wait to start looking at how you can add value to the company in your role. Do not be afraid to ask questions. Asking questions will not render you vulnerable. If you do not ask, you will probably never know!

I already knew quite quickly I wanted to join Oracle, as I passed by the shiny Oracle office building frequently on my way to college in India. I worked on Oracle products while studying for my Masters in the US and my wish to join Oracle became stronger. The company made some powerful software and was the database company to work for. After working in the US as a Field Sales rep for a few years in my early career, I returned to India and applied for a role as a Business Development Consultant (BDC) in Oracle. Since then my career developed quickly and I changed to advanced roles every year, going from prospecting roles to Sales roles, BDC Manager, Sales Manager and now Senior BDC Manager in Dublin. Sales in Oracle means closing deals and generating revenue while the BDC role focuses on prospecting and generating pipeline for all direct and indirect channels.

At the moment I manage 30 people across 3 different Marketing Intelligence Teams and also lead the Operation Excellence, Communication and Mergers & Acquisitions pillars for the Business Development group based out of Dublin. The Marketing Intelligence team I manage is responsible for gathering accurate contact details of customers including infrastructure information etc. which helps to specifically target a marketing campaign either by product, industry or focus. Each team member has specific targets/ metrics in the form of contacts, email opt-ins, calls, etc.

90% of the team consists of graduates who are interested in a Sales career. We support the graduates coming into Oracle with a lot of training, role-play and assessments. There is an intense coaching program in place for all Managers in OracleDirect. Marketing Intelligence Representatives that are promoted into Business Development Consultants have a chance to be nominated to start a sales and marketing diploma as part of the DIT programme.

What I look for when selecting graduates is their enthusiasm, energy, commitment, competitive nature, openness to new ideas, if they have a long-term plans with Oracle and their language skills. It of course helps if they have a marketing or sales related background. You also have to feel comfortable in a company that wants to be number One in a very healthy competitive way. Oracle has a work hard, play hard culture that pushes you to bring out the best in yourself.

The Marketing Intelligence role is a great start to grow into a Sales role within Oracle. If you seek a career in Sales, starting in a Marketing Intelligence or Business Development role is the best choice you can make. Sales always begins with demand generation. If you know how to find your customers, it may be smoother for you to close the deal!

If I look back at my six years in Oracle it has been an exciting ride, and I have no doubt that it will continue to be that way. I have always been recognized for my contributions to the company . In various ways. I plan to make my career in this powerful organization especially because Oracle itself presents many diverse opportunities across the globe There is so much to learn every day here.

For more information about Oracle in Dublin take a look at the video: A world of opportunities @ Oracle Direct. If you are looking for an opportunity at Oracle visit out website http://campus.oracle.com. For questions with regards to this article please contact jessica.ebbelaar@oracle.com.

My Background

I graduated from the Norwegian School of Economics and Business Administration in December 2004. I currently hold a Masters degree in “Master of International Management”- CEMS MIM. CEMS is an alliance of European Academic institutions and corporate partners. The aim of the Masters program was to build a bridge between university education and business expertise in an international business environment. When I graduated I wanted a job outside of Norway. One day a recruiter contacted me and said she had an opening at Oracle. I was not that familiar with the IT-industry and had not really considered a career within the IT-sector, but the recruiter convinced me to go for the interview. I remember she told me that if I joined Oracle “only the sky is the limit”- and she was true!

My first period working for Oracle

When I first joined Oracle I participated in extensive foundation training with colleagues from all over Europe, Middle East and Africa. The 3 weeks program gave me a thorough insight into Oracle technology products, business practices and sales skills. It was also a golden opportunity to create a network within Oracle. After the foundation training I was assigned a buddy. I had regular meetings with him during the first 6 months.

Why I joined Oracle

The job as a Territory manager in General Business turned out to be a great stepping-stone for my career at Oracle. Besides obtaining excellent sales skills, I acquired irreplaceable knowledge of the IT industry. After 1 year I took over as a Team Leader for the Norwegian and the Finnish SMB market and one fiscal later I became the sales manager of Norway. As long as you deliver results- countless possibilities await you! When I became a manager at Oracle I was offered a 3-week training called “Foundation of Management”. The training gave me a valuable input to my new role as a manager. Meeting peers from other parts of the organization gave me the necessary overview that is needed as a manager. It was also very inspiring to meet colleges with a different culture than my own.

What do you love most about your job at Oracle?

The Nordic General Business division is a group of enthusiastic, intelligent and fun individuals that want to succeed! We share many social activities and participate in Oracle’s many social events.

I am very attracted by the international atmosphere, the fast pace and the winning attitude. My work is very varied and I do a lot of traveling, visiting partners and customers in the 4 Nordic countries. I had no experience from the IT industry when I started, but I learned that as long as you listen to what your customers and partners tell you about their business needs, you’ll have all the support you need to find the right technical solution for them. Being vigorous means you are always willing and ready to learn, this has been one of my key assets here at Oracle. A day at Oracle never looks the same.

For me it is also important that Oracle offers a great work-life balance and supports a healthy life style. I am a very result oriented person and like to set personal goals. In August I participated in a Mountain Bike competition with colleges from the Nordics. We trained for this event for almost a year- and we all made it; a great experience!

The Future

Currently I find lots of challenges in my present job. I am leading a great team with lots of potential, and I am working to leverage that potential towards more efficient ways of doing things, creating better results and raising customer and partner satisfaction through shared successes.

As for my future opportunities within Oracle, I am confident, that a fast changing industry will continue to pose new challenges in my current job, and also that our HR processes secure that I keep developing my skills, so I can step up to new job opportunities, should they open in the future.

If you are interested in working for Oracle in Scandinavia please contact fiona.mcconell@oracle.com

Recently we have invited students from the“Misr International University” to attend a presentation about Oracle and the success of the Global Customer Services Center. The day was a superb success: students and professors had a valuable day.

“Misr International University” is one of the most reputable private universities in Egypt.

During that day, we focused on presenting the Oracle’s Global Customer Service Center, which offers great opportunities to fresh graduates, in one of our state-of-the-art teams. The centre focuses on supporting Oracle customers all over the world, in English.

About 14 Computer Science and Engineering students attended. During the presentation we discussed the recruitment process, the online application process, the skills and qualifications, which we are looking for at Oracle, trainings offered to enable students to develop their soft and technical skills. We delivered a technical session about the Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing technology, which would help them in their graduation projects. We discussed the challenges students can come across working in an international company:

• Importance of Soft Skills in addition to technical profile
• Ability to work in global environment and deal with different cultures
• Virtual work structure where employees may report to Remote Managers and belong to virtual teams across the globe
• Keeping up with the technology advancement and adapting to corporate changes
• Multinational compliance and ethics standards

At the end of the visit we gave them a tour of the center so they could get a better idea of the work environment and the culture within Oracle and to motivate them to join our professional atmosphere.

Amani Rabei, The Centre Senior Manager, explains why she thinks it is valuable to welcome students in this way. “ It is very important that university graduating students get exposed to the needs of multinational companies. We in Oracle Global Customer Services (Egypt) have been adopting an awareness campaign to graduating students from top universities.

For the past years we participated in several university employment fairs. We accept requests from universities who want to visit Oracle Global Customer Services Center at the Smart Village. The Smart Village having many IT companies is becoming an attraction to students’ visits. I believe this is a great marketing tool for our Oracle work culture in the market that can help us reach out for good candidates seeking challenging careers in reputable multinationals.”

Oracle Corporation gives high emphasis on recruiting motivated software engineering and management graduates as part of its strategic initiative. Activities at Oracle include seminars/information sessions that focus on providing i nformation exchange between Oracle recruiters and the universities students. These activities are being expanded as we continue to grow and put an emphasis on recruiting graduates from premier institutes. Oracle is always looking for graduates who are motivated for career progression and individuals who appreciate the challenges of working within multicultural teams with the same dedication to teamwork and excellence.

Would you be interested to know more about these presentations or a job in Oracle Egypt, please contact nermine.salah@oracle.com

I graduated from Charles University, Prague with a degree in Informatics and Database systems in January 2008. I was looking for an interesting job in this area. Since Day 1, I have been offered great freedom in my tasks; I make my own suggestions on how to solve problems, my suggestions are strongly considered and acknowledged. I can also come up with new ideas, methods that are discussed and later put into practice. This is thanks to an open minded team, which is an essential quality within Oracle. What I appreciate most in Oracle are the straightforward rules for promotion and this is also a great motivation for me, because I know what the next step in my career is. Speaking about motivation, Oracle has a great system of benefits. As a young person I like sports and Oracle also offers a great opportunity for this. Every year, a football tournament is organized, where every European country can participate with a team. Last year, the Czech team ended up in 5^th place out of 13 countries... and we are getting ready for next competition :) 

When I was about to join Oracle, I was a little bit afraid of my knowledge of the Oracle technology. I had some general database education from school, but I had not specialized in Oracle. Oracle has been great in upskilling me from the start. First I attended some essential training specific to my job (OBI EE, Database Administration, Data Warehouse Fundamentals), and then I worked as a junior consultant under my colleague's supervision. I learned a lot about the methodology, tools and products and also about working with people. This is what I like most of all about my job: communication. I enjoy speaking with high quality people, negotiating and collecting requirements. If I had to advise someone about his or her first job, it would definitely be to consider Oracle. I like it here very much and I hope that I will stay here for a long time.

If you wish to know more about being a graduate and working for Oracle in the Czech Republic, contact illya.pavlov@oracle.com.

How did you find yourself working at Oracle? I was contacted by one of the Oracle recruiters. I was very interested in working with Enterprise Tax Management (ETM), which is a leading-edge technology. It is very complex software that would provide me with a step-up from what I was doing at ING. Oracle is very much committed to investing in ETM and making it the best solution available. Oracle is also a company with a very good reputation in the Industry and is evolving into a company with high-powered consultants.

TGBU is a business unit with a global scope, very dynamic and you can do different things. When people get to know you, and see what you are capable of and interested in, new openings will come up very quickly.

If TGBU is looking for new employees, what kind of profile does your team prefer? TGBU is looking for ambitious people who want to be world-class, who want to develop themselves and become the best in what they do. Flexibility is also important. TGBU likes dynamic, highly intelligent people, who show initiative and have their own opinion, who are willing to work hard, and become Super- Consultants!

What is specific to TGBU compared to other teams? Compared to local Oracle offices TGBU is working globally. Almost every day you will come across something outside of the country you work in or meet someone from abroad. TGBU is working on a number of very big projects. As an example our largest customer in Europe is the Dutch Tax Authority (Belastingdienst) in the Netherlands.  One of the benefits of working for Oracle is the possibility to avail of training and development. You can gain a lot of knowledge, not only from your own Line of Business but also in other Lines of Business and via the Oracle University.

What opportunities can TGBU provide for graduates? At TGBU we look at your preference. You can choose to work and stay in one country, or you can move around internationally. You can also develop your career along different tracks. Most of the graduates will start in an IT-Consultant role and develop further. Either in a Functional Architect track, Technical Architect/Expert track or Project Management track, or if you are very sales or commercially oriented, you can move towards our pre-sales or contract management team. As long as the role is related to ICT you will be able to find it in Oracle.

To support our people we have a buddy system and are working on further developing a structured mentoring system. TGBU is not so large; everyone knows each other - from top global management to new joiners. If you have a question or something to discuss there is always someone available to help you.

What advice would you give to someone embarking on a career with Oracle? Talk and interact with people, not only before joining a company but also after that. Look around, participate in forums, and try to find informal mentors. That will help you develop your career, as there are so many possibilities you can take advantage of. Focus is also very important. Try to make a career plan with a clear purpose in mind on what you want to achieve. If you are a graduate always consider working for Oracle as it will give you a flying start to your career on a world-class level, giving you the opportunity to work on leading-edge platforms and systems.

How would you summarize your experience at Oracle? Dynamic, Exciting, Fun, Fulfilling and International.

If you want more information about working for in the Tax Global Business Unit, please contact jessica.ebbelaar@oracle.com. If you are interested in the project for the Dutch Tax Office, please be aware speaking Dutch on an excellent level is mandatory.

I graduated from the ENSIMAG, a computer science engineer school in Grenoble (France). During my last year of study, I agreed to enter a student project together with students from an Industrial Engineering school. The goal was to exchange knowledge between IT engineers and Industrial engineers.

One of the key achievements of this program was a major project for 10 students during 3 months. It started with gathering the requirements and it resulted in an application model we demonstrated to Industry specialists. An Oracle manager attended the presentation and proposed me to apply for an internship. During the interview we agreed I would start an internship on the security topic Identity & Access Management.

What has been you career path in Oracle so far? I started my internship with discovering the Oracle security products until I gained enough knowledge to start my internship subject: to perform a full-integrated demo of the security products.

After ending my internship in August 2006, I joined the Technology Consulting team as a Security Associate Consultant. In this role I was working for various customers, helping implementing their needs in Oracle security software suite. At the same time, I started increasing my knowledge on ADF (Applications Development Framework) and the Oracle JSF (Java Server Faces) implementation, as it was a growing market and a topic that interested me. In May 2007 I worked on an internal ADF project and was offered to join the Applications Sales Utilities team. I am still working in this team.

What is your role today? I am working on an internal sales software program dedicated to our customer database in the applications market. My role is to enhance the application to match our sales force needs, fix bugs, and make sure we are the closest possible to 100% availability. I am also in charge of training new hires so that they can work efficiently with the tools. Finally I try to have a global knowledge of our internal systems (sales, support, finance…) to make sure we migrate the right data at the right time so other departments receive reliable data.

What is your feedback on your working experience in Oracle so far? I enjoyed the years I spent in Oracle so far very much. I worked on interesting and challenging projects, most of the time with very nice people. I learned a lot about new techniques and products and I also attended some valuable personal development trainings. I enjoy the autonomy: my only goal being to achieve what is requested, the method is up to me.

The only advice I can give and try to follow myself is: You haven’t studied for all these years to apply for a generic position. Your studies allow you to have a job where you can grow and gain value. Choose the job that you are enthusiastic and passionate about! If you are motivated, you will be able to learn more and thus be the co-worker I enjoy working with.

If you wish to know more about being a graduate and working for Oracle in France, contact julie.roi@oracle.com.

An essential part of an interview is the verbal communication. But the non-verbal communication is maybe a more important key to success. What you may not always be aware of is that the body language is often a decisive element in interviews. Body language reveals a lot about your personality and attitude.

During face-to-face interviews, we tend to take some positions that send negative signals. Our interviewer can easily guess the level of stress through, for example, shifting on your chair, hectic manipulation of a pen or unseemly gestures. Especially when it is one of your first face-to-face interviews you will be nervous and might forget about your body language.

Here are a few tips that could help you to align your body language with your message and be rigorous, calm, organized and dynamic and make sure you make a good impression.

When walking into the interviewer's room, keep your head straight, shoulders erect and exude assurance. You want to give the impression that you are confident. Also give a firm handshake.

When seated, be relaxed but keep being enterprising, reactive and smiling at the same time. Look your interviewer in the eyes and look a little bit down when you think. Maintain a friendly expression to show a positive attitude. Smiling also helps to overtake your shyness. Adopt a body language, which is consistent with the tone of your speech and what you want to demonstrate. Show that you are pleased to be there and demonstrate your enthusiasm.

Sit up straight and remember to keep your feet well anchored on the ground, as most of the time your legs and feet can betray your level of stress. Do not cross your arms in front of your chest. Folded hands are also considered like a defensive move, although these gestures might make you feel more secure. Leave your hands on the table, in your lap or on the armrests of your chair. Ask for permission to take notes while your interviewer talks, if you do not know what to do with your hands.

Last but not least, prepare for the interview (skills for the position, information and news on the company), that will make you feel more confident and allows you to concentrate and listen carefully to the interviewer. As per everything you do for the first time, it is good to exercise. Practice a fake face-to-face interview and ask a friend or a professional to help you or use a camera to get to know yourself in an interview situation and find out how you can improve your body language.

This picture on the right shows you the ideal position: straight back, head lift up, straight look, hands positioned on the table without being static. Isn’t it simple? All the difficulty is to maintain this perfect posture all interview long. But now that you know what to avoid and the tricks to keep in mind, it is a just a matter of practice. So train yourself and you will see that an interview is eventually an exercise where you can quickly progress. Good luck everyone!

If you have any question please contact julie.roi@oracle.com. For our job opportunities, please look at http://campus.oracle.com.

My colleagues Heidrun and Britta are the Oracle Academy Program Managers for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Heidrun is looking after the Oracle Application Products and Britta is taking care of the promotion and support of the Oracle Core Technology Products. Heidrun and Britta offer professors and faculties membership in the program. Members receive selected Oracle Application and Technology products along with training material and support services. With this state of the art technology the universities can train the students and give them the opportunity to gain Oracle experience during their studies. At present, approximately 260 faculties are registered as Oracle Academy members in these 3 countries.

Heidrun and Britta have been in Oracle respectively for 12 and 14 years and are below telling us a bit more about Oracle Academy in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Heidrun & Britta, what are the main facts about Oracle Academy?

Britta: The Oracle Academy offers a broad range of software licenses to universities and colleges for teaching purposes. For us it is important that students of Computer Sciences are gaining a broad knowledge in different IT-products during their studies. In other words: the more IT knowledge they gather, the better they will be suited as applicants for challenging future IT jobs.

Heidrun: In addition to the generic Academy program content, we offer and organize Oracle specific lectures and presentations about the Oracle technology at the different colleges. Just recently for example, Britta held 2 Oracle Application Express workshops at the University of Applied Science in Augsburg.

What might be some challenging aspects of your job?

Heidrun: Being responsible for our broad range of Application products and to place them at universities and colleges in the German speaking countries is a very challenging and interesting job. So when I was asked by one of our member faculties (the University of Applied Sciences in Wuerzburg) to hold several lectures about Oracle Supply Chain this was a real exciting challenge for me to meet the students and to teach them about our Oracle Application products.

Britta: We are also in charge of organizing community meetings, faculty trainings, excursions and all kind of events for students. Last year we faced the challenge to welcome a big students' excursion from the American University of Sharjah. They spent half a day at our Munich office and enjoyed several Oracle presentations. Another challenge for instance is to cooperate closely together with colleagues from other departments: Over the last year we thus have strongly increased our networking with the Oracle Graduates Recruitment Team for our region.

What makes your job at Oracle Academy special for you?

Heidrun: I like my job because I can be creative. Within the corporate guidelines we can decide on the promotion strategy of our products and bring in new and fresh ideas. It is motivating to support professors and students thus bringing our Oracle technology into the academic institutions. To be able to work with the professors and students is brilliant because they are very motivated and full of enthusiasm. Personally, it makes me really happy if I see that students write their thesis about an Oracle topic.

Britta: We have been building and are maintaining strong partnering relationships with our members. So to establish new networks with universities, professors and students is one important focus of our work. But apart from that, we focus very much on caring about our existing customer base. I think that our individual approach of customer care makes the Oracle Academy program so special and successful in our region. In order to accomplish this, Heidrun and I are working very closely together as a local team: we regularly exchange information, make important decisions together and find new creative approaches in our frequent brainstorm sessions.

If you are curious to learn more about our Oracle Academy Program or if you want to become a member please contact heidrun.walther@oracle.com or britta.wolf@oracle.com. If you are looking for job opportunities in Germany, Austria, Switzerland or abroad please contact christine.angerer@oracle.com.