When Shirel Gabay started out as a database administrator at her old company, she heard one thing time and again from colleagues: ‘When you know how to work with Oracle databases, you’ll know how to do everything.’ As it turns out, they were right!
Spurred on by this advice, Shirel asked her manager to start specialized training focused on Oracle solutions. Soon, she caught the eye of our Talent Acquisition team and her golden opportunity to be part of Oracle had arrived.
Generation Oracle
The Generation Oracle (GenO) programme empowers participants to develop in ways that work for them while growing as professionals. Free-thinking is actively encouraged and there’s always space to take on challenges in fresh ways.
The programme covers disciplines from sales, cloud solution engineering, and consulting to customer success services. As a result, it attracts a diverse range of talent and perspectives.
“Our team is diverse—men, women, older, and younger people learn so much from each other,” Shirel observes. “My team is made up of four members, three guys and I. We all feel equal and help each other with everything at any time.”
Her path to joining GenO was just as supportive. The whole process took just under three weeks and Shirel was delighted at the efficiency. “I must mention that the recruiter was always in touch with me to make sure I was fine. If she had new information, she called me within moments!”
Welcoming
This was something that continued into Shirel’s GenO onboarding where she and her cohort were quickly brought up to speed with life at Oracle.
“Those who taught us were always welcoming, relaxed, and there for every question we had,” she explains. It’s all part of the programme’s broad appeal, which puts more emphasis on candidate aptitude than having the ‘perfect’ skillset. Taking part in a programme like GenO takes commitment, but for Shirel, upskilling is always valuable.
Now, as a fully qualified GenO advanced support engineer, Shirel works hard to deliver bespoke services to customers that maximize business success and minimize risk. It’s a vital role and one that clients appreciate. “Today I know it was really worth it!” she enthuses. “I’m in a great programme with the best managers in the most organized and welcoming organization. I’m only at the beginning of my journey—it’s exciting to think where I’ll be in the company in future.”
Preparation
As someone who has walked the path already, she’s in a great position to advise others, and is quick to stress how GenO offers truly comprehensive training. Her advice? Just jump in and trust the process.“First, don’t worry!” she says. “You will get an answer to every question you have and those you don’t know you have.”
However, she does have some thoughts for those entering a more technical stream like her own. “If you want to prepare well for an advanced customer services database role, I suggest learning Linux, Shell and the Oracle Database basics,” she shares.
Luckily, Oracle University offers free entry level training and accreditation across Oracle’s entire portfolio of products. It’s a great starting point for those who want to learn on a flexible schedule.
Looking back, Shirel counts herself lucky to have discovered the programme and feels more at home with each passing project. “I couldn’t ask for more!” she adds. “It’s a great company with a huge heart.”
Are you ready to join a career development programme that supports you every step of the way? Learn more about Generation Oracle opportunities and help create the future with us.