Looking for experiences that were a little outside the box, Lynette Biyela stumbled across Oracle’s South African internship program and knew she had to apply. After a straightforward onboarding and quick adjustment to a more structured working life, she began to notice the never-ending opportunities available to employees here. She’s sharing her journey from intern to full time employee at Oracle.
Bridging gaps and room to blossom
Whilst embarking on a new career path can be daunting, Lynette chooses to see things in a different light. After making sense of her role with the help of her team and learning to adjust to the working world, she decided to take advantage of all that’s on offer at Oracle.
“Once I felt comfortable in my role, I began to find opportunities outside of the daily tasks that made my experience worthwhile for me as individual. That’s when I started meeting different people in the organization and new connections and experiences started to blossom,” she explains.
Asking for help along the way and availing of the open door policy when it comes to senior employees, she gets to expand her horizons everyday she comes to work, “I met my mentor and saw possibilities of how we could bridge the gaps of collaborate between different lines of business.”
It’s a woman’s world too
On entering the tech industry, the intern didn’t have high expectations for inclusion in the workplace. She was pleasantly surprised to discover the emphasis put on making sure everyone has a voice here, “It’s never easy entering a space where being a woman or anything different to the norm creates disruption, but I believe that tension allows for the necessary change that makes spaces more inclusive.”
She continues by saying, “over the years we’ve come to see shifts in Oracle’s culture that have allowed for women, people of color, people from different backgrounds and cultures take up spaces in what used to be a ‘man’s world’, and make an impact.”
Working with a team of predominantly women is a breath of fresh air and a factor that inspires and motivates her to chase her dreams, no matter the barriers or roadblocks, “My team is great because they showed me that I could accomplish anything, motivating me to be the best in everything I do.”
A helpful piece of hindsight
Having spent a nice chunk of time finding her feet, Lynette has some advice for anyone wanting to follow in her footsteps, “every opportunity, no matter how difficult or frustrating, is an opportunity to learn, so make the most of each experience. Oracle is a doorway to many possibilities, seize the opportunity and then you get to decide what to do with it!”
Knowing that the corporate environment can be tough but oh so worth it when you see your hard work manifest itself into customer satisfaction and personal growth, she urges prospective applications to, “be authentic and intentional in everything you do and never be afraid of failure—it’s a stepping stool to a greater version of yourself.”
Interested in interning and want to know more about the programs we have on offer? Explore our opportunities and come create the future with us.