Growing up, Fusion Apps engineer Cristian Reyes Hernandez, had no idea that helping out with and observing his family’s business was preparing him to secure a role at Oracle later on down the line. His journey to get here has been full of twists and turns but as the college graduate sits in his current job, writing and testing code for software that manages warehouse items and their movements, he reflects on how he’d been, unknowingly, training for it his whole life. He shares his story…
Warehouse worries and a truck load of inventory
“The funny thing about working within this group, is that I’d been training for it most of my life!” Cristian begins. “My parents owned a trucking business and my dad moved inventory between warehouses throughout California. My mom was his dispatcher keeping track of documentation like the Bill of Lading.” The engineer explains it was watching this transaction that prepped him for the responsibilities he finds landing on his desk today at Oracle.
Trucking inventory isn’t the only industry Cristian gained valuable experiences from, however, as following his father’s passing, he decided to spend time putting in shifts at a warehouse, “My father passed away and as the oldest in the family I decided to work at an Amazon warehouse scanning boxes and packing trailers that other truck drivers would move in and out throughout the day.”
Fast forward a few years and Cristian can’t believe that he now works day to day on the other end of the production line, “Imagine my surprise that I’m now in charge of writing the software that powers the business I was a part of growing up. Things like the Bill of Lading, the warehouse process I did at Amazon, are all elements I help shape and form now—talk about coming full circle!”
A virtual connection that became a real opportunity
Cristian’s recruitment was, in itself, an unexpected twist of fate and he looks back on how events unfolded with a smile, “What initially led me to joining Oracle was a strange encounter with an Oracle recruiter.”
Feeling frustrated with the hiring process he had encountered on leaving university, he took to Instagram to make his feelings known—little did he know, a few phrases typed out on the screen were opening massive doors for him, “I remember venting my frustration on a random Instagram post promoting companies accepting new grads, and I recall writing something sarcastic along the lines of ‘Yeah right, these companies only want guys with 20 years of experience.’ I thought nothing of that post until a few days later an Oracle recruiter contacted me and the rest is history.”
No barriers to entry
From the get-go, the ambitious self-starter felt at home with his team at Oracle. Expecting to be met with cold shoulders and dismissal as per his preconceived ideas of the tech industry, he couldn’t have been proved more wrong. What helped the transition the most was the variety of backgrounds and skill levels welcomed within the company.
He highlights, “Something I want people to know is that it doesn’t matter where you come from, you can make it. I’ve lived in places like Korea Town in Los Angeles, South Central LA, San Bernardino, Hemet, and have gone to school at the University of California Riverside. South Central had police helicopters roaming almost every night, San Bernardino was once known as the most dangerous place in California, UCR isn’t a household name, yet I somehow survived.”
His greatest lesson thus far is, “no matter the grind, you’ll get to where you want to be if you stay on the path and don’t let the environment sway you.”
Advice to new graduates from a working graduate
Cristian keeps it simple when offering up his biggest tip for finding footing on the career ladder, “the best advice I can give you is try and stand out from the crowd. The fact of the matter is there will always be someone with a better GPA but there will be less people out there with a better portfolio.”
He encourages college students to start projects and use their time wisely to build an impressive armory of skills outside of academic work, “Join clubs, get an internship, get a part time job in your related field. Always look for what to do next.”
Feeling inspired by Cristian’s story? Explore open full-time roles and internship opportunities now and join Oracle as we work to create a better future today.
The editorial team is comprised of members of the Oracle Talent Advisory group, with a wide-range of employer branding responsibilities. They partner with employees across Oracle to capture stories that showcase our company, culture and career opportunities, and help candidates envision their #LifeAtOracle.
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