From working mother to principal member of technical staff, Identity Cloud Services employee Sampada Aggarwal has the balancing act nailed, but after seven years in the company, what other lessons has she learned along the way? Here’s her insight into life at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.
Motivated by the chance to add value
Whether it’s adding value by enhancing her customers’ business operations or bulking out her own expertise by taking advantage of the learning opportunities within Oracle, Sampada is adamant that this is the secret to staying motivated.
The principal technical staff member says, “I get the chance to add value to someone in a tangible way. Working on a new feature allows me to feel how much business value it adds up, keeping me motivated. Also, working on the latest and new technologies fires me up, as there’s a constant learning curve. It is immensely rewarding to help clients tackle their most challenging problems.”
Career growth like no other
Joining the company in an entirely different role to where she’s working at now, one of the defining factors in her career journey has been Oracle’s support when it comes to promotional growth.
“Wonderful people at Oracle guided me through the learning process and gave me the necessary support I needed,” she reflects on the last seven years at the company. Continuing, she shares how instrumental her colleagues were in her advancements, “I joined Oracle in a QA role. A couple of years later, I’m a developer here. All my amazing colleagues helped me achieve it.”
Aside from the backing she’s received, she feels there were certain attributes she worked hard to nurture that nudged her in the right direction, “a willingness to learn and strong belief in the product enables me to be good at my job. I’m also a strong believer in teamwork.”
Flexibility is the key to her success
When it comes to finding a work-life balance, Sampada doesn’t just have herself to think about. A working mother, she appreciates Oracle’s flexible work schedules that allow her to be a present parent as well as achieve success on her technical team. “Being a working mother, balancing life is one of the biggest challenges. Having flexibility in terms of working hours, practices, and location makes a huge difference,” she says.
“I’m grateful to Oracle for offering flexibility which helps me take care of my four-year-old daughter in parallel,” she explains. Furthering her belief in the company, she gushes about the support given to her when she gave birth during her employment at Oracle, “They didn’t hesitate to give me two months of extended leave after six months of official maternity leave. Initially, I was terrified of how I would be able to manage both office and home life, but Oracle gave me flexibility. Gradually all my fears vanished, and now, I react more calmly in pressurizing situations. I have understood that balance is the key.”
A culture that cares
Dedicating a large chunk of her career to creating the future with Oracle, Sampada stands by the fact that it’s the inclusive, customer-first culture that keeps her coming back.
“At Oracle, I never experienced gender bias,” she shares when asked about diversity in the workplace.
Working with people that share and actively put into practice the values of the company is important to Sampada, “we have frequent meetings with customers whenever they encounter any issue. Oracle’s value of putting the customer first encourages us to exceed their expectations. We are ready for any kind of risk. I take pride in my work and feel proud to be part of Oracle Cloud Infrastructure.”
Interested in joining Sampada and her technical team? We’re hiring in India so explore our career opportunities and create the future with us.