Sales Development Review

I really enjoyed my year with Oracle. The company is so big, meaning there is tonnes of opportunity to get involved in a massive range of activities. The culture is very much don't ask, don't get... if you put yourself out there you are likely to do well. The job and environment really helped me build my confidence.

This was very dependent upon who you are interacting with. There is still a culture (for some... very few) of thinking interns are glorified personal assistants or there for admin... we are not. It took time to build a relationship with the teams, and time to 'prove myself'. It was sometimes a challenge however I would say that generally i was treated with total respect, and my opinions and inputs were valued. - more and more as time went on.

One thing to know - Oracle is a 'self-service' company. You are really left to your own devices a lot of the time, unless you seek it out. It's good to seek out a mentor who can help you set goals etc. I was lucky to have a manager who ensured we had a catch up on a fortnightly basis, and he made sure I had work on/ was getting on okay etc etc. In my final weeks, the managers in my team insisted on giving feedback on my performance throughout the year - super helpful

Peaks and troughs... my work was largely project-based, meaning that there would be times I was manic with things to do - however there were also times I would find my workload very quiet, when less events and such were on. These quite periods are super valuable though, for example you can get involved in charity work, or ask your manager to try out other lines of business. Keeps it interesting. If you aren't the kind of person to seek out extra work, it may be boring though as (generally) people won't go out of their way to give you work, you have to find it.

I think that as time went on I was trusted more and more. I was generally very involved with events, and I was given the chance to organise some events start to finish, such as dinners for C-Level clients.I was also able to host customers for meetings and demos. People let you get on with it and to just ask if you have any questions.

Really interesting to see such a massive corporate company in practice. My whole year, people said 'if you can last a year in Oracle you can work anywhere'. Oracle is a really complex company with so many different areas and it can be perplexing. It was cool to see how people really navigate it, as opposed to the ideal scenarios you learn about in lectures/ tutorials. I think having my first taste of corporate life in Oracle is a super good grounding for my future. (It also sets you up really well to interact and learn about partners such as the Big 4)

My first few months were quiet.. I was told I was Reading based, and so expected my team to be as well, but they weren't. - All London based, which I wasn't told. This meant that when I was in Reading office, didn't really see anyone relevant to my job, which was pretty disheartening. The Reading office is very very quiet. Started going to the London office most days which was great, we developed a real team atmosphere and could have laugh. Pretty much all the sales teams go to the London office. Some teams have permanent desk spaces but we all hot desk. Though the same people tended to sit around, it does mean you get to meet more new people

My personal experience of the organisation was not great. The manager that hired me, left within 2 weeks of starting, which I'd not been warned of. Also within the first month, 2 others left the team, leaving the team at 3 people. Not anyone's fault but meant that it was really hard at the start as everyone was so busy trying to cover for the lack of bodies in the team. Also was told I was Reading based which was inaccurate as all the relevant people to my role were London based. This meant about 3 hour round trip each day if I wanted to see my team. Would have lived in London if I had known. My recommendation is to have an open/ honest relationship with your manager that is the best way to get some structure.

Lots offered if you go for it. For example excel courses, presentation courses etc. Also chance to be a Bloodhound SSC Ambassador which is super cool. May not be offered to you but ask and you'll be able to get onto a course. Aside from formal stuff, there are just loads of really interesting people around who will be happy to talk to you and help you out.

It is a shame that the only official grad scheme is in Oracle Consulting. Though this isn't necessarily a problem. The way Oracle is means that if you maintain good relationships and try to keep in touch when you go back to uni for final year, there is a chance to go back after graduating.

There were about 40 of us and everyone tended to get on really well. Some of us were more involved in the social stuff but the vibe was that everyone was always welcome. Few of us lived in houses with other interns which was good as well.

London office is in Moorgate, so that is quite pricey, it is also near Liverpool Street so there are loads of tube lines - can live further out and make it cheaper. Reading office is out of town but there is a free bus into town. There are bits and bobs there but not as much as London, also not as pricey. Bit cheaper to live than London, average about £400-£500 a month in a shared house.

London office has amazing stuff all around - about 10 mins walk to Shoreditch, and a load of bars literally across the street. Obviously in London nothing is really that far away so can get anywhere super easily. Can't say quite the same for around the Reading office but there are still loads of things to do around, and it is only 25mins into Paddington from Reading station.

Loads !!! Oracle is such a big company and someone is always doing something... there is a lot of charity work which is so fun to get involved in, but also means you get to meet people in the company you may not otherwise. Bloodhound SSC is also a cool one to try and get involved in. There are also sports teams like football and I think hockey