Cloud Programme Support Review

I really enjoyed my work placement. I didn't expect to receive such a warm welcome and to be a part of such an amazing team. I had the opportunity to do some exciting things which I will remember forever, such as a range of events and having the freedom to get involved with charity aspects of the business.

My colleagues were amazing and always had time to help with queries. They wanted to hear my opinion and I was often encouraged by senior management to voice my opinions in formal meetings/events. They do say one of the best things about working at Oracle is the people, and they're right!

My manager was extremely supportive and we were encouraged to gain a buddy and mentor early on in the year. This provides a solid foundation of support for you and made my experience a lot more balanced as I knew I always had someone in my corner. I also found that being a part of a large intern group allowed me to feel confident and supported from the onset.

As I had a very varied role this meant that my task base was also sporadic at times. Although I was extremely busy at times such as in the lead up to events, I also had periods with less work. However, Oracle provides you with the opportunity to get involved in different projects ie charity/tech for good causes which kept me occupied.

I was given a lot of responsibility in my placement at Oracle, with high expectations of me from very early on. I was asked to manage and host an event in Bristol, speak at events to promote Oracle and deliver a workshop at my VP's management meeting. All of which gave me great experience.

As my degree is Sociology, and is a very broad subject this allowed me use a lot of the soft skills I have learnt in my degree and use them in my role. I will be taking back my improved public speaking and IT skills which will help my in my final year!

There was a very good atmosphere in the office. Busy or quiet, everyone was always very friendly and which made me feel comfortable around the office, there was always someone to chat with. I also spent time between London and Reading which most Oracle interns will do, which gave a good balance.

Although our Intern programme leader, left in November, my year still provided us with extra-curricular work for us to get involved in outside of our daily roles. My manager and wider team also organised our year at Oracle to be a great experience, and made sure that when they could we could get other interns involved in projects.

Through management and my mentor I was encouraged to gain as much experience as possible for my personal development. I was able to ask to be supported in different areas of the business in order to improve and management made sure they made this happen, no matter how big or small.

I have seen from experience this year that Oracle keep in touch with the past interns and let them know if any prospects come up for future employment that they believe will appeal to us. They also encourage us to keep in contact with the organisation, and to keep an eye on all the different opportunities Oracle provides.

The intern programme created a social group for all of us interns as they created projects for us to do and you would sometimes work XLOB with other interns which was good fun. My team was very sociable as well as other employees around the office and invited us to social events.

The cost of living and socialising in Reading is reasonable. It is a lot cheaper than London.

There is a range of clubs and restaurants and bars to meet up at.

There are a lot of things you can get involved with around Reading.