Hey everyone! I just applied for a DevOps/SRE position at Oracle, mainly working with cloud infrastructure, CI/CD, Kubernetes, Terraform, and observability, all while supporting Oracle Analytics services around the clock. I'm looking for insights from anyone who's had firsthand experience with the company.
Specifically, I'd love to know:
- Is Oracle known for being bureaucratic, or do teams actually work more in an agile manner?
- What's the culture like regarding innovation and autonomy? Do engineers have the freedom to suggest improvements, or is it more about sticking to established procedures?
- How much of the job involves handling incidents and troubleshooting versus building and engineering new solutions?
- What are opportunities for career growth and recognition like in technical roles?
Given Oracle's size and history, I'm trying to gauge whether the environment leans more traditional and slow-paced or if some teams are more modern and dynamic. I'd appreciate any honest feedback, whether it's positive or negative. Thanks a lot!
4 Answers
I went through an extensive interview process with them a few years back - I mean, a ton of rounds. After it all, they ghosted me, which was super frustrating. It was a good lesson about knowing when to walk away from a company that doesn't value your time. Now when I hear Oracle, I often think "Nah!"
All the questions you're asking are actually great to bring up in your interviews. I did that, but I didn't get an offer - maybe because I was too curious? Who knows? Informational interviews can be helpful. If you can find a few Oracle veterans willing to chat, that could give you some real insights that you wouldn't get just from the formal interview process.
I used to work there, and let me be honest - it wasn't such a great vibe. While the engineers are indeed skilled, many staff members seem to dislike Oracle, especially when dealing with frustrated customers. If you end up in a support role, be ready for a lot of tense interactions. That said, it probably won't hurt your resume too much to have Oracle listed on it. Just be prepared to jump ship if you really don't enjoy it.
I don't work at Oracle, but I know a couple of folks on their cloud Kubernetes team. They seem like good engineers - happy, competent, and friendly. However, they’re pretty busy, so you won’t see them at many social events. When they do chat about work, it’s often about plans and testing rather than incidents, so it might be a good environment, but I can’t speak for your specific team.
Haha, your experience sounds relatable! Thanks for sharing your frustrations!