Frequently Asked Questions

We realize that uniquely talented people have unique questions, so please e-mail us and tell us if you have a question that's missing on the Web page! We're here to help you make the best decision possible concerning your career.

What types of jobs do you offer?
Challenging and rewarding! Check out some of the details in the Projects at Oracle section, and you'll see just a small selection of the types of real opportunities available to you.

What are the work hours?
There are none. Working at Oracle is like eating at a buffet—choose what suits you. In other words, if you want to arrive at noon and leave at 8 pm, that's fine. If you're a programmer and you want to wear your beach shorts and Oracle T-shirt to the office at 6 am, that's fine. Even if you want to set up a home PC and work from home two days a week, you won't be the first. Oracle doesn't pretend to know what's best for you, and we certainly do not dictate. Only you can determine the atmosphere in which you work most efficiently.

Will I work alone or in teams?
Both. The development of elegant software requires a superb team effort for concept, design, and layout. But generally the period of intense development requires concentrated individual efforts. Systems integration means working closely with a few exceptionally cool people. However, if you like larger groups, you'll always find it easy to reach out to the more than 55,000 Oracle employees worldwide. Welcome to our family.

Show me the money!
Well, we all have to pay bills, but to most of us, money is not the top priority. What you're going to be doing, and with whom you'll be working—that's the #1 concern. Still, it's time to gain the rewards of your success in college. We understand that. You'll find that Oracle offers a top compensation package and the best benefits available. And, we don't stop there. We reward performance on the job. Which means you can look forward to participating in our discretionary bonus program. Oracle has a complete program for today and for future years.

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What's the Oracle culture like? Is it a fun environment?
You could describe the Oracle culture as the ultimate MERITocracy. This is a work environment where advancement is based on ability, contribution and results count, focus is on achievement, and we help you to bring out your best strengths. We applaud team efforts, and we attribute our success to (and reward) individual creativity. We foster a learning environment. We invite commitment. We shun bureaucracy. And we encourage you to move up and transfer your talent to new projects, groups, and at times, even other locations and countries.

What do Oracle employees do in their spare time?
Employees here aren't just into surfing the internet. We do that and just about everything else. We've got people in the performing arts and employees who ski, hike, backpack, play basketball or volleyball, bike, swim, weight train, or sail. Employees will take lunch breaks to practice martial arts, play piano (the lobby of at least one building has a piano), play table tennis or pool, sing, or meditate. Many join the clubs offered at Oracle—and if we don't have the club you want, please create it! Oracle offers a social environment in addition to a healthy work environment.

Can I do community/volunteer work at Oracle?
You bet! We have an entire group, Oracle Volunteers, backed 100% by the company and devoted to community work. Oracle makes it easy and fun to participate in volunteer work. In a typical month, an Oracle employee might help staff on-the-air KQED-TV telephone lines for a pledge drive; play miniature golf with at-risk teenagers; serve meals to San Francisco's hungry and homeless; and join coworkers to clean up a nearby beach. Because volunteering is encouraged at Oracle, a lot of employees participate in community work and find it both personally and socially rewarding.

I have an entrepreneurial spirit. Can I gain the experience to possibly start my own company someday?
You aren't the first to want or do exactly that. In fact, it's our strength—Oracle is a company that rewards the entrepreneurial spirit. Most likely, you'll find that you have more responsibility than you expected in a shorter time period than anticipated. Time passes quickly, and before you know it, you'll gain the experience you need to be in a leader's position at Oracle. The thing is, entrepreneurs aren't all beyond the Oracle walls. Many exist, thrive, and create their visions right here.

What types of internal educational opportunities are available at Oracle?
Another feature of the Oracle environment that energizes employees is the opportunity for immense educational growth. For additional information, see our Training and Development section.

What about further education? Is it true that I can obtain a Master's degree while I'm at Oracle?
Yes, it's true! Again, check out our amazing Training and Development opportunities.

Are there summer jobs available?
Yes, there are, and we're looking for top students who are ready for an early start to a successful career.

Is there a recruiting events calendar?
Yes. Be sure to look for us. Each year, we travel from coast to coast. We schedule information sessions and participate in career events at top schools across the country.

How many college graduates does Oracle hire straight out of college?
We typically hire between 100-200 in development alone.

Can you tell me about the history of Oracle?
Oracle was founded in 1977 with a vision of finding faster, easier, less expensive, and more powerful ways to access and manage information, and that vision has become a reality. We built the first commercial relational database system. We sold the first products employing SQL (structured query language), now the industry standard. We saw the value of low-cost, client/server systems over proprietary mainframes. We pioneered portable software that today runs on practically all hardware, from PCs to mainframes.

In recent years, we've championed parallel software as the breakthrough that will power very large database applications like data warehousing and information-on-demand. And recently, we introduced the Oracle universal data server, an extremely powerful software platform with the ability to integrate and consolidate all types of data for thousands of users over any network, including the World Wide Web.

Our technology innovations have driven the computer industry and, more importantly, enabled our customers to be more productive and more competitive using computers that cost less, but do more. This focus on software innovation explains why our software has emerged as the technology backbone for the Information Age, making possible tasks ranging from managing huge amounts of data to delivering a favorite movie to your living room. And today, Oracle software powers the internet. This is an exciting time; we are truly enabling everyone worldwide to access and manage information.

I'm interested in a summary of Oracle's financials.
Access our financial information at Oracle Investor Relations.

Where will I be at Oracle 6 years from today?
Meet some successful Oracle employees in the Where They Are Today section.

What are some of the development projects in which I can participate?
For detailed descriptions of the latest projects, download our Projects at Oracle publication.

Can you tell me a little about Oracle's cutting-edge technology?
See Projects at Oracle for more details about the many technology products thriving at Oracle.

I've browsed the entire recruiting site. How can I learn even more about Oracle and Oracle's technology?
Browse through Oracle.com and if you don't find what you are looking for, please send us an e-mail to college_us@oracle.com. We'd like to hear from you!