Sonal came to us with impressive industry credentials: 13 years’ experience designing and developing enterprise-scale products and systems, working with organizations such as Microsoft, McAfee, IPolicy (Tech Mahindra), and Bank of America (BA Continuum). So why did she join Oracle?

“What I wanted was the opportunity to design and build a new cloud service from the ground up, while still working for a globally recognized brand,” she shares. “OCI aims to be more than just another cloud service provider. It brings vast expertise in data management to the platform too.”

She’s found that it is one of the most mentally stimulating work environments she has ever experienced. “We have a very open culture where everyone is empowered to explore new ideas and contribute to solutions. It helps that all levels of our organization are so approachable,” she shares.

Joining during the pandemic, Nitika was pleasantly surprised at how cohesive and collaborative things were from the get-go. “We used to have a lot of fun meetings to get to know each other. I think, all these things, they foster a bond between teammates,” she reflects.

Having time to power down the laptop and lift your head from the inner workings of the technology world is massively important, something Nitika especially noticed over the course of Covid as everyone was working from home. She found that being part of a company that also saw the value in taking time out, helped her through any difficulties she experienced during lockdowns.

“As a company, Oracle gives a lot of importance to mental health, with the Employee Assistance Program, and other health related sessions. They’re really trying to bring in a good culture and focus on employees’ health.”

Having first joined Oracle in a QA role, Sampada shares how instrumental her colleagues were in her move into a developer position. “They guided me through the learning process and gave me the necessary support,” she reflects. “Working on the latest technologies, there’s just a constant learning curve and opportunity for growth.”

When faced with fears coming back to work after the birth of her child, she once again found the support she needed, “They didn’t hesitate to give me two months of extended leave after six months of official maternity leave,” she recalls. “Initially, I was terrified of how I would be able to manage both office and home life, but Oracle gives me flexibility to be present as a parent and on my technical team.”

Currently a member of our Cloud Infrastructure team working on Data Integration, Praseetha joined Oracle as a fresher ten years ago. “It’s been a glorious journey from being mentored to being a mentor,” she reflects.

“This is a place that encourages developers to innovate and be creative. There are no hierarchies here. Anyone can propose the next big idea.” When asked to describe her work environment, Praseetha adds, “We’re flexible in the way we work but also in the way we live. I have the freedom to choose my own working hours and basically design my working week”.

Her advice to engineers seeking to do their best work? “Learning is a continuous process. Keep reminding yourself that growth begins at the end of your comfort zone.”

After taking a career break to spend time with her family, Binu faced a challenge. She had spent 21 years building her career from software developer to senior manager. So where to begin again?

With the Career Relaunch program, Binu found the mentorship, training, and support she needed to get back in her groove as a Senior Software Development Manager. “It was a fantastic experience. And the other thing was the community. When you have 20 career returners joining the program together, we could ask each other questions and form some friendships.”

Her advice to candidates ready to return to the workplace? “Keep yourself abreast of the latest technologies, and don’t hesitate to apply for positions even if you don’t tick all the boxes – you never know behind which door your opportunity lies. I see women in leadership positions here, and I see the respect that they get.”

When Sandhya graduated in 2016, she began to build her career with Microsoft. After taking a year’s career break to care for her son, she was ready to return to work. Sandhya had heard about Oracle’s start up culture through friends, and decided to take a chance.

“I’m very new to cloud engineering,” she admits. “The Career Relaunch program gave me a structured training course to help make that transition. Now I’m fine-tuning my skills and becoming a more independent engineer.”

She credits the amazing support of her team and a strong support system at home with helping her overcome any self-doubt about relaunching her career. “There are so many questions that make you doubt your own talent, but it's important to believe in yourself and take that first step. Once I got back to work, I realized that this is where I was meant to be.”

Arthi has worn many hats, from IT project manager to UN volunteer. During the pandemic, she took a career break to care for her parents, volunteer for water and sanitation hygiene projects with the United Nations, and mobilize vital blood donation drives. So how has the Career Relaunch program helped her harness that unique experience?

“The mentorship, acceptance, and support have been phenomenal,” she shares. “My CV is not very conventional, but no one here questioned whether I was serious about my career because I’d taken a different path; I use those learnings every day. In fact, Oracle believes that diverse experience enriches the work that we do.”

Arthi credits her team at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure for their amazing support, especially Sathesh Murthy (Vice President of Product Development), her manager, Bhuban Das, and colleague Sandhya Vasu. “Sathesh is quite passionate about the work we do and the Career Relaunch program, and his faith keeps me going.”

Arthi believes that this supportive workplace culture can really help career returners succeed. She adds, “Inclusivity is a way of life here. Everyone has a seat at the table. You just need to claim it.”