Blog

Oracle and military veterans: A winning combo

By Traci Wade, Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion, Oracle—Nov 11, 2022

Roughly 200,000 US Veterans leave active military duty each year, according to Department of Defense (DoD) data. At the same time, companies need to fill a range of technical and business positions. Matching that massive talent pool to our available jobs is good for business, so over the years Oracle has launched and expanded programs to do just that.

The Oracle Veterans Internship Program (OVIP) launched four years ago to acclimate veterans to the nuances of the corporate workplace. In 2020, the paid internship program was extended to military spouses. OVIP accepts 40 veterans twice a year for 12 weeks of training. The goal of the program is to prepare veterans to take on roles at the company and encourage them to apply for open positions. To date, 70% of participants have taken full time jobs at Oracle.

Case in point: US Navy vet Andres Quintana said OVIP set him up to succeed as senior product manager for analytics at Oracle. As a self-described “sports nut” he is thrilled to work with Oracle sports analytics customers including Oracle Red Bull Racing and the UK’s Premier League.

Quintana said OVIP opened the door for him: “Oracle pieced together what I’d done in leadership, project management, mission planning and optimization, and organization skills and translated all of that to a corporate setting.”

 

Easing transition from military to corporate careers

Oracle and NetSuite participate in the DoD’s SkillBridge program which aims to help veterans nearing the end of their service find full-time jobs in civilian life.

In partnership with the DoD’s SkillBridge program, Oracle NetSuite recently started the SuiteVets Fellowship program, a three-month onboarding fellowship that hones the skills of members of the military in the final stages of their service and helps prepare them for a rewarding corporate career. Upon completion, veterans can join NetSuite through job offers as functional consultants or associate project managers, where they can continue to develop the skills they acquired throughout their military career including perseverance, teamwork and leadership.

SuiteVets Fellows is an extension of the successful NetSuite SuiteVets program. With SuiteVets, veterans and military spouses participate in a three-to-four-month enablement program and transition into their post-military career with NetSuite.

Dante Estwick, a 12-year naval veteran who is now a site reliability engineer for Oracle National Security Regions (ONSR), said this program helped with the basics and beyond. “The program is focused on the transition. It shows you how to create a successful LinkedIn profile, how to showcase your resume, how to talk and literally throw the military jargon out the window,” he said. Presumably, (for better or worse), it also teaches veterans the tech and business lingo.

For veterans already at the company, Oracle’s Military Affiliated Veteran Employee Network (MAVEN) provides on-going mentorship, training, a podcast and other resources.

Oracle has found that bringing more veterans on board not only grows its talent pool but also boosts diversity and inclusion. For a company that offers products and services used across all sectors of business, that brings its own distinct advantages.

This month Oracle was recognized as one of the nation’s top employers for veterans by Forbes. It’s the result of decades of dedication to service people’s unique needs, and we’re proud to have backed so many successful career moves.

Our veteran programs are at the heart of this. Together, they create a clear path from transitioning out of the military, right up to starting at Oracle, and beyond. This support is what makes US military veterans some of our most valuable players.

Simply put: Veterans make Oracle a better company, and Oracle gives veterans the tools they need to succeed in their post-service careers. Win, win.

Are you a veteran or thinking about a career after the military? Check out our latest jobs for veterans here.