Market research - Oracle

ORACLE

Oracle is one of the major companies developing database management systems (DBMS), tools for database development, enterprise resource planning software (ERP), customer relationship management software (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) software.

Founded in 1977 with offices in over 145 countries and a workforce in excess of 60,000 worldwide, Oracle can be regarded as very large software company, second only to Microsoft.

Oracle Consulting is the world's largest consulting organisation, with more than 8,000 consulting professionals supporting Oracle customers and partners in more than 145 countries, with direct access to Oracle Global Product Development and Oracle's award-winning support services.

Virtually synonymous with database technology, Oracles client roaster is a veritable and enviable list of major companies that encompass a variety of industries including a sizable number of Fortune 500 companies (100 of Fortune 100 companies are supported in some capacity by Oracle.) , including public, private and non profit organisations.

Not satisfied with its database domination, Oracle has long wanted to gain ascendancy in the comparatively glamorous world of business process applications (ERP, SCM & CRM). With its enhanced new product line, the company hopes unprecedented profits are just around the corner. But some analysts wonder whether Oracle paid too much.

GRADUATE TECHNICAL CONSULTANT

Working as a consultant with Oracle, you will design and deliver solutions that enable our customers to balance today’s business requirements with the demands of the future. By putting our existing and emerging technologies at our customers’ disposal, we’re able to transform the way they do business and deliver real competitive advantage.

You will join a group of consultants who are skilled technical developers with a track record in delivering innovative solutions using the latest Oracle applications and tools.

Life at Oracle is anything but predictable. Projects, technology, the team you’re working in – you’ll find that things can change extremely fast in this organisation. However, one component that will remain constant throughout your time with us is the ongoing learning and development. You’ll learn a huge amount from your colleagues and the projects you work on, of course, but we also have a full range of both technical and soft skills courses designed to fill in any gaps. You will start with a induction training focused on Consulting skills, methodologies and training on our Oracle’s applications and tools.

DEPARTMENT

Our Consulting Technical Practice is the place for someone looking for a career, working with complex and leading edge technologies, where they will be constantly challenged and required to deepen existing and develop new skills. You will have the opportunity to work at the front end of some of the world's leading organisations that use Oracle technology and be part of an organisation of smart, technically-minded people. People who understand the business process, products and technology.

People who help turn technology into solutions that provide effective results.

FOCUS

Our focus is on working more effectively together and operating as 'One Oracle' as we continue to lead the way in our industry. We are focusing on five key strategic areas:

Customer Success - We can only achieve success for Oracle if our customers achieve success.
Innovation - Innovation is about developing state-of-the-art solutions to address our customers' business requirements.

Partnering Excellence - Partnering is key to Oracle's successes, and we depend on our partners to grow.

Continuous Learning - The objective of Continuous learning is to increase the capability and effectiveness of our managers and employees, to succeed in today's competitive market.

Corporate Social Leadership - Corporate Social Leadership (CSL) is about Oracle taking a leadership role as an exemplary corporate citizen and using our resources to help the community.

Diversity

"Oracle is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer."

WHAT ORACLE OFFERS

We are looking for motivated graduates who want to fast track their career. These individuals will appreciate the advantages of working with people from different cultures with the same dedication to teamwork and excellence. We want candidates who possess determination, initiative, intelligence, who are flexible and good team players.

In return, Oracle will provide you, as a professional, with the opportunities and career progression that will shape you both personally and professionally.

Oracle considerably invests in employees training and in career development, depending on the line of business, includes intensive Foundation Training course, IT, product, sales and ongoing personal skills development training.
Oracle is teamwork orientated, which means it's easy here to strike up good friendships in a truly multicultural environment.

Talent Development at Oracle

0-12 Months

Year one of the programme facilitates the transition from college to the working environment and involves learning technical skills and the development of professional competency through practical experience and training.

Core elements covered during the first year of the programme include Setting Objectives, Assertive Communication, Working Globally, Time Management, Mentoring, Project Management, Influencing Skills in addition to the development specific to your job role. Your passion might be sales, consulting, development, finance or something else entirely. Whatever it is, you will receive specialized programmes to get you up to speed on how we do things at Oracle. In addition you will attend Graduate Days across your region to help you network and build good relationships with other graduates across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

12-18 Months

The remainder of the programme involves the application of skills and responsibilities relevant to your role and planning your next steps with Oracle. Core elements covered in the second year include Action Learning, Creativity & Innovation, and individual Support tailored to you and your needs.

Oracle provides powerful career development opportunities and a supportive environment to foster career self-management. We encourage regular, open, and honest communication between you and your manager. To proactively manage your career, you'll want to seek out the coaching, tools, and advice you need to excel in your current responsibilities and to develop in areas that advance your career goals.

Your career in Oracle can grow in many ways. We recognize and reward you for growing either as a "knowledge leader" (individual contributor role) or as a "people leader" (manager role). You can develop your career on either track, increasing your responsibilities, competencies, and financial rewards. Oracle's success depends more and more on having the right people for the right jobs at the right time. Therefore we are committed to developing internal talent and capabilities to meet our current and future capability needs. By joining our Team, you are committing yourself to an exciting career that provides you with continuous development and career opportunities.

PRODUCTS

PeopleSoft, Inc. was a company that provided Human resource management systems(HRMS), customer relationship management, Manufacturing, Financials, Enterprise Performance Management and Student Administration software solutions to large corporations, governments, and organizations.

The whole software suite of PeopleSoft moved from the traditional client-server based design to web-centric design, called PeopleSoft Internet Architecture (PIA) with their version 8 releases. The end result was that all of a company's business functions could be accessed and run on a web client.

Siebel

Siebel Systems was the dominant Customer Relationship Management vendor in the late 1990s, peaking at 45% of the CRM market share in 2002.

CRM - is a broad term that covers concepts used by companies to manage their relationships with customers, including the capture, storage and analysis of customer, vendor, partner, and internal process information.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems integrate (or attempt to integrate) all data and processes of an organization into a unified system. A typical ERP system will use multiple components of computer software and hardware to achieve the integration. A key ingredient of most ERP systems is the use of a unified database to store data for the various system modules.

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a broad term that covers concepts used by companies to manage their relationships with customers, including the capture, storage and analysis of customer, vendor, partner, and internal process information.

The technology requirements of a CRM strategy can be complex and far reaching.

The basic building blocks:

· A database to store customer information. This can be a CRM specific database or an enterprise data warehouse.

Operational CRM requires customer agent support software.

Collaborative CRM requires customer interaction systems, e.g. an interactive website, automated phone systems etc.

Analytical CRM requires statistical analysis software as well as software that manages any specific marketing campaigns.

There are three aspects of CRM which can each be implemented in isolation from each other:

Operational - automation or support of customer processes that include a company’s sales or service representative

Collaborative - direct communication with customers that does not include a company’s sales or service representative

Analytical - analysis of customer data for a broad range of purposes

Supply chain management (SCM) is the process of planning, implementing, and controlling the operations of the supply chain as efficiently as possible. Supply Chain Management spans all movement and storage of raw materials, work-in-process inventory, and finished goods from point-of-origin to point-of-consumption.

Welcome back, now lets start updating

If you are interesting in applying for operations roles within the financial sector I have devised an example CV that you may find relevant to your application. Don’t copy it word for word as I am currently using this template but get some ideas as to what recruiters are looking for.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am a recent graduate from the xxxx. I achieved a xxxx in xxxx and I am presently undertaking my postgraduate degree in xxxx. I am writing in response to your Full-Time Graduate Analyst role in your Operations Division.
I am very much interested in the operations roles available with xxxx as I feel that my skills and professional experiences are a perfect fit for this role. I would like to apply for the September 2008 intake as I will be finished my MSc at this time. I feel that the skills I will acquire while studying my postgraduate degree will be beneficial to your company.

I became interesting in operations management during the second year of my undergraduate degree whilst studying a module called Operations and Service Management. I was able to learn key concepts such as Just in Time, TQM, Kaizen and Supply Chain Management which all have an impact on organisation providing products and services to end consumers. I have further researched this area of expertise and feel that my current skills and academic qualification are a perfect fit for this role.
I have devoted 3 years of my undergraduate study to the understanding of IT and the impact it has on businesses. During this time I have shown decisiveness, dedication and an ability to be trained, and learn new skills quickly.
Working for xxxx has long been an ambition of mine, collaborating with highly talented individuals who constantly push you for excellence fascinates me. I am in the constant mode of improvement and the traits I will pick up with xxxx during the formative periods of my career will make me a market leader within the industry.

The training, coaching, mentoring and on the job learning all your graduate undertake has made your graduate program the envy of the industry as it helps develop further leader within the financial sector.
I have strong evaluation, planning, and leadership skills. I also have the motivation and drive to be an asset to any company. I consistently present a high-profile, professional demeanour; complemented by a positive "can-do" attitude.

I truly want to become an Analyst with your operations division and I welcome the opportunity to elaborate on how I could make a substantial contribution to your organisation. I look forward to talking with you soon.

Please find enclosed a copy of my CV, detailing all my current skills and qualifications.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
xxxx

How to describe yourself

How to Describe Yourself

Self-starter
Analytical
Out-of-the-box thinker
Goal-oriented
Resourceful
Leader
High-energy
Inquisitive
Hard worker
Team-oriented
Successful
Numbers-oriented
Experienced
Recently married
Positive
Eager to learn

How NOT to Describe Yourself

Vacation-oriented
Inflexible
Silicon
Bodacious
Unprincipled
Touchy-feely
Combative
Weak-kneed
Indecisive
Follower
Status-oriented
Whiny
Ill-mannered
Short-tempered
Vengeful
Previously dinged

Google are going down the toilet

Literally!

I came across the following page while I was searching for a new ISP, http://www.google.com/tisp/. Yes, thats right Google are continuing their quest for global dominance and expanding their service line. I thought it was a joke at first but after further reading I realised that they were being deadly serious.

I must confess, I have been an avid Google fan for as long as I can remember and I support their philosophy, and organisational culture but honestly do they sincerely want people to put wires down the toilet all in the aid of receiving free broadband service?

I will wait to see if this new trend of sticking wires down the toilet is embraced by the general public.

Interviews over, now the fun begins

Hi guys,

It has been a long time since my last post but I have been very busy with interviews recently. I am not going to disclose the names of the companies I have had interviews with but they are all fantastic companies with great training programs and career development.

The purpose of this current post is to provide interested parties with information about my interviews and hopefully offer some insightful information on how to be successful at IT and Business related interviews for aspiring IT Consultants.

The first company I had an interview with had 2 numerical tests. In order to become successful at numerical tests, practise definitely makes perfect. Of late I have bought several books which have numerous practise questions and extensive explanations to complement these questions. I bought a GMAT book and the questions contained are quiet similar to the questions I encountered.

Additionally the following books were useful:

How to Pass Graduate Recruitment Tests: Psychometric Tests - Amazon.co.uk order number: 736-7560689-7377113

Psychometric Tests for Graduates: Gain the Confidence You Need to Excel - Amazon.co.uk order number: 736-2054487-4243557

I will really like to help with verbal reasoning but those sometimes are just hit and miss, good luck.!

I had 2 group exercises; I guess to assess my team working, collaborative and communication capabilities. I vowed not to disclose any information relating to any of the group exercise but I feel that if you exhibit the following qualities you should be in a good position to progress:

- Excellent communication skills - What some individuals sometimes misunderstand is that you don’t necessarily have to speak all the time. Speak when it’s necessary and communicate your ideas with clarity and confidence.

- Good listening skills - "We have 2 ears and 1 mouth for a reason." Most of us :)

- Team work and collaborative skills - In the industry you have to work within a team environment.

- Creative thinking and problem solving capabilities - The exercises are not particularly difficult but they do require come creative thinking, an individual that "thinks outside of the box" stands a better chance of progressing

- Adaptability and Flexibility - Critical for dealing with changing client requirements as I encountered on the assessment day

- Passion for the business and the drive for success.

I didn’t have a personal interview but I am through to the final stage and I have been informed that this stage will include 2 interviews, 1 technical and the other a personal interview. I feel that doing my research on the company is key, especially knowing their key service lines.

That’s all for today guys. I will update the blog tomorrow, providing details relating to my second interview. Watch this space...

Graduation Day

Hi guys, here are some of the pictures I took from my graduation day in Canterbury.

Research on IBM

Diversity

IBM is committed to creating an inclusive working environment across EMEA. Our continued success in this region, and indeed worldwide, depends on ensuring that employees feel comfortable, productive and able to reach their full potential. We call it 'Respect for the Individual' and it's been a basic principle of IBM since its foundation.

Business Areas

IBM Global Services

The world's largest information technology services provider, with professionals serving customers in 160 countries and annual revenue of more than $36 billion (2002), or 45 percent of IBM's total annual revenue. IBM Global Services integrates IBM's broad range of capabilities - consulting, IT services, hardware, software and research - to help companies of all sizes realise the full value of information technology.

• Strategic Outsourcing
  Strategic Outsourcing offers and creates business value through the strategic management of IT Services on behalf of our customers. Our aim is to work in partnership with the business, and align business needs with strategic objectives.
• Integrated Technology Services
  Integrated Technology Services address the issues that lie at the heart of our customer's use of information technology. This involves the strategic application of networks, software, servers, management processes, tools and technology. We transform leading edge technology into "industrial strength" systems.

Global Business Services

Born out of the fusion of IBM's former Business Innovation Services (BIS) and PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting (PwCC) following the latter's acquisition in 2002. The world's largest consultancy operation, it offers customers a unique combination of Information Technology (IT) services & business and management consulting.
Its mission is to deliver lasting economic advantage for customers, helping them to capitalise on IT to improve their business performance.

Public Sector

IBM´s mission in the Public Sector is to help governments improve citizen/business access and service through technology, which it does through consultancy, managed operations systems integration and building and delivering solutions in selected market segments, including Central Government, the Ministry of Defence, Police, the Civil Aviation Authority, and the Post Office.

Benefits

When it comes to having competitive compensation and benefits, IBM has long been a leader and remains so. The design of the IBM package is intended to promote a high performance culture and the delivery will differentiate rewards based upon an employee's individual contribution to the business. We want to 'pay our best people like the best in the market'. But today, life and work have changed profoundly. We still offer more of the things that make work a pleasure and a fulfilment:

• Greater flexibility in managing family life.
• Greater freedom in charting your career development.
• Greater say in shaping IBM's products and culture.

IBM UK offers Flexible Working to its employees because it makes all round good business sense.

It enables IBM to retain skilled employees, increase productivity and potentially reduce costs. It reflects what our people want. Every request is considered by balancing the business need with the individual employee's request. It is centred on trust, one of IBM's core values. It also recognises that our people -- their skills, experience and knowledge -- are the very fabric of our business.

There are success stories right across IBM UK -- male and female employees; across a range of ages; and for a multitude of business and personal reasons.

At IBM, flexible working may involve a change to workplace location (including home), working hours and times of work.

What is an IT Consultant?

As an IT consultant, you will work directly with clients to help deliver their business strategy through technology - enabled business change and you will provide technical expertise to help deliver IT solutions.

What work will you be involved in?

A typical project could involve producing an IT strategy for the client, transforming and operating a client's IT systems, involvement in project management, acting as a systems integrator or implementing a change management or learning solutions programme.

Which part of the business will you work in?

IT consultants work within business areas that sit within IBM Business Consulting Services. These areas of the business assist clients with the design, build and management aspects of their business transformation to an on demand e-business. They also help clients manage their IT applications to increase revenue and productivity, reduce costs and ensure that their IT strategy maps to their overall business objectives

How will your career develop?

Over your first few years you must be prepared to move between different roles and gain a wide range of skills and experiences. You will gain an excellent grounding in product, business and technology which you can then build on in your future roles. You may decide to specialise in the design concept of a solution and become an IT Architect; you may enjoy technology leadership and move into project management; or you may choose to focus on the analysis and requirements of a project and continue your career path in consultancy.

Who does it suit?

You will need a keen interest in business and technology, however you don't need a computing related degree to be considered for these roles as we will ensure you get the grounding in the IT skills you need during your induction and that you receive on-the-job training as and when necessary. You must, however, be prepared to develop your technical knowledge to fully understand technical products and solutions.

We are looking for those high calibre candidates who have a real passion for Business and IT that display a genuine desire to succeed and thrive in a vibrant environment. You will need to demonstrate an enthusiastic, "can do" attitude and the flexibility and willingness to travel.

Training

We place a great deal of value on the training of all our graduate hires at both an entry level and on an ongoing basis. You will already have the aptitude and perhaps some of the skills that we are looking for - our aim is to refine and develop these so you are equipped with everything you need to work effectively.

Click here for a quick guide which will help you understand what specific induction and training you can expect to receive in your first two years with us.

We have a self-directed learning culture. This means that after any core induction and training that you go through on the graduate scheme, further learning is initiated and driven by you. You will need to understand your core skills, be responsive to changes in the business, anticipate future business needs and form clear objectives. This is about much more than just attending a class once a year - it is about noticing and responding to different types of learning needs as part of daily work.

2 - 5 years into your career

You will experience a variety of "blended" learning solutions, from Web Lectures to classroom based training. This on-demand learning will address your needs in delivering IBM's business and your personal and professional development needs as you start out in your career. Tailored to you, the learning will provide breadth and depth of knowledge, skills and capabilities.

5 years plus

As your career progresses, you can expect to be developing specialisms with particular methods, technologies and client groups. As well as ongoing learning being core to all you do, more specialised and in-depth learning solutions will become appropriate to support you in your role in the business.

We have state-of-the-art tools in place to ensure you get the right kind of training when you need it and a 4 tier learning model.

Goal setting

At the beginning of your career with us (and each year after that), you will set personal business and development goals. Your personal business goals will align with IBM's overall business goals and values. Your development goals will identify ways that you can improve to achieve your business goals.

These goals will guide you through each year and will be documented with your manager as part of our Personal Business Commitments program.

At the end of each year, your manager will evaluate how well you have achieved these goals compared with your peers, and rate your overall performance. This is a key factor in determining any performance bonus and future career opportunities. This framework is designed to reinforce our high performance culture and will effectively differentiate employees based on their contribution to the company. To sustain markplace leadership, we operate in an environment where every employee is stimulated to perform at their best.

Manage your career

We have developed a virtual career coach designed to help you understand who you are, where and how you do your best work. Once you have evaluated your personality, workstyle, interests, skills and experience the coach will then help you explore the options available to you - understanding IBM and our business strategies, what is going on outside IBM, helping you understand about other areas or professions in IBM. The coach will then help you identify the experience you already have and where there are areas for development. This will all then feed into your individual development plan.

Everyone at IBM has an individual development plan - a framework to identify strengths, interests, goals, needs and development activities. This will then be aligned to your personal business commitments identified each year. You will work with your manager, putting together your individual development plan, and it will provide you with a clear layout of your short-term objectives as well as long term goals and aspirations. You will then review this on a regular basis with your manager to keep it up to date.

We have produced career roadmaps that help plan your career within IBM. These maps will help identify what skills you need and how to gain proficiency in these. They also detail what specific experiences you need and projects you need to have worked on to move up the next step on the career ladder. They will help you understand what relevant education you need and will show you, where appropriate, when you will be able to achieve professional accreditation within your profession. They are essentially a guide and a map to help you plan your career.

News

Latest News

1. 05 Mar 2007

BBC and IBM create strategic alliance to embrace the digital future
The BBC and IBM have forged a strategic alliance, following the signing of an agreement for a framework outlining several joint projects between the two companies.

2. 22 Feb 2007

Home Farm Foods opts for managed services from IBM
Home Farm Foods mixes ingredients from IBM and Triangle to secure data and improve productivity.

3. 19 Dec 2006

IBM Service product transforms computing environment at Cardiff University
New Virtual Infrastructure Access service product from IBM provides students and staff secure access, anytime, anywhere to Cardiff University’s new Modern IT Working Environment

4. 13 Nov 2006

Natural England chooses IBM as its transformation partner
Newly formed government advisers embrace government shared services strategy.

5. 12 Nov 2006

Hampshire County Council to use IBM Software to Underpin Services Growth
Responding to increased service demand without a corresponding increase in costs, using IBM Service Orientated Architecture software.

6. 07 Nov 2006

UK Science extends to new fields of research with IBM supercomputer
UK National Academic Supercomputer doubles its capability again

7. 24 Oct 2006

IBM's Express Advantage provides simple solutions to complex problems for mid-sized businesses; new offerings target business flexibility, employee productivity and asset security
IBM offers solutions along with a strong network of business partners and enhanced customer experience cpabilities, targeted to mid-sized businesses

8. 18 Sep 2006

IBM-led consortium wins ground-breaking transatlantic defence research agreement
International Technology Alliance formed to drive joint research for U.S. Army and UK Ministry of Defence