This week, I'll have completed my first month as a full-time Software Engineer at Oracle 🥳 so I figured, I might as well answer the most pressing question I've been asked recently: how did you do it? How did you land a job at Oracle?

This question has truly challenged me to reflect on my journey, and ask myself: what have I done to set myself apart, to stand out? How have I demonstrated my ability and openness to learn? What if I had not done 1, 2, or 3... would I still be at this point?

If you're new here, welcome 🤠 thank you for taking the time to visit my blog, and learn about my journey.

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1st Internship at Oracle (May 2022)

I have a detailed blog post on how I landed my first initial Summer internship with Oracle here, so I'll summarize (if you don't feel like reading another blog post):

In the spring of 2022, my college course on Database Programming with Oracle SQL morphed into a passion project that I documented on Twitter. My tweets ranged from snapshots of my lab sessions on my college campus to handy SQL cheat sheets, all designed to help both myself and my classmates navigate learning the Oracle Database application and Oracle SQL. ☺️ I was genuinely having so much fun learning, and in the process of sharing that learning journey, I did something I didn't realize: my excitement fanned out across Twitter, making its way onto the timelines of Oracle leadership.

Here are a few Tweets I made during this time that caught the attention of Oracle leadership, for your inspiration:

This "digital diary" of mine soon grabbed the eyes of leaders from Oracle's Database organization. They didn't just follow and interact with my posts... but in late March, a Senior Director of Database Product Management from Oracle reached out to me with an internship offer via Twitter DM. I was going to be the FIRST intern ever on the Database Tools team (the Database Tools team are the folks that are on the front lines creating tools for Oracle Database)...I was FLOORED, and when I say floored, I mean:

What had captured their attention? My genuine excitement for Oracle SQL, the positive echoes from my followers, and the way I inadvertently turned into an advocate for Oracle's products. 🥹

During that first initial Summer internship in 2022, I created a boatload of content for the Database Tools team I was interning on:

• YouTube videos on Oracle Database

• my Oracle blogposts series here on Hashnode

• Twitter threads and exciting internship updates showcasing my internship journey

If you'd like to read, in detail, about how my experience was during my first Summer internship at Oracle, click here.

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2nd Internship at Oracle (June 2023)

Shortly, a few weeks after my initial Summer internship ended in early August 2022, I was invited to return to the Database Tools team for a Summer 2023 internship. 🥳 I was incredibly excited to have another opportunity to learn and grow at Oracle...and nervous! I sat down and drafted a list of improvements I could make for this second internship:

1. speak up and don't hesitate when asking questions or providing new ideas/perspectives

2. ignore the imposter syndrome. you're here for a reason, remember that

3. embrace the journey, and be in the moment. You're only an intern for so long, enjoy it

By this point, I knew without a doubt, that I wanted to be a part of the Database Tools team at Oracle, full-time. So, walking into my 2nd internship in Summer of 2023, I had one goal: to FULLY lean into and harness what landed me this opportunity to begin with, which was my authenticity. I spent the following 8 months creating content about concepts in the college courses I was taking, alongside Oracle-related content, whilst waiting for Summer 2023 to arrive...

And here I am in my first week as a returning intern in my Summer 2023 internship, back on the Database Tools team:

During my summer 2023 internship, I was so fortunate to be on the LiveSQL project, a project I'm ecstatic to still be a part of as a full-time engineer. Finding myself on this project felt like striking gold, truly. Working on a free tool that empowers and supports the developer community has been an immensely rewarding experience, perfectly aligning with my goal for my social media: to uplift and enable my fellow developers!

Having my end goal of landing a full-time role in mind, I made it known to my manager that I wanted to be a part of the Database Tools team long-term, I highlighted my contributions during my internships and how they aligned with the team's objectives. Feedback is priceless, and I made sure to seek it out from mentors and teammates, then acted on it to continuously improve and add value to the team.

During this 2nd Summer internship, I realized how much I'd grown, in all the ways I laid out 8 months previously.

• I asked questions, provided new perspectives and ideas without hesitation

• I ignored my imposter syndrome. I reminded myself daily, "You are here for a reason. Truly acknowledge that." That genuine, true acknowledgment has aided me in working past my imposter syndrome (still working on it, though 😂)

• I embraced the journey. I recall feeling emotional during my Summer 2023 internship, realizing this was the last time I was ever going to be an intern. I was a little fish in a small (intern) pond, about to venture into the big sea of tech

As I bid farewell to my internship days, I take with me a wealth of knowledge and experiences that have irrevocably changed me. It's time to turn the page and step into a new chapter: becoming a full-time engineer. 🥰

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Full-Time Role at Oracle (August 2023)

The end of my second summer internship was filled with a mix of emotions. 🥹 Excited at the possibility of joining Oracle full-time, yet nostalgic for my days as an intern. When I signed my full-time offer in August 2023, it felt surreal. This was the fruit of all my hard work and a testament to my dreams turning into reality!!

Transitioning from an intern to a full-time software engineer is more than just a title change. It represents the culmination of all the hard work, learnings, and connections I've made throughout this entire journey. 🌱 I started my full-time role on August 25th, 2023 🥳 in this new full-time position, I aim to keep the learning curve steep, take on more responsibilities when possible, delve deeper into the intricacies of software engineering, and make a lasting impact on our developer community and Oracle's products.

Here are a few updates from my first month working at Oracle full-time:

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Advice:

To those in the middle of internships or on the hunt for full-time roles in software engineering, here are my two cents:

1. Don't be a wallflower! 🌼 Make a point to network and proactively seek opportunities internally where you work and externally on social media. If you're interning and aspire to join the team full-time, make sure to vocalize that desire

2. Milk your internship/job/apprenticeship for all it’s worth – learn, contribute, and truly show the team what you're made of. Prove your worth by being a vital part of any project you're assigned, and don't be afraid to bring your unique ideas to the table!! Those unique ideas could be what makes you invaluable to the team

1. Use social media as your personal billboard – showcase your skills, share your learnings and network! Your online presence is a powerful tool that can open up countless opportunities, so make the most of platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter to connect with industry professionals and fellow developers

2. Ask, ask, and ask some more. Don’t be shy to seek out feedback and advice from those around you. This is your golden opportunity to learn from experienced professionals in your field, so take advantage of it! Remember, there's no such thing as a dumb question, and every piece of advice brings you one step closer to becoming a better software engineer

The journey from intern to full-time software engineer at Oracle has been nothing short of amazing. I’ve had so many great opportunities, gained amazing mentors, and learned more than I thought possible. I’m so pumped to see what’s next and make my mark at Oracle! 🥳

Thanks for sticking with me and reading my story! If you want to keep up with my tech journey, you'll find my social media links on my personal website: www.lay.codes 🥰