Oracle Interview Experience

My Re-hire Journey and my learnings in the process

After working for a start-up for like 2 years, wearing all possible hats from a developer, tester, designer, architect, Scrum master, and lead I had my enough share of learning required for the next 5-10 years of IT industry exposure.

I was so enjoying the multiple roles, learning, and owning up to things, that I realized maybe it was time to share what I had learned with my previous organization. I felt the learning I accumulated, I needed to take it back to where I was mentored, groomed, and laid the foundation of the IT Industry. Yes, I wanted to take my learning back to the company where I came from. (My previous Organization – Oracle)

I was skeptical at first when I wanted to go back to the company where I came from.

It was as if I was looking like a loser too because I was taught right from childhood that no matter what only move forward. No going back.

But what I told myself is a different answer – I left my previous organization because I wanted to have a start-up experience. My organization was supportive enough to understand my dreams and priorities. Now I want to go back to the same place because my purpose is now accomplished. No matter what or how the world sees me does not matter to me.

After that, I reapplied for a position I could take up at that point and follow the standard interview procedure. I gave all the interviews 3-4 rounds in total ( 2 technical and 1 behavioral) spanning 3-4 weeks.

The offer was released and I was delighted to accept it. That moment I realized the most precious life lessons :

1. Never ever burn the bridges – you may never know whose door you are going to knock for an opportunity.
2. Up-skill no matter what – Being a rehire does not mean I can have a red-carpet entry. My interview standards are on par with the market standard and I was thoroughly tested on my problem-solving, technical, and domain expertise.
3. Always exit your current companies on a peaceful note – Again you may never know when you want to come back. Imagine having a bad reputation and your current manager giving you a No to rehire status when you leave, you can never come back to the company ever. So ensure you always leave on a positive note. Be authentic and be grateful.
4. Never ever turn down the re-hire offer for a better offer – Do you see what I see here? The door is closed for you for ever. If you are keen on looking for better opportunities then please don’t pull the trigger for a rehire opportunity unless you have made up mind for it.
5. Be a value addition to the team – Now that we have gained a lot set of experiences and learnings, be confident enough to bring that on the table. In short, make your team feel proud for getting you back because you are now an evolved person.

Hope the summary helps and this could be a different perspective for a re-hire experience.