Oracle Interview Tips

Preparation To perform well in any interview, especially the technical ones, preparation is essential. Following few tips will help you guide your interview preparation efforts.

• Research
  This is the first step in the interview preparation process. You must find out about three things; company, job and interview process.
  About company because, it shows that you are serious about the job and interested in the company. You should know some simple things about the company such as its mission statement, major products, role in the market, clients etc.
  You should be aware of what exactly the job entails, technologies and procedures used etc, as this will help you find the particular subject, skill or technology on which you should focus.
  The last but not the least is the interview itself. If at all you should find out as much as you can about the interview such as whether the personal and technical rounds combined or separate, how many rounds there are, what level and type of questions are expected, would you be asked to solve the problem on paper or actual system etc. This information will ensure that you are not caught flat footed and help you prepare for the interview.
• Resume
  It's not a great idea to use a single resume for all job applications. You should update and modify you resume based on job requirements, company and your own experience. Emphasize the points that are more relevant to the job you are applying for.
• Prepare for Questions
  You may already have good knowledge of Oracle and / or Oracle 9i but you should still prepare for expected interview questions. This will help know where you stand as well as refresh your knowledge. You can gather such interview questions form the internet. It is much better to prepare your own answers for these questions. In particular never use generic, ready made answers for personal and / or behavioral questions.
  The questions can be personal, technical and behavioral. The personal questions are aimed at judging your interest and dedication to the job and your fitness to work within the company.
  In behavioral questions, the interviewer would ask about you about your previous experience. For example when you have to work with an annoying team member or overcome a technical roadblock, conflict with boss etc. Pick an example that displays you in a good light, but don't fabricate an incident out of whole cloth. Stay calm and look at the question and incident from interviewer's point of view. You should also be prepared to answer questions about previous projects that you have worked on, your role in it and challenges that you have faced during the project. Try to make you're your answer short and as specific as possible.
  The major part of an Oracle job interview would be technical. The questions asked would vary greatly based on job, your role, experience etc. But you should be familiar with following.
  First are the basic underlying concepts of RDBMS such as Codd's rules, normal forms etc. These are pretty basic, but would be useful for all DBMS related jobs. Second is the SQL. You should have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of SQL and be able to write queries for basic functions such as creating / modifying table, using function / procedure etc, on paper. The third and most important is the knowledge of the Oracle itself. You should have some general knowledge of different versions and difference between them, advantages of using Oracle etc. Oracle is a quite complex DBMS and it's unlikely that you would be able to master all its functionalities. Focus on the parts that are more relevant to your job.
• Prepare Questions
  During interview you'll be asked if you have any questions. Never say that you don't have any questions. It's better to ask question that comes to you at the time and if you have paid attention and have done your research properly you would have questions, but just in case, have some questions prepared and ready. Make sure the questions focus on the company and show your interest in the job and the company. Try to be original and don't ask questions as if you have them prepared before the interview even if you did.
• Make Notes
  During the interview preparation make notes of important that on a word file or diary. These note should be should be short for quick review as well as detailed enough to be comprehensible after some time. These notes will serve as a quick review as well as future reference and would be useful for preparing for future interviews.

Actual interview

The tips so far were concerned with the preparation for the interview and although the preparation is very important, the final result of the interview would depend on your actual presentation. Following tips will help you face an Oracle job interview.

• Attire
  A job interview is a serious affair. Dress appropriately and professionally. Unless casual dress is specifically mentioned, dress in formal clothes and choose conservative colors.
• Arrival
  Punctuality is a virtue that is of especial importance in case of business matters. Never arrive late for an interview. Arriving late shows your lack of interest, planning and professionalism. It's better to plan ahead and arrive early as this will give you time to prepare yourself and give a buffer in case of some unforeseen delays.
• Etiquette
  You should be on your best behavior during the interview. Let the interviewer take the lead. Keep eye contact and speak clearly, intelligibly and use grammatically correct language. Never use slang or curse words during an interview. Avoid checking time, taking call on cell phones, tapping your foot, drumming your fingers, excessive hand gestures or any other such thing that'll distract the interview or show your impatience, nervousness or boredom. Pay attention to your body language. Sit straight and project confidence without appearing arrogant.
• Answering Questions
  Before answering questions listen carefully to the question and never interrupt the interviewer. Ask for clarification if you have any doubts regarding the question. Don't answer in simple yes or no but keep the answers short and precise. It's a good idea to give the high points of the answer first and ask if the interviewer wants a detailed answer. Take some time to formulate your answer and avoid babbling. On the other hand don't sound too rehearsed either, answer naturally. If you do not know the answer to some question admit that you don't know and move on to the other questions or describe how you would go about finding the answer, as seem appropriate. Don't try to talk your way out of questions but be frank and face the problem head on.
• Selling
  A job interview is not the time to appear modest. You have to sell yourself to the interviewer in order to get the job. Look at the situation from the interviewer's point of view. Realize what he is looking for and show that you have it. Never outright lie but present the fact in a way that is favorable to you. Point out your strengths and don't volunteer your weak points without being asked. When asked about weaknesses, mention those that you have already compensated for or those that would not have a direct impact on your job performance.
• Stay Positive
  Stay positive and never bad mouth you current / previous boss or colleagues. If asked about some negative past event, so not pass blame or get irritated. Keep calm and put a positive spin on the thing, such as what have you learned from the event. A positive attitude more than compensate for some one minor mistakes.
• Closing
  Closing is an important and often neglected part of the interview. Ask the interviewers if they have any doubts regarding you abilities and do your best to address their concerns. Enquire about the next step and in any case thank them for their time and for giving you this opportunity. The interview tips are not targeted at a particular job or company but are for a general Oracle job interview. They give you some general guidelines on which to base your interview preparation.