Applicants for Oracle Consultant jobs, a subset of IT consultancy jobs, will be required to be familiar with ERP and proficient in Oracle basics such as SQL and pl/sql. Preferably, they will also possess other Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS) skills such as SQL Server or MySQL. Oracle certification as a consultant from an approved Oracle training centre is usually necessary, as it immediately signifies proficiency in essential Oracle elements such as ERP and the business intelligence tool Discoverer.
Oracle consultant jobs will require their incumbents to write functional design reports recommending technical solutions customised to the company’s business requirements. Consultants will also be required to test their proposed solutions and then to deliver them by means of a phased project. Candidates will need to be familiar with Change Management and post Go-live support.
Before attending interviews for Oracle consultant jobs, it is highly advisable for candidates to conduct some thorough research into the company advertising the post. Find out about the company’s history, its size, its structure and its products or services. It’s also vital to re-read the job description so that applicants are fully familiar with the specific requirements of the role and how their own experience and credentials meet those requirements.
Further Information for oracle consultant job candidates.
Most applicants feel a little nervous when approaching interviews for Oracle consultant jobs but good preparation beforehand is the best way of countering excessive anxiety. Ideally, applicants will have researched the company, will be thoroughly familiar with the role’s requirements, and will know which aspects of their CV to emphasise to demonstrate compatibility with the firm and the job.
Be aware that at some point, interviewers are likely to ask an applicant if he or she has any question about the job or the company. Anticipate this and write some pertinent questions down on a notepad prior to interview, using it as an aide-memoir in the interview itself. This shows that the applicant has an inquiring and thoughtful mind as well as an interest in the company and the job.
Interview questions general and specific to the oracle consultant role.
General questions.
General questions applicants will frequently be asked include the following:
- Please give as a summary of your professional history.
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- What are your reasons for leaving your previous/present job?
- How do you keep yourself up-to-date with technological developments?
- Why would you like to work here?
- Do you have any questions?
- What do you consider your top three skills for as an Oracle consultant?
Candidates should try to personalise their answer while structuring it around examples from three basic areas. First of all, technical skills such as reports, interfaces and workflow. Secondly, personal attributes like a logical approach and strong communication and presentation skills. Thirdly, specific knowledge areas covering aspects such as testing, table structures and solution design.
Specific questions that may surface in an interview for an oracle consultant job.
1. What are your top three career goals as an Oracle consultant?
Again, it is important to personalise an answer to be original and stand out from the crowd. Such a question is a great opportunity to demonstrate ambition and a commitment to professional development. Any correlation between the scope of the role in question and personal career ambitions should also be emphasised and focused on.
2. What courses have you attended and what certifications do you hold?
Certification as a consultant is an essential tool for any IT professional. Interviewers will expect to see evidence of recognised Oracle qualifications as an absolute minimum, supported by specialist learning and perhaps other soft skills training such as people management and delivering presentations. All of this should ideally be supported by relevant industry experience.
3. What qualities do you think are essential to being an effective Oracle consultant?
Technical expertise is not enough to make an excellent consultant, and the strongest candidates for such roles will be able to demonstrate how they apply this expertise. Qualities such as a logical and analytical approach, attention to detail, the ability to work well under pressure, personal responsibility and initiative are all desirable in a candidate.
4. Which aspects of your previous experience prepare you for this job?
Candidates should ensure they are very familiar with the role for which they are applying before the interview. If they have any uncertainties, they should ask to clarify those. In preparation for an interview it is good practice to consider each requirement of the role and prepare evidence that demonstrates the ability to meet expectations in each.
5. What is the difference between a hot backup and a cold backup and what are their benefits?
In simplest terms, a hot backup takes place while a system is still in use so while it carries greater risks with regard to the loss of changes made during this time, it also requires less downtime and therefore potentially less disruption. By contrast a cold backup takes place while the system is offline.
6. Describe how to switch from an init.ora file to a spfile.
Candidates should be prepared for questions such as this, which require a demonstration of technical expertise and its practical application. Familiarity with such terms and the ability to discuss them is essential.
7. Describe the differences between a segment, an extent and a data block.
Data blocks, extents and segments are the terms used by Oracle to describe units of logical database allocation. The difference between each is size, with segments being made up of extents, and extents being made up of data blocks. This is fundamental knowledge for an Oracle consultant and interviewers will expect a candidate to be able to comfortably discuss systems using the correct terminology.
8. What are the differences between a DELETE and a TRUNCATE demand for a table?
Rows are removed from a table by using the delete command, with conditions sometimes added to specify particular rows. By contrast, the truncate command that will remove all rows from a table. Truncate is faster than delete and uses less undo space.
9. What are Clusters?
A cluster is the term used within an Oracle system to describe a group of tables that are physically stored together. Such tables are often used together and will share common columns.
