First iteration

Internship as an Oracle Database Administrator

Table of Contents Iteration One: Introduction the Company’s Organizational Structure 4 Planning Phase 4 Action Phase 6 Observation Phase 7 Reflection Phase 9 References 11

List of Figures

Internship as an Oracle Database Administrator

I will familiarize myself with the company’s organization structure and the working environment. I will seek to determine the daily activities in different departments in the firm. I will engage with the company’s employees. The orientation programs are a form of training designed to introduce new employees to their roles and responsibilities, their coworkers, and organizations (Chen, 2010). The orientation is important for new employees in companies which give positive returns to employees such as employee loyalty, contribution, productivity, and retention. The orientation in a new environment can also be regarded as organizational socialization. The socialization reduces the discomforts of most new employees who are often faced with issues of uncertainty in new environments (Folley, 2010). During this period, the new employee learns the culture, values, skills, and other information necessary for effective execution of the employee’s duties within the organization. It is thus considered a learning process.

I will start the internship program on March 2, 2016. I will aim to familiarize with the organization as much as I can. I will arrive at the human resource manager on March 2, 2016, by 8.00 AM.. On this day, I will aim to officially register for the commencement of the internship. The human resource manager will issue me with papers where I will fill to indicate that I have accepted to start the program. Few activities will be expected on the first day. Afterward, I will take the opportunity to walk around once released by the human resource manager. The day’s activities will end at 12.00 PM.

On March 3, 2016, I will arrive at the human resource manager’s office at 8.00 AM.The human resource manager will issue me with the company’s rules and regulations, internship program, and the company’s structure. I will take an opportunity to acquaint myself with the company’s rules and regulations to capture every detail of what is expected. I will go through the internship program in order to prepare for what is expected. The company’s structure will also aid me in gaining information about the company’s various sections. I will end the day’s activities at 12.00 PM.

On March 4, 2016, I will prepare to begin the day’s activities at 8.00 AM. The human resource manager will ask one of the employees from the records office to guide me. The employee will guide me through the basic facilities of the company such as the lavatories and the company’s canteen among other basics that are useful to every employee of the company. The guiding process by the employee will be concluded at 12.00 PM.

On March 5, 2016, March 7, 2016, March 8, 2016, I will be introduced to various departments of the company. Each of the day’s activities will begin from 8.00 AM. The first point of meeting will be the offices of the departmental managers who will issue a directive of the day’s activities. I will follow the internship program provided by the human resource manager to familiarize myself with every department systematically. The employee will guide me around to every department. The departmental managers will take the opportunity of explaining each and every department’s activities. I will have the opportunity to seek clarifications by asking for archived departmental information. I will report to each and every office to be informed about the departmental activities. The scheduled time for each day’s activities will end at 4.00 PM.

From March 9, 2016, to March 10, 2016, I will be introduced to the systems department. The key aim will be to learn about the systems adopted in the company and also get acquainted with the technicians in the department. I will also be provided with a work desk. I will avail myself to the systems department’s office every morning at 8.00 AM. in order to learn about the activities scheduled for each day. On March 9, 2016, the department’s manager will welcome and explain to me the department’s activities. The department manager will inform me about the technicians involved in the systems department. I will meet the senior technicians in the systems department such as senior database administrator. I will be directed to an office and get assigned to a desk on which I will be carrying out my daily activities. The orientation with the department will take place during the working hours; that is, 8.00 AM to 4.00 PM on each respective day.

On March 11, 2016, I will arrive at the company at 8.00 AM. I will meet some of the company’s employees and available interns. I will ask the interns about their experiences that they have acquired during their placement in the company. I will discuss with the employees about the strength and drawbacks of working in the company. The key aim will be to learn about the interns’ and employees’ experiences in the firm. I will have a meeting with the senior database administrator from 10.00 AM in order to plan for my activities during the period. The database administrator will issue me with a detailed schedule of my activities during the internship period. The schedule will guide me throughout the internship period. The day’s activities will end at 12.00 PM. This will mark the end of the orientation process. I will be familiar with the company’s structure and will be able to navigate the different areas of the company with ease.

I commenced the internship on March 2, 2016 as planned. Since it was the first day at the company, I arrived early at 7.50 AM and prepared to start the internship. I was directed to the human resource office and engaged with the human resource manager from 8.00 AM. The human resource manager issued me with some papers which indicated the official commencement of the internship. After the registration, I was free to walk around since the first day had fewer activities. The day’s activities ended at 12.00 PM. On the second day, Mr. John Miller, the human resource manager, gave me the rules and regulations to be followed and an internship program indicating the schedule of activities to be carried out. I took the opportunity to familiarize myself with the rules and regulations from 8.00 AM to 12.00 PM.

On March 4, 2016, Mr. Miller asked one of the employees from the records office to guide me. The employee, Mr. Juan Young guided me through the basic facilities of the company such as the lavatories and the company’s canteen among other basics that are useful to every employee of the company. I managed to familiarize with the company’s basics from 8.00 AM to 12.00 PM. On March 5, 2016, March 7, 2016, March 8, 2016, I was introduced to various departments of the company. I followed the internship program provided by the human resource manager to familiarize myself with every department systematically. Mr. Juan guided me around to every department. I reported to every department’s office at 8.00 AM in order to learn about each day’s activities. The departmental managers welcomed me warmly upon arrival to their offices. The departmental managers explained to me about each and every department’s activities. I asked for clarity on complex issues by asking for the department archived information. I reported to each and every office to be informed about the departmental activities. I concluded each day’s activities at 4.00 PM, on every respective date.

From March 9, to March 10, 2016, I was introduced to the systems department. On March 9, 2016, I reported to the systems department at 8.00 AM. The key aim was to learn about the activities that are carried out in the department and get to know the department’s key experts. The departmental manager also welcomed me warmly and explained about the department’s activities. The department manager explained about the administrators involved in the systems department. On March 10, 2016, I met the senior technicians in the systems department such as senior database administrator. I was directed to an office where I was assigned a desk in which I would be carrying out my daily activities. The day’s activities ended at 4.00 PM. On March 11, 2016, I met some of the company’s employees and interns. I discussed with the interns from 8.00 AM to 10.00 AM the experiences they have acquired during their placement in the company. From 10.00 AM I had a meeting with the senior database administrator in his office whereby he planned my activities during the period. The database administrator issued me with a detailed schedule illustrating my daily activities during the internship period and concluded the orientation at 12.00 PM. That marked the end of the orientation process. I was familiar with the company’s structure and was be able to navigate the different areas of the company with ease.

My arrival at the company was highly appreciated. The human resource manager welcomed me warmly. The discussion I had with the human resource manager from 8.00 AM to 12.00 PM manifested that I was ready to begin the internship. The filling of the forms issued by the human resource manager depicted that I was officially assimilated in the company. The signing of the papers was necessary to ensure that I was legally recognized as a part of the company’s employees (J. Miller, personal communication, March 2, 2016). Figure 1 presents a sample internship confirmation form.

The walk around the company illustrated the company’s environment was welcoming. Being the first day and a visitor as well, I had the challenge of overcoming discomfort in the new environment. The environment was calm indicating a busy environment. The warm acceptance by Mr. Young, my assistance, made me have a sense of belonging. Mr. Young was very accommodating as well as friendly. The rules given were meant to guide me through the internship period. Adhering to the rules will ensure a harmonized stay in the company (J. Young, personal communication, March 4, 2016).

The heads of each department were very helpful to me. They provided me with every necessary detail. The database administrator was very accommodating. In spite of having a busy schedule, the database administrator took his time to have a meeting with me. During the meeting, the database administrator discussed with me about the program that I would follow during the period. The database administrator also emphasized the need for utmost dedication towards the activities that were to be assigned thereafter. The meeting illustrated that I was ready to engage in the company’s activities. Engaging with some of the employees gave me hope of being successful during the internship period. I made friends with some of them, and they motivated me a lot. The interns also indicated that their placements were successful. They had a great time in the company. The orientation process was successful although most people were busy with their responsibilities.

The orientation process was awesome to me. The employees in the organization were very welcoming. For instance, the human resource manager had a small talk with me. The human resource manager gave me insights and informed me to avoid misbehaving during the internship period. The manager informed me that some of the interns misbehave during the internship period. The human resource manager advised me to follow the regulations put in place by the organization in order to be successful. The systems department manager was very helpful as well. The manager illustrated every detail of the department’s activities which made me gain more interest in working in the department. Mr. Young was also accommodating and friendly, and his assistance was very helpful. It is through him that I got to be acquainted with most of the company’s activities. Mr. Young made sure that I was familiar with every building and every office of the company. The guidance to the basic facilities was very necessary since I could navigate to every part of the company. The employees were very helpful and engaging. I could request for clarifications or assistance from any of the employees. The orientation process provided me with the skills of communication and team work skills. Most of the seniors that I interacted with advised me on the importance of teamwork which results in success.

However, there were several challenges during the orientation. Some of the managers were unhelpful and claimed that they were busy and excused themselves to handle their tasks. The orientation process was also tiring since I had to move to different offices. I had to meet all the heads of different departments to familiarize with all the firm’s activities. I had to wait for several hours to interact with the database administrator. I had a challenge of adjusting to the program generated by the human resource manager and the database administrator. As I progress through the internship period, I will seek clarifications on problematic areas to ensure that I have detailed information. Having detailed information will lead to better understanding of the procedures as well as the duties to be performed. By the end of the orientation, I could navigate all the offices present in the company. I had also made friends and was assured of assistance whenever needed. I was now ready to progress since it was a great experience to undergo the orientation process. This iteration serves as the foundation for the entire internship in the firm.

Chen, X. (2010). Suggestions on effective corporate new employee orientation program for human resource specialists. Online Journal of Workforce Education and Development, 4(3), 1-11.