Oracle Academy Tech Chat

Stack Your Career Sandwich: Building Your Career Portfolio as a College Student- Part 2

In this second episode of Stack Your Career Sandwich: Building Your Career Portfolio as a College Student, host Tyra Peirce continues the conversation with Lino Persi, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Java Customer Success at Oracle, focusing on how students can turn their experiences into real career opportunities. They explore how to stand out—even without traditional internships—by leveraging projects, volunteer work, and leadership roles, and discuss how experiences like study abroad and campus involvement translate into workplace value. Lino also shares practical advice on presenting your skills effectively on resumes and in interviews, the importance of mentorship and networking, and how to confidently position yourself for success in a competitive job market.

Stack Your Career Sandwich: Building Your Career Portfolio as a College Student: Part I

In this first episode of Stack Your Career Sandwich: Building Your Career Portfolio as a College Student, host Tyra Peirce sits down with Lino Persi, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Java Customer Success at Oracle, to explore how students can go beyond academics to build a strong, well-rounded career foundation. Together, they discuss the importance of intentionally "stacking" experiences—such as internships, projects, research, and campus involvement—to develop both technical and soft skills that employers value. Lino shares practical insights on how educators can better support students, why hands-on experience is critical in shaping career direction, and how mentorship and diverse opportunities help students discover their interests and stand out in a competitive job market.

IT Career Lessons

In this episode, we talk with a veteran IT leader about the career path that shaped their success and what inspired them to enter tech. We cover how they've stayed relevant through constant change—career planning, lifelong learning, and building skills that last. They share lessons from setbacks, what they'd do differently, and advice for students starting out in today's fast-moving IT world. -------------------------------------------------- Episode Transcript: Unknown Welcome to the Oracle Academy Tech Chat. This podcast provides educators and students in-depth discussions with thought leaders around computer science, cloud technologies, and software design to help students on their journey to becoming industry ready technology leaders of the future. Let's get started. Ljiljana Welcome to Oracle Academy Tech Chat, where we discuss how to stay ahead of the game in this constantly changing industry. Oracle Academy helps prepare the next generation's workforce. I'm your host, Ljiljana Krkic, Oracle Academy program manager, and in this episode, Rob Lockard, recently retired Oracle ACE director, professional Oracle DBA, Designer, Developer, Product Manager, but also a pilot, sailor, photographer, and a very good friend of mine will share secrets from his more than 40 years long successful career in IT. He will speak about how AI is changing our jobs and how to befriend it, and let it help you move forward in your career as well as about three protocols that can help you have the power to make your career and life a success. Rob, my friend, welcome! Rob Hey! Thank you for having me! Ljiljana Thanks. You've had a long and distinguished career in IT. Can you briefly share your path and what inspired you to enter this industry? Rob We'll start with what inspired me. When I was a child, my father was in the Marine Corps, and he went to school on programing the IBM 360, and he would bring home his textbook and study it. And whenever I had a chance, I would pick it up and start reading it. Now, mind you, I was like 8 years old at the time, and I didn't really gather it because, you know, we're talking about mainframes and all. But it gave me an early interest in it. And then when I went into the military myself, I got into computer science and then got out and went to the community college and then one university and then another university and then another university. And I kept going till I got my master's degree. Largely, actually, my employers paid for my education. So when I was working for Cannon, the camera manufacturer, I would take night classes at the university and they would pay for my night classes. So, you know, I always leveraged somebody else paying. Ljiljana Yes. Oh. All right. Rob Kind of how I got into it. And then, from there, it's just, you know, one pivot after another pivot after another pivot, something would go wrong, something would go right, and I would just make little adjustments along the way. Ljiljana Yeah. Great. Technology evolves quickly. What approaches have helped you consistently stay ahead of industry changes and remain relevant throughout your career? Rob Okay. Well, number one, I have always read the professional journals. Way back when I was a C programmer, I would read the C journals. Then, as I got into databases, I would read the database journals. And now with the world of the internet, as you know, the internet became more and more popular because when I started this, everything was printed on paper. You know, we didn't have this information right at our fingertips. But what I would constantly do is reading what is currently happening in the industry. And then I would actually sit down a couple times a year and write out a story, what will the industry look like in five years, ten years, 20 years? Ljiljana All right. Rob And you use the information you have to try to figure out where things are going. All right? And you are going to be wrong. I was wrong more often than not, but it always gave me a direction to shoot for, and as I got more information, I would adjust where I would focus my energies. And that's the easy explanation for it. But I'm constantly, even to this day, following what's happening in the industry and trying to figure out what is the world going to look like five years from now on in our industry? What's world going to look like ten years from now? And, you know, it's like, where do I want to put my efforts so I stay relevant? Ljiljana Yes. Rob And now, with this world of AI, it's making it more interesting. Where do you want to study? Do you want to get into AI agents? Do you want to get into AGI? What purpose? How are you going to use this AI to solve a problem? I mean, at our business, what we do is we solve problems. Okay. That is the simplest way to explain it. And when you see a problem, how do you solve it? So we can use AI. We can use AI agents. I was just recently, making an appointment, with my doctor and I didn't realize it, but I was on the phone with an AI agent who walked me through the whole process, including setting up labs. Ljiljana Right. Rob And then I'm, like, oh, well, it's come a long way. So do you want to go in to, I'm going to say the academic field, you know? Yeah. Become a university professor. Do you want to get into the industry? Where in the industry do you think you will fit? What? Where are you curious? I always have an insatiable curiosity. Okay. I do other things. Like I said, I'm a pilot. I'm a sailor. I'm a photographer. I take all of these things that also interest me. And it helps. It also helps me in my business because it helps me solve problems. Ljiljana Yeah. Great. Yes, I know what you are talking about. Rob Yeah. And, you know, you're a pilot, and when you're landing a plane, you don't just fly the plane into the ground. That's a good way to crash. That's how I've always stayed ahead. I just try to figure out where things are going to be. Go in that direction, and I'm going to be wrong. And I will just constantly make adjustments along the way. Ljiljana Yeah, that's a very important point. Thanks. And you highlighted career planning and lifelong learning. So what concrete methods do you use to set your goals and keep your skills up to date? Rob Okay. Well concrete method, what I mentioned I would write out a story five years, ten years to figure out where my life is going to be. What outcomes do I want? But then one of my concrete messages is I spend one hour every morning studying something that interests me. And it could be anything from navigation for ships, because I recently became a Coast Guard license captain, I had to go through a whole lot of learning. Ljiljana Yeah, I know Rob I just pick something I'm curious about, and I spend an hour studying it, every single morning. And it may not be intense study, where I'm cramming for an exam. It's more like I'm curious, I need to learn more. Ljiljana You feed your curiosity actually. Rob My curiosity has always driven me. Yes. Ljiljana Yeah. Rob So that is one thing that I've always done. And then after studying it, I try it. And that always works great for me. So, okay. That's how it explains it. Ljiljana Okay. Great. And can you discuss a time when you faced setbacks or challenges in your career? How did you overcome these obstacles and maintain your motivation? Rob Oh gosh. Let's see. I'm gonna go into one of my biggest setbacks in my career, that was in the mid 2000. I set up a system for the Department of Treasury and I finished. It was beautiful. It didn't require a lot of maintenance and I became extremely org. I am going to work and I'd sit there and twiddling my thumbs all day because everything was working great. And then one day, one of my colleagues came up to me saying, you know, you're pretty smart, why don't you start speaking at conferences? And I'm going, oh, yeah, right... Nobody wants to hear me speak at a conference. But I said okay, and I picked the subject that I was relatively good at, which is information security. I put together an abstract, and I go, you know something? I'm probably going to absolutely bomb this. I'm not going to do great. And I was like, but I put all my effort into it. So I'm going to go someplace where English is not their first language. So if I completely mess it up, you know... So what do I picked? Finland. And I'm thinking everyone speaks Finish and just a little bit of English. No, everyone's speaking fluent English, and I'm like, oh my God. But I did pretty good. And I was invited back to speak again. And basically what it was, was a friend gave me a mountain to climb. All right? Ljiljana Aha Rob Once I climbed that mountain and I got there going I wanted to do it again. So basically it gave me an objective, a place to focus my efforts. So you know, when I achieve one of those goals, I pick something else and I go, hey, I'm curious about this. I'm going to go and figure it out. And I go attack it and I learn it, and then I move on to the next objective. So my brain is constantly moving on to the next objective. So when I find myself getting stuck in the doldrums, just kind of languishing, I go, what's challenging? Let's do it. Yeah, no, that's a good explanation. I have a mountain to climb. Ljiljana And tell me also, looking back, is there anything you would have done differently in your career, or a key lesson you wish you'd learned earlier? Rob Oh, gosh. You know, people ask me this, and I think about this, and you want to know something? There's nothing I would have done differently. I could say, you know, I wish I came out of the military and just went full time to university and got my degree, but then I think, having a full time job and going to university at the same time actually was very well, worked very well for me. I could say travel more. Yeah, travel more when I was younger, because from all that travel, I learned to surround myself with people smarter than me. I started surrounding myself with more and more interesting people. People smarter than me. And, I would have probably started doing that a lot earlier. Yeah. Ljiljana Yeah. Great. And for the students and those starting their IT journey, what's the most important advice you can offer to succeed and adapt in an ever-changing technology landscape? Rob The moment you lose your curiosity, your career has ended. Ljiljana Oh, my God, this is very harsh. Rob It is hard to say, but very true. If you're not curious about something to go out and learn, learn it, experiment it, play with it, you know you're stuck in this one little tiny box, okay. You hear this constantly get out and pick something to learn, even if it's wrong. Okay? I went out and I learned how to fly airplanes. Has nothing to do with, I started taking writing classes from Oxford. Now, it was more along the lines of like, you know, I wrote a book. I found out I enjoyed writing. That's why I started taking writing classes, have nothing to do with IT. But it does have to do with learning how to communicate. Ljiljana Right. Absolutely. Rob Another piece of advice is get up there and teach. Okay. Teach. Because if you can teach something, you understand it. And so I'm not saying get up and start teaching whole classes, but maybe in your work or wherever goes, I will give you 15 minutes on this subject and you become an expert in a very small piece of that subject and teach it Ljiljana Right. Rob And that will bring you into learning that subject too. Public speaking, which goes into teaching. When you learn how to communicate better, the world is your oyster. Okay. People will give you things that will open doors. If you can't communicate your ideas, you're stuck. People aren't going to open doors for you. So that would be my thing. Stay curious. Try to teach. Sharpen. Get into public speaking. Write a book. You don't even have to publish it. But you know, learn to communicate. People are walking around with their phones everywhere, and they're sending out text messages. And when I read text messages from some people and they start abbreviating, it's like, I don't know what they're talking about. You know, there's a long form of communication. Learning is that long form communication. Ljiljana Yeah. Rob And it brings us into, you know, the AI world. You know, fortunately, Oracle has the always free cloud accounts. You can go out and you can set yourself up an Oracle database in the cloud, and it's free. Okay? And you have access to all the tools. But Oracle is also providing you their learning labs. You want to learn about AI on the Oracle Cloud? They have a lab that you can go through. It could be a one hour lab, it could be a two hour lab. Go out and do those labs. Set up an account and just go and do those labs. And then there's other labs you can do. You can get into the classic DBA work. You know what you need? I was a classic DBA. Ljiljana Yeah. Rob You can get into developing, you can get into designing, all those tools are available to you, and they're free. When I learned those tools weren't free, you had to pay for them. Ljiljana True, yeah. Rob Fortunately, my employer paid for them. But you had to pay for them. You also have access over the internet to experts all over the world, Ljiljana Right. Rob I have sent messages to people I've never met before on Twitter, YouTube, whatever going. Hey, I'm trying to figure out something. You're the expert. Can you help me out here? Ljiljana And you get the answer! Rob And 99 times out of 100, they will answer you. Don't stock up on them, but be polite and professional. Ljiljana Yeah. Rob Jeff Smith in North Carolina, he's a SQL developer product manager. I have, you know, to this day, I probably tap his brain on a couple things every now and then, even though I'm now retired. He'll answer you. Okay? Ljiljana Because he sees your curiosity? Is it for that reason? And he wants to help somebody on the same way, on the same path? Rob Yeah. And I'm fortunate I have been able to surround myself with some of the smartest people in the world. Surround yourself with people smarter than you. People who know things you don't know. People who've done things you haven't done. Ljiljana Right. Rob In this day and age, it's much easier. So you want to get into the AI world? Start asking people who are the AI experts. Make friends with them. You don't have to know everything right now. Learn a little bit. Apply it, which will bring up more questions. Learn a little bit more. Apply it. It'll bring up more questions. So, you have the tools available to you free of charge from Oracle. All right. I can't tell you how valuable that is. Figure out how would you use it to solve a problem. Okay. Pick a problem. Come up with a solution. Try to use the tools to come up with a solution. You will learn more, which will bring up more questions. Go back. Find people who are the experts. Ask them questions. Go out and teach. Inspire somebody to learn something new. And? And you'll be successful. Ljiljana That's how you've done it, right? Yes. Yes. Great. Awesome. Thank you so much for this inspiring conversation. And, I look forward, following some of or all of the, the advices you gave. And I hope that our audience will find it also very useful from someone who, who's done it already and whose career confirms that it was a good choice. Rob Yeah. And I've had a good I have a very good life. And, you know, now I'm starting on my next adventure. Unknown That wraps up this episode. Thanks for listening. And stay tuned for the next Oracle Academy Tech Chat podcast.

Learn about the latest Oracle Academy workshops on embedding generative AI in Apex applications and using AI to create SQL in Apex

Willie Mcrae, Oracle Academy Principal Instructor, joins us to discuss Oracle Academy AI resources for educators and their students, including two new workshops on embedding generative AI in Oracle APEX applications and using AI to create SQL in APEX.

From the Classroom to the Lobby: Hospitality Skills for the Real World

Oracle Hospitality's Deanne Wofford joins host Tyra Peirce to discuss how Oracle Academy is helping educators and students unlock new opportunities in hospitality management. Discover the essential role of technology in today's hotels, the benefits of digital learning resources, and practical tips for building career-ready skills. Perfect for faculty, students, and anyone passionate about the future of hospitality! ---------------------------------------------------- Episode Transcript: 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:34:09 Unknown Welcome to the Oracle Academy Tech Chat. This podcast provides educators and students in-depth discussions with thought leaders around computer science, cloud technologies, and software design to help students on their journey to becoming industry ready technology leaders of the future. Let's get started. Welcome to Oracle Academy Tech Chat, where we discuss how Oracle Academy is preparing the next generation's workforce. 00:00:34:10 - 00:00:57:13 Unknown I'm your host, Tyra Peirce. In this episode, I speak with Diane Wofford from the Oracle Hospitality Management Team about the vital role hospitality management systems play and why it's important for students to study them. Welcome, Diane. So to start off, can you give me a bit about your background and your role at Oracle? Hi, Tera, thanks for having me. 00:00:57:16 - 00:01:29:07 Unknown I joined Oracle through the acquisition of micros and have dedicated 19 years to training and empowering or hospitality customers. My journey began as an implementation consultant where I was quickly entrusted with onboarding and training of new consultants. Over the years, I advanced through the organization, shaping our role, focusing on delivering innovative training and education to our customers, partners and employees. 00:01:29:09 - 00:02:02:03 Unknown Currently, as the director of the Global Learning Initiatives Team and the Oracle Hospitality Organization, I lead a talented, multifaceted global team committed to developing comprehensive learning content and opportunities that drive success through the hospitality industry. Our team is passionate about creating impactful and effective learning experiences, and ensuring everyone we support is equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to drive within our hospitality solutions. 00:02:02:05 - 00:02:32:14 Unknown Your experience is so fascinating to me and you really, truly are the right person to talk about hospitality and why it's important for students to learn. Because you've come from an education space and developing training materials for our partners and our customers, as well as our employees. So with that said, what are the core components of a hospitality management system like opera, and why are they critical to the success of hotels and resorts today? 00:02:32:16 - 00:02:59:19 Unknown Well, that's an absolutely great questions. At the core of hospitality management systems like Offer Cloud, there are several key components that are truly essential for a smooth and successful operation of hotels and resorts today. First, you have the property management system or PMS. I like to think of this as the nerve center of the hotel. It handles everything from guest relations and check ins to room assignments and billing. 00:02:59:21 - 00:03:27:12 Unknown Our focus is really on streamlining those day to day tasks, so the staff can spend more time focusing on delivering a great guest experience. Now that experience actually begins right at the time of booking. As we know, most guests today are booking online, so it's crucial to connect seamless nicely with multiple channels like OTAs urged access as well as direct booking engines up a club. 00:03:27:13 - 00:04:06:03 Unknown It's right in that landscape by connecting with a variety of channel management systems. Plus, with Opera Cloud distribution, we make it even easier for our customers to manage this process all in one place, enabling a smooth flow of reservations directly into the PMS. This ensures that front desk agents always have accurate guest information and also helps hotels yield maximum occupancy, seize revenue opportunities, and and I was doing so good. 00:04:06:05 - 00:04:19:14 Unknown Yeah. Go ahead and just repeat wherever you want to start. So if you want to start that guest experience or you can start with plus and then just kind of repeat where you want to say with that piece right there. 00:04:19:16 - 00:04:51:15 Unknown With OPERA cloud distribution, we make it even easier for our customers to manage this process from one place and enabling a smooth flow of reservations directly into the PMS. This ensures that front desk agents always have accurate guest information, and it also helps hotels maximize occupancy, seize revenue opportunities, and maintain consistent yield and rate management. 00:04:51:17 - 00:05:07:12 Unknown You know, front desk operations are another crucial piece with real time tools. Front office staff can manage check ins, check outs and guest preferences effectively, efficiently. 00:05:07:13 - 00:05:34:13 Unknown Front desk operations are another critical piece with real time tools. Front office staff can manage check ins, checkouts and guest preferences efficiently, which really shifts the overall guests experience from the very start. Housekeeping management is just as important. Offer cloud automates rooms, status updates and task assignments, making sure rooms are ready when guests need them and when used with offer. 00:05:34:13 - 00:05:45:14 Unknown Cloud mobile hotels can drive great, even greater efficiency and guest satisfaction. We include that. 00:05:45:16 - 00:06:15:17 Unknown We include powerful sales and management capabilities, supporting everything from group bookings to large conferences. These help streamline coordination between departments and maximize revenue from events, which is so important for many properties. And of course, I could go on and on. The Upper Cloud Property Management suite covers it all, including integrated reporting and analytics with real time data and customizable reports. 00:06:15:19 - 00:06:51:12 Unknown Seamless connections to point of sale systems like Oracle Symphony, integrations with key entertainment and in-room interfaces, and much more. Our goal is to always provide our customers with a unified solution. All of these components are critical because they automate routine tasks, provide valuable insights, and help hotels respond quickly to evolving guests needs. Ultimately, it's all about driving operational efficiency and creating memorable guest experiences. 00:06:51:14 - 00:07:22:10 Unknown I actually never realized how much went into management of hospitality. My husband and I are extensive travelers and and next time I leave for a trip, I'll have to really think about like the backend and the systems and everything that is going into place to help create a, you know, an optimum guest experience. So with that being said, how do hospitality management systems integrate with other business functions such as guest services, reservations and finance? 00:07:22:12 - 00:07:57:19 Unknown And what benefits does this integration bring to the overall guest experience? Well, first, it's important to build a solid understanding of how property management systems work, since the PMS serves as the backbone of hotel operations. Students should get comfortable with the basics like managing reservations, handling check in and check out processes, and maintaining guest profiles. That foundational knowledge is essential because these tasks touch on almost every aspect of the daily hotel activities. 00:07:57:20 - 00:08:37:02 Unknown A strong grasp of reservation and management industry. A strong grasp of reservation management and distribution is also critical. Excuse me. So you can let us get this one right. Just a strong grasp of reservation management and distribution is also critical. Understanding how travel. I'm never going to get this frontier. I'm going to get it, though. 00:08:37:04 - 00:09:09:23 Unknown A strong grasp of reservation management and distribution is also critical. Understanding how online travel agencies, OTAs and global distribution systems, GDS and booking engines connect to the hotel systems will help students see the big picture of how today's properties maximize occupancy and revenue. Becoming familiar with channel management systems and how they integrate to a solution like offer cloud distribution can give students a real edge. 00:09:10:00 - 00:09:39:01 Unknown Learning how to navigate front office tools, from setting up guest preferences to processing payments is just as important. Proficiency in these tools help create a smooth and personalized guest experience, which is at the heart of hospitality. On the operational side, skills including housekeeping, event management modules are also valuable. These areas often incorporate automation and mobile technology such as offer cloud, mobile. 00:09:39:03 - 00:10:24:10 Unknown So having a comfort level with new tech and mobile apps is definitely a plus. Beyond the functional aspect, students should develop analytical skills by working with reporting to analytics tools. Hotels rely on the data from customizable reports and dashboards to make very strategic decisions. So being able to interpret and UN insights is highly prized in today's industry. Finally, having a general comfort with integrations such as how a PMS connects with the point of sale system or POS payment gateways that you use for your credit cards and in-room technologies, which are and removes your phone. 00:10:24:14 - 00:10:58:18 Unknown Electronic Minibars and other third party applications prepare students to minister for hospitality tech ecosystem. Overall, students that are comfortable with technology eager to learn new tools and able to connect operational processes with guest service, will be well prepared to use and manage hospitality management systems like offer cloud and a professional setting. It's the blend of technical skills and a service mindset that sets a future hospitality leader apart from others. 00:10:58:19 - 00:11:29:06 Unknown So let's keep going with this theme of what students need to learn. So for these students studying hospitality management, what technical skills and knowledge should they develop to effectively use and manage hospitality management systems in a professional setting? Once again, that's a great question. It definitely hits close to home for me. I actually have a bachelor's degree in sales and media management from the Hospitality and Business College at Johnson Wells University. 00:11:29:08 - 00:11:54:16 Unknown Back then, I never imagined I ended up at as one package. That's a great question and it definitely hits home for me. I actually have a bachelor's degree in sales and meeting management from the Hospitality and business College at Johnson, a Welsh university. Back then, I never imagined I end up working at a hospital working in the hospitality technology sector. 00:11:54:18 - 00:12:16:14 Unknown But what's been really rewarding is seeing how the skills I gained for my hospitality education are relevant every single day, especially as I help pass on offer cloud knowledge to our customers. For students studying hospitality management. I can't stress enough. 00:12:16:16 - 00:12:47:10 Unknown For students. Sorry. For students studying hospitality management. I can't stress enough how important it is to build a mix of both technical and operational knowledge. At its core, you really want to understand how a PMS works since this technology is the backbone of hotel operations. Get comfortable with things like managing reservations, guest check ins, checks out, billing, updating guest profiles. 00:12:47:12 - 00:13:12:19 Unknown Again, these are the nuts and bolts of daily hotel management. Reservations and distribution management are another key area, with so many bookings coming in from online travel agencies, global distribution systems and direct booking engines. Understanding how these channels connect to the hotel PMS and solutions like offer cloud distribution is. 00:13:12:21 - 00:13:50:18 Unknown Crucial. Reservation and distribution management is another key area, with so many bookings coming in from online travel agencies, global distribution systems and direct booking engines. Understanding how these channels connect into the hotel's PMS and solutions like Opera Cloud, is crucial for maximizing occupancy and revenue. It's also really important to gain hands on experience with front desk operations, using guest facing tools to capture preferences, manage, request, ensure seamless guest experiences. 00:13:50:20 - 00:14:16:01 Unknown Same goes for housekeeping in event management technology. Many of these tools are now mobile making it easier to manage tasks on the go with solutions like offer cloud. Mobile. Analytical skills are in high demand. Modern systems provide real time data and reporting tools, so learning how to interpret these reports and use. I do, I feel like I'm repeating myself. 00:14:16:03 - 00:14:19:23 Unknown Sorry. 00:14:20:01 - 00:14:39:15 Unknown Honestly, you're doing really great. It just this is where I always get. This is why I like podcasts better than webcasts. Because you can scripted out and you can go back and repeat it. So by the end of it, it really does sound perfect when we do it. Yeah. I mean, I'm, I kind of want you to send me the recording now so I can edit it before, you know. 00:14:39:17 - 00:15:01:00 Unknown Actually, it's better to have Dave do it instead of you doing it because he does have the bias. Yeah, he doesn't have the bias. He's really good. He gets all of it. It's just sounds so professional. But I get it good. So we'll leave it to the professionals. Now we are David's like I know. Yeah yeah yeah. Have you you've worked with Dave before haven't you. 00:15:01:02 - 00:15:18:01 Unknown I don't think so. He's a the Oracle's video hub guy. He's the Oracle video guy that does all the, like the stuff for cloud roll mapping. Okay. Yeah, we do most of our stuff. You do most of your just okay. So you want to edit it yourself. You can give it to me. I can just have give you the wraps on it. 00:15:18:03 - 00:15:41:02 Unknown No I you're right. I should just let it let it go wherever you want to start. Analytical skills are up further. Excuse me. I'm going to start back at the reservation and distribution management. Okay. Right there. Sounds good. Okay. And I have it on my screen, so that way you don't have to worry about, Oh, okay. 00:15:41:02 - 00:16:25:10 Unknown I'm following along. Okay, great. Okay. Reservations and distribution management is another key area with so many bookings coming in from online travel agencies, global distribution systems and direct booking engines, understand how these channels connect into the hotels. PMS and solutions like opera cloud distribution is crucial for maximizing occupancy and revenue. It's also really important to gain hands on experience with front desk operations, using guest facing tools to capture preferences, manage requests and ensure it's also really important to gain hands on experience with front desk operations. 00:16:25:16 - 00:17:02:17 Unknown Using guest facing tools to capture preferences, manage, request and ensure. See. I can't get a seamless guest experience as. It is also really important to gain hands on experience with front desk operations, using guest facing tools to capture preferences, manage requests, and ensure seamless guest experiences. Same goes for housekeeping in the event management technology. Many these tools are now mobile, making it easier, making it easier to manage tasks on the go with solutions like offer cloud. 00:17:02:17 - 00:17:35:12 Unknown Mobile analytical skills are also in high demand. Modern systems provide real time data and reporting tools, so learning how to interpret these reports and use insights to drive decision making is a real asset, whether you're working in operations or management. And there's one thing I'd like to add. Understanding integrations. This includes how the PMS links up with the point of sale system, POS payment solutions, and even in-room technology. 00:17:35:14 - 00:18:01:21 Unknown This provides you with a holistic view of hotel operations and prepares you to solve problems and innovate as technology evolves. What I found is combining the foundational hospitality knowledge for my degree with these technical skills has been invaluable not only for my career, but also helping our customers succeed with solutions like Opera Cloud. So let's continue along in that vein. 00:18:01:21 - 00:18:42:21 Unknown Sorry. So let's continue along in that vein, are there resources or certification programs through Oracle Academy that can prepare students for roles in hospitality technology? So here I'm really excited to share that Oracle Hospitality is partnering with Oracle Academy to offer our hospitality digital learning to Oracle Academy. My was supposed to be the seller. Tiara I'm really excited to share that Oracle Hospitality is partnering with Oracle Academy to offer hospitality, digital learning to Oracle Academy members at no cost. 00:18:42:23 - 00:18:54:19 Unknown This collaboration brings all the great Oracle Hospitality products I mentioned onto the Oracle Academy platform. 00:18:54:21 - 00:19:27:06 Unknown This collaboration brings all the great Oracle Hospitality products I mentioned onto the Oracle Academy platform. From making digital learning court. Digital learning content. This collaboration brings all the great Oracle hospitality products I mentioned onto the Oracle Academy platform, making digital learning content readily accessible. Instructors will be able to share this content directly with their students as part of select learning paths. 00:19:27:10 - 00:20:00:20 Unknown Students can earn Oracle Learning badges. Just instructors will be able to share this content directly with their students and as part of select learning paths, students can earn an Oracle Learning Badge upon completion. These badges are what these badges are great way to showcase skills on LinkedIn and other social platforms. We're also providing supporting materials to help guide instructors on how to enhance their courses. 00:20:01:00 - 00:20:06:20 Unknown By integrating this digital learning into this career. 00:20:06:22 - 00:20:27:02 Unknown We're also providing support materials to help guide instructors on how to enhance their courses by integrating this digital learning into their curriculum. And the best part is, this is just the first paid. 00:20:27:04 - 00:20:53:17 Unknown I'm going to get this free. We're also providing supporting materials to help guide instructors on how to enhance their courses. By integrating this digital learning into their curriculum. And the best part is, this is just the first phase of our partnership with Oracle Academy. We're planning to expand our materials and offerings even further for members in the future. 00:20:53:19 - 00:21:21:10 Unknown So for students interested in hospitality technology, there are fantastic resources and certification opportunities available through Oracle Academy to help them prepare for their future careers. I am so excited about this future partnership and the opportunity we've had to work together to bring Oracle Hospitality Management curriculum and materials into the hands of our Oracle Academy faculty and consequent and subsequently their students. 00:21:21:11 - 00:21:53:23 Unknown So my final question for you today. If you could give one piece of advice to faculty and students, what would it be? That oh, I love that question. And the one piece of advice I could offer to faculty and students would be this don't be afraid to be disruptive. Early in my career, I was hesitant to challenge the status quo or offered new ideas, especially when I was working with more senior consultants. 00:21:54:01 - 00:22:19:14 Unknown But as time went on, I started to see so many opportunities to make things more efficient and improved how we support our customers. When I finally found the courage to speak up and advocate for change, it made all the difference. Every time I disrupted the way things are done, it helped drive both my personal growth and positive changes for my team and our customers. 00:22:19:16 - 00:22:47:13 Unknown I've been embraced by my coworkers. Management now looks to me for new ideas and coaching and even clients from years ago. Stay in touch to share how much they value my approach during their influence. In the city. Every time I disrupted the way things were done, it helped drive both my personal growth and positive changes for my team and our customers. 00:22:47:14 - 00:23:16:10 Unknown I've been embraced by my coworkers. Management now looks to me for new ideas in coaching, coaching, and even clients from years ago. Stay in touch to share how much they valued my approach during their implementation. To me, disruption goes hand in hand with evolution and innovation. Don't be afraid to challenge norms or suggest a better way. This is what sets you apart in the hospitality industry. 00:23:16:12 - 00:23:44:03 Unknown This is what sets you apart in the hospitality industry and what leads to a lasting impact. I really appreciate what you just said. I found myself as a fellow disruptor throughout my career and I, I really well that it really resonates with me, what you just said. I think that that is one of the most important things for students to learn is how to be creative. 00:23:44:04 - 00:24:18:04 Unknown Don't you know, take a chance, take a risk. They may not always work, but when they do work, they work really well. And just taking those chances and disrupting the status quo and asking questions is so, so important. It's invaluable. Definitely. Absolutely. A special thanks to Diane for joining me today on the Oracle Academy Podcast. Please, visit the Academy website to get access to our brand new digital learning subscriptions from the Oracle Hospitality team, and subscribe to our podcast. 00:24:18:06 - 00:24:32:17 Unknown Thanks for listening. That wraps up this episode. Thanks for listening, and stay tuned for the next Oracle Academy Tech Chat podcast.