Most Important Skills For A Solution Engineer At Oracle
Brandon, a Master Principal Solution Engineer at Oracle, emphasizes that "listening is such a huge component" of the role, as understanding the client's needs is crucial; while technical acumen is helpful for explaining the technology's inner workings and distilling complex information into presentations, the ability to tailor the message to each specific client makes the role a combination of "art and science."
Client Communication, Technical Understanding, Presentation Skills, Active Listening, Solution Engineering
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Brandon Ray
Master Principal Solution Engineer
Oracle
Wake Forest University
N/A
Communications, Computer Science
Technology
Sales and Client Management
Scholarship Recipient
Video Highlights
1. Listening is crucial for understanding client needs and differentiating a good Solution Engineer from a poor one.
2. While a computer science background isn't always required, developing technical acumen is critical for explaining the inner workings of the technology.
3. A key aspect of the job involves distilling complex documentation into concise and tailored presentations, blending technical knowledge with the art of client-specific messaging.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
Listening is such a huge component of what I do. As I mentioned, discovery and understanding what a client is looking for really is the game-changer between a good SE and a poor SE.
I think listening, client-facing skills, and having the confidence to speak about the software and what it does are important. Technical acumen is also very helpful, though not always required. There are definitely solution engineers who came from other backgrounds and don't necessarily have a computer science degree.
However, once you're hired for this role, understanding the inner workings of the technology is critical to being able to explain it. A big part of this job is taking all the documentation, help tutorials, and product manuals and distilling them down into a 30, 45, or 60-minute presentation and demonstration.
It's a combination of art and science. The science is what the technology does, and the art is how you can tailor that messaging for a specific client or customer. So again, technical acumen, client-facing ability, and the ability to listen to what a client is looking for.