Vacation Work Testimonials

• Location: Perth, Australia
• Studied: Bachelor of Science (Hons.) & Bachelor of Commerce
• Where: The University of Western Australia
• Placement Date(s): December 2004 – February 2005

Shell has a reputation for providing quality vacation placements that allow students to experience the realities of corporate working life, first hand, far superior to many of the firms offering vacation work in the commerce fields. I was also attracted by the global opportunities that Shell presents, as travel plays a large part of my future plans.

I spent my time at Shell working for the Commercial Services team as a Business Analyst. My project involved reviewing previous analyses of the Asia Pacific and future North American West Coast LNG markets, looking at price differentials across the markets, shipping issues, and diversion and arbitrage opportunities. I was an integral part of the team, and found that very satisfying and rewarding.

I was working within an industry I had no previous experience with, so it took some time for me to become comfortable within the area I was working on. I also found the project itself very challenging, particularly after I had finished the industry overview and had begun the in-depth analysis.

Absolutely. I hoped I would spend my summer holidays doing something enjoyable and beneficial, but I must admit I had some fears of being the coffee lady-cum-photocopy girl for 12 weeks. Instead, I was embraced as a valuable member of staff, and encouraged to participate and attend in seminars and extra-curricular activities. I left SDA feeling that I had contributed something valuable to the company.

My placement didn’t change my views, as such, but rather increased my knowledge of the company and the type of careers available within Shell. It certainly cemented my desire to pursue a career path with Shell!