I initially applied for a Shell placement due to the structure of the program itself – it’s a very rare opportunity to undertake a full 12-week project with such a large organisation, with actual responsibilities. I had also received strong endorsements of the company as a graduate employer from friends and colleagues, and knew the vacation employment program was an excellent precursor to graduate entry.
I was employed in an Analyst role with Shell Oil Products (now Downstream) Information Technology, working for the Desktop Manager of a geographic zone spanning Australia, Asia, the Pacific Islands and the Middle East. I coordinated two zonal projects aimed at IT asset cost reduction and mitigating IT risk, along with assisting with capital budgeting, business and systems analysis.
By far, the challenge of conducting business across several countries (up to 40 in some cases!) was the highlight of my placement. My primary contacts were the IT Managers of countries where Shell has a presence, of which there are literally hundreds. I also found significant challenges in the initial period of my placement, learning the complex processes and operations of a multinational oil company.
Definitely. I had never considered a company would offer so much responsibility and independence to a vacation student, and I feel it would be difficult to find such as opportunity elsewhere. The skills and experience I was able to gain from three months working with industry’s best has been invaluable to me since completing the program, and certainly contributed positively to my choice of graduate program.
It certainly opened my eyes to the scale and scope of Shell’s operations. Whilst the retail fuels aspect is clearly visible, the size of the global Commercial and IT businesses are without parallel in most industries. I was also able to experience first hand the benefits of working with such a large organisation, in terms of support and training, access to resources and equipment, professional/career development and workforce diversity.
