Ever wondered what it’s like to work in the oil industry – or in law? WayUp sat down with a corporate lawyer who has worked at Shell for over 10 years! Here’s what she had to say.
What’s it like to work at Shell Oil Company?
While ostensibly a relaxed workplace that allows for casual dress and flexible work hours, Shell prides itself on employing intelligent, hardworking, highly motivated individuals who work well in team settings and who communicate well.
What skills are absolutely necessary to succeed in your role and at the company?
Managing communications and expectations well are important. You must be able to understand what is required when tasks are assigned to you, how to establish and meet deadlines, how to prioritize, and how to report on your successes and failures. Keep in mind that Shell (like many other multinational corporations) has stakeholders who speak different languages and who may have varying interpretations of the key deliverables of a project.
What’s the most rewarding and the most challenging part about your job?
The most challenging part of the job is a project that requires you to use your skills to tackle a problem you, as well as others on your team, have never faced before. The most rewarding part comes in the form of self-satisfaction, words of appreciation, and more challenging projects.
How should you prepare for an interview with Shell?
You should read what the company says about itself in the press and what others say about it, know something about the oil and gas industry, in general, and the division where you hope to work, in particular. Then, keeping in mind that you are interviewing the company while the interviewer is interviewing you, ask about what is important to you, e.g., types of assignments, personalities and work ethic of team leader and members, workload, work hours, who previously occupied the job and why he or she left, what the long term prospects are for the position, what a reasonable progression would be from one summer to the next.
What should you wear to a Shell interview?
In some parts of Shell, especially on Fridays, workers wear casual clothes. At other times, when senior officials are visiting, people will dress more formally. When you schedule your interview, ask how your interviewer will dress. If you don’t have a chance to talk to your interviewer, err on the side of dressing up. That signifies that you are taking the interview seriously.
