Why was Shell the right choice for you?

I’ve always been intrigued by the various psychological, technological, and geo-political factors affecting global oil prices. I wanted to get to first-hand experience of working in a challenging environment, dealing with commodities which I have an interest in.

What sets Shell apart from the other majors is the organisation’s investment in future technologies, both in terms of advanced oil extraction and also the next generation of fuels. In today’s economic and ecological climate, what could be more important?

What does your current job involve?

My main job involves monitoring credit exposures to counterparties which the Shell International Trading and Shipping Company (STASCO) is trading with, to ensure that exposures are monitored and managed. I also propose credit lines to give to counterparties which take account of various STASCO business and company financial factors.

To be successful in this sort of role, you’ve got to have a strong willingness to learn from all the mistakes you’re going to make early on. It’s also important to be prepared to study for the professional qualifications you’ll need to open up your future career.

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve been involved in so far?

I spent some time working on the development of new models to take account of various factors in the assessment of clean development mechanisms to incorporate carbon emissions trading exposures.

What made this work particularly interesting was the fact that no one really knows about this new market, so I was involved in many ground-breaking discussions before we reached a successful agreement.

What’s the next thing you want to achieve at Shell?

As part of the Shell Finance Graduate scheme, I’ll spend two more years in the management information team, working on the preparation of both management and financial accounts. At the moment, the most important thing is to learn about the business and how to make a real contribution to the team’s work.

My colleagues are always ready to have a discussion and provide support, and Shell provide weekly training sessions where you can learn a lot about the other divisions in STASCO and how they relate to each other.

Think further. Visit www.shell.com/careers

Why was Shell the right choice for you?

I always wanted to work in HR for an organisation which would give me a good grounding in this area. Shell’s size and the range of opportunities was very appealing, and the organisation’s HR structure underlines the fact that it is committed to developing all-round HR professionals.

People at Shell are very willing to tell you about their experiences and give you advice on future possibilities for growth and development. I was also very lucky with the stakeholders and line managers I worked with, so I had lots of people to provide me with advice and support.

What does your current job involve?

When I first joined I was a Talent Advisor, and my main focus was on recruitment. This also included being responsible for the resourcing of a new office in Bangalore, working with senior leaders to establish their plans for the office and recruiting staff.

For my next assignment, I continued my Talent role but also became an HR Advisor. This was a great opportunity to learn from a leadership team and gave me a chance to develop my HR generalist skills. My next assignment involved working as an HR Advisor for a different business, and has provided me with many new challenges.

What’s the most exciting thing you’ve been involved in so far?

The international aspect of the work makes every day exciting. Working between time zones, understanding the impact of local legislation, the mobility and diversity of the staff, the sheer size and scale of our global operations – it’s a real challenge to find your way around and tremendously satisfying to know that you’re making make a real impact in everything you do.

What’s the next thing you want to achieve at Shell?

Right now I just want to get my feet under the table in my new role. I’m working for a new business and a new population, and both are very different from what I know. In the longer term, I’d like to work in a more challenging environment for Shell. The comfort of the corporate office does shelter you from operational locations, so one day I’d like to challenge myself in that way.

Think further. Visit www.shell.com/careers