FUEL YOUR CAREER

Shell Interview Skills Presentation

 Presentation Overview
• Introduction

• What Shell Looks for in its Employees

• Shell’s Recruitment Process

• Sample Exercises

• Degree and Career Matrix

• Questions?
 What Shell looks for in candidates
• Academic Record
– Your academic record is one key factor in the assessment
of your application
• Skills & Achievements
– Extra-curricular activities and achievements are strong
evidence to help aid our understanding of the type of
person you are
• Technical Skills
– Technical skills are both essential and highly valued
• CAR
– Capacity, Achievement, Relationships
 What Shell looks for in candidates

CAPACITY
• The ability to analyse data quickly and learn fast, basing judgments on fact
not sentiment
• Analysing outside existing boundaries to identify implications and learn
from others
• The creativity to propose innovative solutions and manage uncertainty
within complex environments to produce workable solutions

In other words, your analytical ability to place problems in a

wide but relevant perspective
 What Shell looks for in candidates
ACHIEVEMENT
• The drive and enthusiasm to set themselves and others challenging
unambiguous targets
• The resilience to deliver
• The courage and self-confidence to tackle unfamiliar problems and go
against the crowd when necessary

In other words, your ability to get things done

 What Shell looks for in candidates
RELATIONSHIPS
• Genuine respect and concern for people and valuing everyone regardless of
culture or status
• Demonstrating honesty and integrity in all their actions
• Creating trust by open and direct communications
• Persuading others by the inspiration, sensitivity and clarity of their
argument
• Arranging clear means of communication and decision making

In other words, your ability to work efficiently with others in a

team
 Shell’s Recruitment Process
• Candidate profile at www.shell.com/careers

• Structured interview on campus

• Shell Recruitment Day or Second Interview

• Job offer

• Start
 Application
Application Forms

– Applications should be completed online

(www.shell.com/careers)
– Attach copies of required documents (resume and
transcript)
– Submit Candidate Profile to receive notification of future
opportunities matching degree and interests
 Application
Resumes

– Tailor resume to the job/organisation

– Do not have unexplained gaps in work history
– Include achievements – both academic and non-academic
– Keep it short – preferably one to two pages
– Beware of exaggerating achievements
 The Campus Interview
Why Use a Structured Interview?

• Shell follows an interview process that is intended to explore

candidate qualities that are directly related to excellent
performance

• Creates more valid selection decisions

 The Campus Interview
• Introduction by Shell Interviewer

• Life Questions
– Achievements, Relationships

• Analysis of a contemporary topic

– Capacity

• Questions
 The Campus Interview
Benefits for the Applicant

• Provides applicants with the opportunity to elaborate on

experiences, qualifications and skills

• Provides a fair and robust process of evaluating all applicants

by the same criteria
 The Campus Interview
Interview Tips

• Be yourself
• Speak clearly
• Ask for clarification if you do not understand a question
• Don’t be afraid to ask for time to think
• Keep your answers relevant to the question
• Ask questions – be sure to leave the interview having covered all areas you
are unsure about – training, job locations, when you should expect to hear
the outcome of the interview
 The Shell Recruitment Day
What Is It?

• Final stage of the selection process

• Global process across the Shell Businesses for determining and assessing
individual performance and behaviour
• Several candidates participate (usually 6-12)
• Involves a variety of tasks, both individual and group exercises
 The Shell Recruitment Day
• No competition between participants

• Shell’s objective is to look for reasons to hire (not reasons to

reject)

• Evidence-based assessment

• Objective criteria with graded levels

• Ensures consistency in selection methods

• Criteria tuned to gauge potential success in Shell’s work

environment
 The Shell Recruitment Day
Benefits for the Applicant
• Enables individuals to learn more about the specific business in Shell
where they may be working

• Provides further insight on what a Shell career offers

• Allows applicants to interact with diverse Shell managers

• Facilitates decision-making for the individual on the fit with the company

• Provides the opportunity for an applicant to showcase their skills and

capabilities in a team environment
 The Shell Recruitment Day
• The first evening – Shell welcomes you
– Briefing and Dinner hosted by new Shell employees
• The Shell Recruitment Day
– 6-12 candidates and 4-8 Assessors (Shell Staff)
• Exercises
– Proposal/Scenario
– Case Study
– Group Discussion
– Interview
• Close/Wrap up
 The Shell Recruitment Day
NEXT STEPS

• Results available
– Max within 5 working days

• Offer
– Identification of first assignment

• Get to know you meeting (site visit)

 Second Interview/Site Visit
• In some cases, candidates may be invited to a second
interview/site visit in lieu of a Shell Recruitment Day

• Benefits
– Candidate may have the opportunity to demonstrate technical skills, by
delivering technical presentation or in interview with managers

– Enables individuals to learn more about the specific business in Shell

where they may be working

– Gain introduction to current technologies onsite

 Sample Exercises
INTERVIEW PRACTICE
• In groups of 3 assume the following roles:
– Interviewer
– Interviewee
– Observer

• In turn, practice your interview skills benefiting from the

observations made by your peers
 Sample Exercises
INTERVIEWER - Probe the interviewee for evidence of their
achievements and relationship skills

Can you give me an example of leading a team of people?

– How did you motivate them?
– How did you manage conflict?
– What was your biggest challenge?

Can you give me an example of when you have demonstrated significant

resilience to achieve your target?
– What obstacles did you face?
– How did you overcome them?
– What could you have done to prevent obstacles?
 Sample Exercises
INTERVIEWEE
• Think about the question and your answer
• Remember what evidence the interviewer is looking for
• Focus on what YOU did
• Be enthusiastic about your achievements
• Keep your answers relevant to the question
• Give sufficient background information to set the scene, but be
careful not to digress from the question
 Sample Exercises
OBSERVER
• Listen to the interviewee
– Were their answers relevant?
– Did they digress?
– What did they do well?
– What could they improve upon?

• Make notes during the interview and give constructive

feedback to the interviewee
Business Matrix
Technical Matrix
Any Questions?