Why did you choose to participate in Gourami? Gourami sounded like a unique experience and a perfect opportunity for me to demonstrate and develop my technical, commercial and personal skills, while gaining a deeper insight into the energy industry and Shell as a potential employer. The chance to travel overseas, work closely with talented individuals from different backgrounds, while living in 5-star luxury also sounded too good to be true! How would you describe your experience during Gourami? Gourami was a challenging, informative, and extremely satisfying event - definitely one of the best things I have ever done! Two of many highlights for me was firstly the chance to learn about various aspects of refinery operations and economics, as I was part of the manufacturing team, and also presenting my team’s material to the panel of shareholders, who were real-life Shell executives from the Asia-Pacific region. What were some of the challenges you faced? Time was a constant hurdle for all the teams, as we had big plans, but little time to research and implement them. But the time constraint also propelled the teams to be more efficient and achieve better coordination – essentially giving us exposure to the real business environment. What did you get out of your experience of Gourami? I derived an appreciation for the effort involved in putting together a business proposal when various divisions of a company are involved. Gourami also gave me a personal insight into Shell as an employer, as the many Shell employees present at Gourami were more than willing to share their experiences regarding career progression and even life in general. I also made some lasting friendships, and as a group, many of us are still keeping in touch with each other. Did your experience change your view of Shell? Gourami to me had an aura of importance behind it, and it clearly showed all the participants that Shell was a company deeply interested in getting the best out of us. The presence of some very knowledgeable Shell employees and senior executives, coupled all the various aspects of the 5-day experience proved to me that Shell was a company interested in harboring the best talent. What would you say to other students considering whether to do Gourami with Shell? I would advise all students to seriously consider it. It is a fantastic opportunity to gain a rare insight into Shell as a global organisation, and the chance to learn from and work with some very talented individuals. You also get to travel overseas, live in luxury, and potentially gain a graduate position. All in all, there isn't much else you could ask for!
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