Alexander

University attended: University of Siegen
Course attended: International Project Management
Graduated: 2006
Date Joined: 2007

What motivated you to take an internship at Shell in the first place?

I was searching for an internship that offered me a different array of practical working to put University theory into business practice. I was also hoping for real, working experience in technical fields.

The Shell internship gave me the chance to work in my field of engineering, as well as learning about others, such as civil engineering, first hand.

What role did you play during your internship - did you feel you were doing a 'real job'

My project, based on technical turnarounds in refineries, soon expanded, so that I had to handle different projects, their budgets, time scheduling and so on. It was not just practicing doing a real job - it was a real job.

What did you learn about Shell - and about yourself - in the process?

I had the chance to test all my skills, including team-building, working, planning, handling budgets and projects of different scope. To a certain extent, it was more than just testing my skills. I found out strengths and weak points within my abilities, discovered my personal frontiers and expanded upon them.

What helped you to decide to accept the Shell job offer after the internship was over?

I was lucky enough to resolve my final project whilst at Shell, so I had three months off between finishing university and starting a full time job with Shell. I travelled a lot in Middle East and Europe, which helped me to decide that an international career is important for me, and that Shell as a global company is exactly the right start for my career.

Would you recommend an internship to other high-achieving students and why?

Yes. I would recommend an internship with Shell to any creative and open-minded person.

I discovered just how creative and flexible Shell is as a corporation, and was impressed by the fact that they are always achieving their goals.

An internship with Shell is definitely not "everyday fun", it is a "real job experience".