Good
Morning!
So,
hi. You are on this post, most probably because you passed the first stage of
Shell’s Online Tests or Phone Interview. So, this is the time where I feel like
I should give back to the community by sharing my experience on attending
Shell’s second stage of one-on-one’s face interview. Scary, I know. But fret
not, I am here to help you ease your worry after you try googling about it and
still clueless and nervous down your spine on it! (I definitely know the
feeling as I have encountered a major sarcastic “Thanks Google, listing Shell
as the World’s Top 10 Hardest Interviews sure does help me in putting off my
worry” before.)
I
am currently on my semester break before my last semester of BSc. in Science
(Applied Geology) at University of Malaya. I have completed my Final Year
Project (or also known as thesis project); majoring in Petrophysics, Geophysics
and also Sedimentology. Sounds super heavy and tough, pheeew to that, I
actually succeed in going through the long hassle of it. I applied for a
technical position in Shell’s Petrophysics and Reservoir Engineering way back
in April 2013, via online. I will only be graduating in December 2013. If I am
not mistaken, they open the application all year round (You can check the
website). Then, I had my first stage of online tests in May 2013. The online
tests are basically just some psychological behavioural tests and also a few
technical tests (testing on your calculation and understanding ability, 16 questions
in 16 minutes). Honestly, I really thought I did so bad for the tests because I
don’t even understand half of the questions and the time given was ridiculously
too short for such long, twisted questions. I did not heard of anything from
Shell after I did the tests for almost 2 months except for a “Thanks for
completing the tests…” email. At that point, I was 100% sure of how my chance
of working with Shell is down the drain.
Surprisingly,
after I finished my 6th semester, in Early July 2013; I received an
email from Shell, an invitation to their second stage interview session.
Meaning; I passed the ridiculously tough online tests! I did not expect their
interview would be any time near, but I was wrong. I received another email on
8th July 2013; asking me to pick a date and time slot for my
appointment with them for the one-on-one interview session within that week
itself. Can you imagine how nervous I felt? Insane. I don’t even know what to
prepare as this is my first job interview ever. So many things are going on
that week as I have to submit my corrected thesis in for the university library
publishing. I was busy and nervous at the same time, what a bad combination of
feelings to have; especially during your last semester break ever! None of my batch
mates have ever attended a job interview before, so I have no idea who to refer
to about it. So, I turned to my thesis supervisor, seniors (Syawal and
Muzzamil) and also my new AAPG advisor (Evon, who happened to be my senior that
I have never had the chance to meet before). I got a bunch of very useful tips,
trust me, they were. Oh yes, I also did my research on Shell and also few job
interview skills.
On
the day of the interview (12th July 2013);
I
went to the Shell’s Building in Changkat Semantan, Damansara Heights (the
building is nearby HELP University in Damansara, you will see a signboard
stating “Bangunan Shell Malaysia” after you passed by Jalan Dungun) in the
afternoon and I arrived 20 minutes before the interview starts. (It says to
arrive 15 minutes before the interview session, but it is always good to arrive
way earlier than that. Ohh you know, just to make yourself calm down and be
comfortable with the environment and vibe.) The early arrival lets you to deal
with the receptionist for your pass in. I sat at the lobby, murmuring a few
prayers to calm myself until my interviewer came out herself to call me in. The
interview session is done at this area on the ground floor itself. It’s like an
area specified for meetings and interviews. The person that interviewed me was
one of Shell’s Human Resource (HR) Recruitment Team. My interview was pretty
laid back and not as intense as what I have read in other blogs before though.
Maybe it was just my luck, but who knows. So, basically the interview is based
on your past experiences, achievements and also relationships – in other words,
it is based on C.A.R (Capacity, Achievement and Relationship) which is a
concept used in Shell. The interview session is divided into two;
First
round of interview questions are based on C.A.R like:
·
What
is your greatest challenge and how you overcome it?
·
Have
you ever encountered a situation where you have to deal with people of
different ranks and how is your relationship with them?
·
Can
you adapt to a new environment, if so, what is an example and how you did it?
*There
are a few more questions, but basically they are just behavioural interview
questions, testing your skills and abilities in tackling challenges and
problems.
Second
round of interview questions are based on your personal preferences and Shell
like:
·
Why
do you want to work for Shell?
·
What
role do you want and what are the skills that you have for the role?
*There
are also a few more questions, such as your preferences in the technical skills
area and such. Basically, just to know how you would fit in Shell.
There
were many questions and they were quite long, so I suggest that you listen
carefully to the points that they want from you. If you do not understand what
they want, don’t be afraid to ask for the explanation from them. And another
advice, if you need a little time to think, don’t be afraid to tell them that
you need a minute to think of the answer. They will give you time. My interview
session took about 50 minutes; almost an hour. It’s good if you manage to tell
them about yourself and give them many points. They will also ask you if you
have anything to ask them at the end of the interview session. My advice is
that you should prepare a few. I had like 4-5 questions for them. When you ask
them appropriate questions, it shows that you are interested to work for Shell
and it also shows that you are one curious person and always eager to find out
more about something; which is a good trait for the industry and the technical
area. I managed to feel comfortable during the interview, and that helps a lot
in expressing myself and my thoughts during the interview.
I
hope this helps. There was not much tension going on during the interview, and
the interviewer was not scary too. She was really friendly. So, calm down and
start preparing points to talk on for your interview. I wish you all the best!
And
in case you’re wondering, YES I PASSED THIS INTERVIEW ;)
Loves,
xx
Listening to: Let’s Go by
Matt and Kim
