What can I expect?

Although Shell is very much a team-orientated organisation, we recognise that every individual has different strengths and weaknesses - that's why we offer tailored development programmes. We know that different people have their own ambitions and aspirations, which is why we give everybody the freedom to pursue their own individual career path. And we also realise that when it comes to rewards and benefits, people have differing priorities. If you join us, we'll make every effort to provide the kind of rewards and benefits that will complement your own particular lifestyle and needs.

Financial Rewards & Benefits programme

Our competitive salaries reflect both the market conditions in the country in which you’re based and the levels of skills and experience we need to remain at the forefront of our industry. Individual contributions are recognised and rewarded through performance-related pay and bonuses. Our benefits typically include pension/retirement plans and healthcare coverage. In some locations, we offer subsidised services such as sports facilities, medical and dental care and car parking and, in some countries, we offer the chance to participate in a Sharesave programme.

What is the Shell Sharesave Scheme?

Approved by the Inland Revenue and administered by the Halifax, our Sharesave Scheme allows Shell employees to save money and invest in Royal Dutch Shell plc. Participating employees can decide how much they want to save and for how long. At the end of the savings period, participating employees can then either take their savings in cash along with a tax-free bonus from the Halifax, or use the equivalent amount to buy shares in Royal Dutch Shell plc.

Balancing work and life

We provide flexible working practices wherever necessary and operationally possible. You may be able to ‘telecommute’ and work from home. Some locations and businesses can also offer flexi-time working – enabling you to start your work day earlier or later to fit your needs. Further, to meet the needs of an increasingly virtual environment, you could even work out of your base location in a regional or global role

Time off and time out

We offer competitive levels of annual leave entitlements and maternity/paternity leave allowances. We also accommodate career breaks and sabbaticals wherever feasibly possible. In addition, employees are encouraged to step outside of purely work boundaries to participate in other areas of interest such as social responsibility projects as part of Shell Project Better World, employee interest groups or campus recruitment, which offers the chance to meet with university students.

Sports and social activities

Whatever your interests, there’s likely to be a Shell sports and social group that you can get involved with – for example, the Shell Sports Club, Shell Women’s Network, Shell African Network, Shell Disability Network and many more. In some locations around the world, we may offer gym facilities, swimming pools, tennis courts, sailing, scuba diving and membership to Shell sponsored clubs.

Listening to our employees

We regularly conduct surveys amongst our employees to find out if there are any issues that need to be addressed or improved. This can take the form of online surveys, discussion forums or interactive webcasts. As an example, the Shell People Survey is conducted online on a regular, global basis. This gives everyone a chance to make suggestions on improving our work environment, to input into policies or to address areas of concern.

Because we recognise that people are behind our success, we're committed to providing the training they need to fully optimise their skills and potential. That's why we offer a huge range of training and development activities. Depending on your business area, location and role, you could have the opportunity to experience one or more of the following:

• On-the-job learning - you can expect to move both sideways and upwards through the business, building on your skills as you go
• Training for recognised professional qualifications - either through external organisations or Shell's own extensive training services and facilities
• Personal development programmes
• Direction and support - from 'buddy' schemes, mentoring and regular appraisals with line managers.

In addition to these initiatives, we also have tailored training for all of our new starters, including inductions and Shell Life. Shell Life is a highly experiential and interactive course for graduates designed to develop your leadership potential.  The course helps participants reflect on their personal direction and the leadership, interpersonal effectiveness and business awareness qualities they'll need if they're going to have a successful career with Shell.

For us, investing in your development is as important as investing in new business opportunities and technologies. A career in Shell is challenging and if you're going to keep pace you'll need to pay significant attention to your own development and growth. After all, the world is changing fast, and technology is developing, being shared and deployed at an unprecedented rate. Business models are also changing, and to grow and advance at Shell you'll need to develop your own capabilities.

The good news is, with the Develop programme for graduates, you have the support and resources of Shell behind you.

Key principles of Develop include:

1. We assess - develop - reassess
   After assessing your skills, we provide you with insights into your strengths and development areas. You can then create an effective development plan with your supervisor.
2. We intertwine business objectives and development objectives
   Business objectives cannot be separated from personal development objectives. We ensure this is recognised in your development plan, and you understand how your impact on the business will help it grow.
3. We know the strongest leaders use their strengths
   You need insight into your strengths and development needs, and we'll work with you to achieve the required functional, personal and leadership competences. We'll also help you focus on exploring opportunities to increase your knowledge, skills and experience.
4. We recognise that learning happens most effectively in a challenging job
   Job assignments and projects are one of the most powerful forms of development. Challenging 'stretch projects' are included in graduate development plans - these require you to think and act differently. During your first three years, you're likely to experience at least two different roles within Shell.
5. We expect individuals to be individually accountable for managing their development and career progression
   While your supervisor and mentor will support and coach you, we achieve more together when you drive your own development and manage your career.

Here we answer some Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How many graduates do you employ each year?
A. We do have opportunities across many Disciplines but the exact number of graduate hired every year is dependent of business need and forecast.
 
Q. What sorts of jobs are available?
A. We offer an amazing range of jobs in many different Technical and Commercial fields. Each year we examine our business requirements to find opportunities where graduates will be able to experience real responsibilities from day one. Exact jobs available, therefore, vary from year to year and depend on the operations in each country.
 
Q. What minimum qualifications do I need to apply?
A. We've created an online Degree Matcher to help you to identify the career options most suitable for you. The Degree Matcher is simply to help guide your choices and the listings of degree backgrounds we accept and disciplines we recruit into.

Q:  My application has been regretted and I have not been interviewed, can I receive some feedback?
A:  Unfortunately, due to the high volumes of applications we receive, we are unable to offer you individual feedback on your application at this stage of the recruitment process.  We assess applications taking into account a number of qualities we have identified as being critical to high performance in Shell. A detailed explanation of these qualities can be found in the "What we look for" section of the website.

Q. I have applied before; can I re-apply?
A. Yes, you can re-apply if you have been unsuccessful. However, if you do wish to re-apply, you must leave:

• 1 year*, if you were unsuccessful at either the initial screening or the interview stage of the recruitment process.
• 3 years*, if you were unsuccessful at the final assessment stage of the recruitment process (Shell Recruitment Day, Gourami Business Challenge or an assessed Internship).

*from the date you receive the final outcome of your previous application
We advise this to enable you to have a better chance of being successful the second time round. The additional time will allow you to demonstrate that you have developed yourself further and have gained additional experience and/or qualifications.

Q. Can I defer my start date?
A. Yes, it's possible to defer starting dates. How long your job offer will be valid with us depends on your plans and the requirements of our business.

Q. I have already graduated and have some work experience; am I eligible to apply?
A. Yes. You may be surprised to find that you wouldn't be the only graduate in Shell who joins us with previous work experience. In terms of process, you will still need to apply in the same way as any other graduate.
 
Q. What selection criteria do you use to assess applications for your student opportunities?
A.  While a strong academic record is important, our selection processes are designed to assess your Capacity, Achievement and Relationship.
 
Q. What is the Gourami Business Challenge?
A. The Gourami Business Challenge is an interactive business course and is held at a different location every year. Participants take the role of a Shell international project team tasked with developing and presenting a five-year business strategy for the fictitious company of Shell Gourami  to senior Shell leaders, gaining invaluable skills along the way.

Q. Does securing a place on the Gourami Business Challenge or an Internship mean that I will automatically receive an offer of graduate employment?
A. While by no means guaranteed it is certainly a possibility. Your performance during the Gourami Business Challenge or your internship will be monitored and assessed by senior Shell managers. If you demonstrate the levels of performance and qualities we’re looking for, then we could well offer you a full-time position for when you graduate.

Q. Do you sponsor the studies of individual students?
A. Shell sponsors students for postgraduate studies in the UK and the Netherlands. First-degree students are not eligible. We have 90 scholarships available in total globally, administered by The Shell Centenary Scholarship Fund.
The programme is a partnership with the Universities of Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, Oxford, Imperial College London and University College London, who also contribute to the funding.

Q. Do you take part in campus visits and recruitment fairs?
A. We use a number of different media channels to provide information on career opportunities within Shell, which means apart from the traditional channels used in attracting candidates, we also do take part in a number of student events on and off campus.