Day in the Life of Shell Apprentice

Jessica is an IT Site Operations Analyst.

She is working within the Site Operations team to manage different sites globally.

She answered a few questions on her daily responsibilities to give you a flavour of what it is to be Shell Apprentice.

Working in operations, no day is ever the same. I always start my day by going through our team mailbox to check if there are any urgent queries or tasks that I need to complete.

Within my role, I help to manage the IT infrastructure of Shell Centre so if there are any issues from meeting rooms not working to whether or not someone needs a work phone, these tasks come my way.

I attend lots of meetings with stakeholders from across the businesses and work together to sign off projects, keep track of our services and ensure there is a smooth-running service of IT.

What kind of projects or tasks do you usually work on?

I work on tasks like managing financials, managing stock levels and acting as the central point of contact for IT infrastructure in Shell Centre.

My team oversees projects and changes, for example a core switch update, which may cause downtime that could impact our traders or executive users.

How do you balance learning with hands-on work?

Working at Shell is super flexible. I take Friday as my study day, where my team allow me to go offline and dedicate time strictly to my studies.

My team also trust me to manage my own time throughout the week so if I have a spare hour I can spend it on uni – as long as the rest of my work is done. I also don’t find my studies that difficult to manage because it is self-paced and online when you need it.

I find it challenging when I have meetings with lots of stakeholders. Sometimes I find it intimidating to be the youngest person in the room as I often feel like I don’t know enough. However, the more I do it, the more confident I get!

What skills have you gained so far that you’re most proud of?

I am most proud of the project management skills I have developed and the confidence I have gained.

When I left school, I never would have thought that I would be responsible for a project in a company like Shell, yet here I am! It makes me feel empowered to continue to develop my skills and take on more responsibility.

Can you share your most memorable moment in Shell?

Definitely! Travelling to The Hague within my first couple of months has been one of my favorite experiences. I got to meet my team and learn more about the history of Shell as a business. The trip was my first ever business trip and was full of lots of team building, which made me feel extremely welcomed into the company.

Another highlight for me was when we celebrated 75 years of the Shell / Ferrari partnership and Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc came into the office! It is a day that I will never forget!.

In your opinion, why should today's school leavers apply for Apprenticeship Programme with Shell?

Shell has provide me with hands-on access to new and emerging technologies and are always looking to the future. They are really eager to bring in new and younger voices to provide new perspectives that can make a real difference.

Also, you get real responsibility and receive opportunities to gain valuable skills that will prepare you for the future.