Bright Network member Shantelle recently secured herself a Summer Internship at ExxonMobil whilst studying Materials Science and Engineering at Manchester University. We caught up with Shantelle to find out what she had to say about the whole experience.
Why did you choose this company?
I was really interested in the oil and gas industry as I'm currently studying Materials Science and Engineering. In a large company there are a wide range of opportunities available and also a lot of travelling involved, which is what I'm interested in doing when I get older. ExxonMobil have a great grad scheme and I really like the company culture as they really try and cater to what their employees want. I was attracted to Exxon Mobil as it is a company that cares about the development of its staff and that I aim to achieve my chartership status as a working engineer..
Why were you interested in this role?
As a materials engineer there aren't many opportunities for Internships available. But I knew that at Exxon there would and it would be challenging so this way I'd learn a lot.
What did the application process involve? Did you have a favourite and least favourite part?
There was an application form to begin with where you had the option of submitting your CV and cover letter, but I only submitted my CV as I wanted to see how far I'd get with it. Then there was a very difficult numerical test followed by a competency based Skype interview. It was my first ever Skype interview and I found it was actually quite relaxed. After that I was selected to take part in the ExxonMobil Energy Challenge, for which I had applied. It was a great day and I met some interesting people many of who were engineers. We also had talks from professionals, people who'd worked there for 20 years. People who had done an Internship and progressed through and gotten a job. There was then an exhibition, where people from different plants would talk about what their location specialises in. This was great for me because as I applied for a mechanical engineering role, but study materials engineering, I got the chance to see if any of the other plants were better suited to me and my experience. I ended up choosing the plant in Newport, Wales as it was the most closely related to what I had previously studied. We had a tour of Fawley Refinery after the exhibition, followed by an interview at the end of the day. It was quite formal, but the interviewers were very friendly.
What are three top tips you would give to other students looking to follow in your footsteps?
Firstly I'd say be confident. Most students are worried about the technical aspect of the interview. It's okay if you don't know the answer, you can't know the answer to everything. Just show that you want to learn and believe in yourself.
Secondly, do your research.
And lastly, don't be afraid if you have a slightly different skill set to the requirements. I applied for a mechanical engineering role, but after my studies I'll be a material engineer which is obviously slightly different.
Do you have a pre-interview ritual or lucky charm?
Not really, but I do have to do my make-up. If I look okay and put together then I will be calm.
