Andrew’s placement manager inspired him into industry after graduation to work for Shell
During his Year in Industry (YINI). Andrew’s manager took a real hands on approach to coaching him, setting him real business challenges and helping him think about how to solve problems. This experience set him up for a successful career, working for Shell since his graduation.
The experience
Andrew worked under a strong manager who coached him through his YINI placement, providing challenging assignments and helping him to succeed at them. He learned to manage a multi-month project and deliver meaningful results. His mentor and YINI experience also spurred his interest in solving problems, he was able to relate his university studies back to industry prob-lems and objectives. Andrew’s placement project was winner of the National Contribution to the Business Awards that year, winning the prize for environ-mental impact.
Throughout his experience, Andrew’s mentor emphasised the value of industry experience to him, encouraging Andrew to make it a priority. Consequently he then sought out additional internships, including 2 summers with Rolls-Royce and 1 with a high-speed turbo generator company.
The benefits
Not only did completing YINI change Andrew’s mindset towards his degree, it also helped set him part from his peers - being able to demonstrate almost 2 years of professional work experience. This was a huge benefit to him when applying for his graduate role at Shell, as they were looking for him to come in to a real engineering role and start adding value. Having relevant education was critical, but also having experience on how to bring that education out in his work was also critical in Andrew’s experience, enabling him to succeed.
Entering industry
Andrew sees his placement experience as playing a crucial role not just in his early career but beyond, he says:
“Companies should look wider than bottom-line profitability to afford young people an early experience in engineering. The opportunity will enhance their university knowledge, as well as their workplace capabilities. In addition, young people bring a great deal of energy to the work environment, so they also give back to the company through their YINI experience.
When I interviewed with Shell in 2004, I had an engineering degree and nearly two years of practical industry experience. During my interview, I shared how I had grown professionally through YINI. Those experiences gave me a competitive advantage, I credit YINI for giving me my start.”