News
Erin steps up to the Shell Challenge
17/11/2009
SUCCESS FOR EASTHAVEN GROUP SPONSORED SHELL STEP STUDENT
Summer 2009 was looking uneventful for me, slogging away at a part time job that wasn't really challenging me. Then I stumbled across Shell Step, a programme for undergraduates run by Shell that placed students into a small to medium sized business to undertake a project for eight weeks. I was fortunate to secure a project with Easthaven Group which would see me embark on a large scale research venture for twelve weeks.
The placement called upon me to utilise many key business skills such as having to research, analyse, design and implement various tasks which made up the project. I was challenged at numerous stages of the twelve weeks and had the opportunity to self manage myself for five weeks during which time my host was absent from the country. This pushed me to use my initiative extensively and it also gave me the opportunity to drive the project forward myself bringing it ahead of schedule by week eight.
As part of the Shell Step programme students are required to take part in the Shell Step awards which are aimed at finding the UK's most enterprising student. Pre-finals and finals are held in each city, moving through to regional heats in Glasgow and into the final stage of the UK finals in London.
All students had to prepare a seven minute presentation, aided by slides, to present in front of a panel of judges and an audience. The pre-finals were held at Woodbank and then the Aberdeen final was held at Shell HQ in Altens. I was very fortunate to be placed as runner up. This secured me a place in the Scottish regional finals in Glasgow where I would be competing against other finalists from across Scotland. The Scottish final was an amazing day, as stressful as it was, I was placed as a runner up again and was off to London for the UK final.
There was a very quick turnaround from the Scottish regional to the London final, five days to be exact, which didn't give me much time to gather my thoughts and absorb the outcome of Glasgow.
Arriving in London on my own was a bit scary but I was ready to give it my all. For me, I wasn't down there to compete, I was already a winner by getting to the UK final. There were twelve finalists from across the UK and only myself and another girl representing the women so the pressure was on. I flew down the night before to join the other students for a trip on the London Eye and a lovely meal at Shell HQ. The final itself was excellent. I was last to present meaning I sat for almost two hours, nerves bubbling away but was in a good position for the judges to remember my presentation. The evening reception consisted of our public exhibitions of our projects and speaking with various professionals from numerous companies. After networking for an hour or so the awards were announced.
I was actually fourth in the placing just missed out on winning an award.
I didn't leave London empty-handed though because I left with a much more valuable award. I attained a massive personal achievement that has helped shape my approach to my professional career and attained life and business skills that no award could ever replace. I have also met people across the programme and from within Easthaven who have inspired and driven me to persevere with my studies and make a success of my professional career.
Erin Johnston
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