Pros
Shell has a solid benefits package and pays well for the region I'm in. Working as an IT advisor in the manufacturing space provides lots of exposure to IT and business processes which has served as an excellent learning opportunity. Hours are usually stable with some extra work expected around major maintenance events and during large projects.
Cons
Collaboration with overseas colleagues can be challenging especially with so many support roles outsourced to India. 5AM is their evening so finding overlapping working hours is nearly impossible. Bonuses are tied to the oil price and profitability of the company. While I understand that, some of my highest performing years have been years when bonuses have been cut to 0%. While technical knowledge is valued, my role as an advisor doesn't allow me to focus much on individual technologies. I feel a mile wide and an inch deep on many technical topics because of this. Shell constantly talks about upskilling and spending work time on training. However I have found that they rarely actually make time for anything but basic training.
