Shell Oil Website - In Summer 2007, I was hired to work under Amanda Vitulli, Shell's sole webmaster for the immense 4,000 page website for the United States. My initial assignment was to filter each of those 4,000 pages individually to assure that they met the new standards set in preparation for the migration to Shell's new website, which is online today. In addition, I was asked to shorten, combine, and delete pages I deemed unnecessary or out of date to make the site as a whole a bit more manageable. These were my main assignments for the span of the summer. By the end of my first day, with no instruction other than to watch Amanda work, I was completely familiar and capable with their web software, TeamSite, and quickly launched into my assigned job. And by the end of the third week, I had finished my assigned job. Graciously, I was kept on and allowed to take part in and observe the multi-faceted process that took Shell's many country websites to the next level. I was lucky enough to represent the United States in a conference call between all of Shell's English-speaking countries (excluding South Africa) and spent many weeks creating or revamping new sections of the U.S. site for smaller organizations within the company. And, while Amanda went on one month of pregnancy leave, I was asked by Shell's head of communications to stand in for her in running the entire US site. It was, unquestionably, the most amazing experience of my life. I was given the most positive of feedback by all of my coworkers, and had high hopes of returning to work with them again in the future.
My hopes were not unmet. The following summer, 2008, I returned again to Shell where I was given my own project in redesigning the out-of-date Education site. Shell's hopes were to create a better awareness in schools about energy conservation, alternative fuels, and jobs in the petroleum industry. In addition to meeting with Scholastic and interviewing a panel of teachers of varying grades through high school, I worked with the Shell EcoMarathon (in which college students from across the nation design one man, eco-friendly cars in a competition to use the least fuel possible), with representatives from ad agencies and PR representatives, and with my coworkers to create and design a new look and feel for the Education section which appealed in a more fun, open way to teachers and students of all ages to entertain and inform about energy. Unfortunately, my project was not finished by the end of the summer and still has not been finished today, but at the end of the summer (and in light of Amanda's pending departure) I had the pleasure of training one of my coworkers in the software I used, as well as presenting my plans to my coworkers, so that they could be carried out after my return to school.
Swift Energy - In the summer of 2006, I worked as a summer hire in Swift's Records department. I am proud to say that I was well received there, and even asked to return the next year. I inventoried hundreds of unshelved and unlabeled records and to typed up two new Excel inventory spreadsheets for them. I also taught my coworkers a few new tricks in navigating those spreadsheets to speed up the process of finding and checking out records, which they were more than happy to use.
Web Design - One of my favorite pastimes is in the simple pleasure of designing a web page. At the age of ten I began teaching myself to read and write HTML, and have since made a habit of creating or restructuring one web page every three weeks. It wasn't until I began to build up a list of requests from my close friends that I had the idea to make a few spare pennies from it. For three years, I worked independently at creating and maintaining web sites for a small fee, which worked out well. Although I do not currently have the time to continue my small business, it is certainly something I would look into reopening in the future.
Girl Scout Camp Councilor - For two summers I worked as a camp councilor at Misty Meadows, a local Girl Scout camp which specializes in horseback riding. There I learned varying levels of leadership and responsibility, working with both my two- and four-legged children. It was a valuable and enjoyable experience.