Got an offer in risk at Shell at a hub and trying to understand how this path compares to other industries and roles — particularly regarding prestige, mobility, and compensation.
1. Prestige / external perception:
How is Shell perceived in the market compared to careers in IB, Big Tech, MBB, etc., particularly if you’re in a front-office–adjacent or middle-office role (e.g. commercial, risk, analytics) rather than an actual trading seat?
Does the firm’s brand carry weight outside commodities?
2. Front-office proximity (commercial / trading analyst only):
How realistic is it to move from risk into a commercial or trading analyst role at a major like Shell? Is it purely based off whether there’s a vacancy? And if that switch isn’t possible internally, is it generally better to move to a smaller firm or utility to take a trading analyst role there and then move back to a major later, or does that tend to cap progression?
3. Compensation gap vs other industries (non-trading):
For front-office but non-trading roles at Shell, how far off is compensation typically compared to other high-paying industries like IB, Big Tech, or MBB?
If you move from a major like Shell to a trading house in a non-trading role, does that gap meaningfully close, or do those industries still tend to pay more than trading houses for similar seniority?
I’m asking because these are genuine questions. Money matters, but my main concern is avoiding a path that limits future options. This is my first offer, and I’m still exploring other industries, so I’m trying to get a realistic view before deciding