- A Nigerian man recently shared the strategies that helped him succeed in an interview with an oil company Shell
- According to the young man, the tactics he used during the interview could also help other applicants succeed in their own interviews
- He posted a detailed account on X explaining his approach, and his strategy attracted attention from readers
A Nigerian man recounted the approach that secured him a job at the oil company Shell following a group interview in November 2011.
He stated that the same method could assist other candidates facing similar recruitment processes.
Photo credit: @MichaelTaiwo/X.
Source: Twitter
Man shares detailed strategy to ace interviews
The detailed account he shared on X attracted interest from readers who sought practical guidance for competitive interviews.
Identified as @MichaelTaiwo on X, the man recalled receiving a phone call an hour after the session ended in which he was offered the position.
He explained that his success stemmed from a clear understanding of how group assessments were structured and what evaluators were truly observing throughout the day.
He emphasised that the environment was less about individual dominance and more about collaborative ability and interpersonal awareness.
He noted that many applicants made the error of attempting to assert themselves excessively during the task.
He observed that such behaviour often included interrupting others or trying to control the discussion, which he believed could undermine a candidate’s standing with the assessors.
At the same time, he cautioned against the opposite approach of remaining silent for the entire duration.
He argued that assessors could only evaluate what they witnessed, and a lack of participation rendered a candidate invisible in the process.
According to him, the key was to strike a balance by contributing meaningfully while also supporting other members of the group.
He advised candidates to select less prominent roles such as timekeeping or note-taking, as these positions allowed a person to keep the team organised without attracting unnecessary risk.
Photo credit: MichaelTaiwo/X.
Source: Twitter
He also suggested encouraging quieter participants to contribute and building constructively on others’ suggestions rather than dismissing them.
The advisor further stressed that the evaluation did not end once the group task was completed.
He maintained that assessors continued to observe behaviour during informal moments such as lunch breaks and conversations in corridors.
The young man believed that professionalism should be maintained from the moment a candidate arrived at the premises until they had left the compound entirely.
He added that preparation had been central to his confidence on the day.
He had thoroughly studied the materials provided by Shell beforehand and had familiarised himself with publicly available information about the company.
He concluded that mindset was the most important element, followed by preparation and then tactics.
Speaking further, he reiterated that a group interview was essentially a test of relationship-building rather than individual achievement.
In his words:
“This is me during my Shell Recruitment Day in November 2011. 1hr after the whole day group interview, I got the phone call I can never forget, “Congratulations, they all loved you. When can you start?” If you have an upcoming group interview where they put a bunch of you together in a room and give you a task to work on together, then sit up. I will tell you my secrets. I don’t need them anymore and it can help you land your dream job. They are what I used during my SRD. I have given the same playbook to many mentees who used them to land their dream jobs in various companies. So, trust me, this works.
“The #1 mistake candidates make is trying to show off. They try to mark their territory. Talking over people. Saying “actually” before someone else even finishes. One guy was even saying, “do you know who I am?” Bros, calm down. Remember, the watchers are watching. You are not impressing anyone with all the gra gra. You are losing the room instead of reading it.
“Of course don’t be the opposite too. Don’t sit through the whole day and say nothing. A closed mouth is a closed destiny. The assessors are scoring what they SEE. If they cannot see you, they cannot score you. Silence is not golden in this game. Silence is invisibility. Speak. Let them hear your thoughts. So what are they actually looking for during the group interview? They are looking for the person who can get the team to deliver WITHOUT making enemies. What the French call je ne sais quoi, that quality where others naturally agree with you. You see the big picture. You move the team gently towards it. You don’t dominate. You don’t disappear. You drive.”
“Remember what I said in the CAR thread Relationship matters more than Capacity and Achievement? A group interview is essentially a day-long Relationship test in disguise. If you understand this one thing alone, you are already ahead of 80% of the room. When I told a fellow interviewee that I got the job, she said, “I’m not surprised, you were moving different that day.” How was I moving “different?” Three things: Mindset, Preparation and Tactics. In that order. Mindset first because if your mindset is wrong, no tactic will save you lol.
“Remember this: It is possible for everyone to be successful in a group interview. Read that again. EVERYONE in that room can pass. (To be fair, the opposite is true: NO ONE in the room can pass too.) So the candidate sitting next to you is not your competition. He is your teammate for the day. Treat him like one. I went into that room with zero negative thoughts toward anyone. I went in with a Till we all win mindset.
“Now prep. I studied the materials Shell sent me like my life depended on it. I actually ended up memorizing most of it. I also read everything publicly available about Shell at the time. By the time I walked in that morning, there was no question about Shell or that day’s process I could not answer. I had rehearsed everything in my mind a thousand times. Every single play looked familiar. The confidence I exuded came from preparation. Now to the main point of this post: TACTICS. There are three. Tactic 1: Pick the job nobody wants. Time-keeper. Note-taker. The person who summarizes at the end. (This last one is my personal favorite.) They are unglamorous. That is exactly why you should pick them. While others are fighting to be “the leader,” to be the presenter, you are the one actually keeping the team moving. In fact, I do your best NOT to be the presenter. It has more risks than benefits.
“Tactic 2: Fight for somebody else. If someone has been quiet for too long, bring them in. “Mariam hasn’t spoken yet — Mariam what do you think?” If someone is talking too much, gently redirect. “I think you’ve shared already, let’s hear from Thompson too.” This one move alone tells the assessor you can lead without ego. Big tick.Tactic 3: Build on people’s ideas. Don’t bulldoze them. “I like what John said about X, and I’d add Y.” I can write a whole book about why this simple line is so darn effective. But just take it from me that this works like magic. USE IT! It’s surprising that less than 10% of candidates do this. Everyone else is too busy waiting for their turn to talk. Don’t be them. You came here to win. I just showed you how.
“Ah, I almost forgot. You are being assessed at lunch too. And in the corridor. Even when assessors tell you “this part is not graded.” Don’t believe that white lie. Everything is graded. How you treated the receptionist. Whether you helped clear a plate. All of it. The game starts the moment you stepped out of your car and into the premises. It ends when you depart the whole compound and are completely out of sight. I’m telling you to wear your game face from entry into the gate till exit. Amateurs think the game is confined to the room, nah, the arena is everywhere inside the company’s walls. The candidates I went into the room with that day attended MIT, Stanford, IIT (India Institute of Technology), University of Cambridge and so on. Yet, I got the call and they didn’t. Looking back, I had an unfair advantage. I knew the game. I played it well. Now, I have shown you the secrets. Go and win.”
Reactions as man shares interview tactics
Nigerians stormed the comments section to react to the post.
Teabisz said:
“You can’t apply this in business or life in general and not win. Mindset: see everyone as a friend not your competitor. Prep: learn what’ll move the needle. Tactic: go for the unattractive, be there for others, and compliment. This exposes your attitude, understanding & care.”
Jupyter said:
“What form of cheat sheet is this MT. A whole life lessons simply read and understood. This is absolutely amazing and I want to say Thank you for your pieces always to progress us.”
Samuel Olayemi added:
“Read through your many threads on career success, I keep wondering how you knew so much and so deep at that young age, considering that it wasn’t the age of AI. Did you have coaches back then?”
See the post below:
Man bags job in Canada
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian man announced securing a job with the Government of Alberta years after moving to Canada.
The Nigerian in the diaspora recalled how he left his home country to study in Canada on a scholarship.
Source: Legit.ng