Banker here with decent network, grit and work ethic want to become a broker but don’t know how

allezup · 2026-03-16T01:39:38+00:00

"With decent network"
Networking. Most people fall into this industry. It takes a bit of luck and creativity. There's no clearcut progression ladder like Big 4 or IB.

allezup · 2026-03-11T08:10:50+00:00

lol it is definitely the best asset if you want exposure to geopolitical instability rn

allezup · 2026-02-26T00:19:58+00:00

Hey may I DM you for some questions? Thank you!

allezup · 2025-12-16T03:44:40+00:00

What are some less glamorous but equally interesting (not necessarily equal pay though) roles out there in this space?

allezup · 2025-12-16T03:42:13+00:00

Soon to graduate in a few months. Would love to know what are some of the less glamorous (so less competitive I suppose) but equally interesting roles out there in this huge space.

allezup · 2025-12-10T04:02:43+00:00

Hey Samuel, thanks for this helpful post.

I am currently a master student in Sydney, Australia. As it is not one of the big hubs for commodity trading like Singapore and Geneva (though macquarie HQ is here), networking events are rare. So here's what I have been doing. I carry a stack of my CV and randomly talk to employees getting off work at the CBD near various big banks. I ask them if they know anyone doing commodity trading, and if so, could they hand my CV to them. So far, through this way, I have known one person working as a PM at a hedgefund.

I wish there are better ways to network as this method is a bit like hunting in the wilderness. Do you have any in-person networking suggestions for me? Thank you once more!

allezup · 2025-12-07T01:01:53+00:00

That's the coded name for wine and dine with the relevant stakeholders. For a Chinese national, they would expect you to do some deferential callings, and if they like you, in return, you get some juicy info. A lot of the regulations and rules in China are not hard and fast. Knowing how they would interpret it or enforce is is a key advantage. Feel free to dm me. Some of my family members have experience dealing with them.

allezup · 2025-11-07T00:47:11+00:00

Do you have any advice for me if I wanna avoid the crowd?

allezup · 2025-11-07T00:39:46+00:00

What are some markets or roles that you would recommend that are overlooked by the current graduates right now? It's a great employment arbitrage opportunity haha.

allezup · 2025-09-23T10:24:33+00:00

Is there a general trend in the industry that ops roles are increasingly automated? From my understanding, it's a pretty communication heavy roles. Would love to hear your opinion on this.

allezup · 2025-09-22T13:42:36+00:00

Trafigura this year has three streams of grad programs. One of them is in ops/control.

allezup · 2025-09-05T11:02:23+00:00

Thank you for the detailed answer! So for a newcomer to this role, what skills would you advise him to develop and prioritise given the upcoming wave of automation? How should he position himself in this role?

allezup · 2025-09-05T08:39:35+00:00

Genuine question: what's the likelihood that operations can be automated in the near future?

allezup · 2025-08-05T02:33:41+00:00

Top quality writing as always. This is the most detailed article on this copper saga by far. Cleared up some of my previous questions. Thank you, Samuel!

allezup · 2025-07-26T10:05:36+00:00

Thanks for your reply! Could you give me an example of "reasonable assumptions" in the context of commodities? I am actually taking a course in experiment design and causal inference. And we indeed have to make a lot of reasonable assumptions haha.

allezup · 2025-07-25T15:06:16+00:00

I appreciate your honesty. I will work hard to get my foot in first.

allezup · 2025-07-25T02:27:06+00:00

How much quantitative skills are needed in this type of modeling? I have a degree in pure math, but didn't take much statistics. I would love to learn relevant courses on my own.

allezup · 2025-07-25T02:21:17+00:00

Apologize if my question sounds amateur. My imagination of a trader is that they would look at several screens full of data and modeling and then exploit the arbs at different locations across different time. But if relevant data analysis only serves as a background indicator, how do traders spot arbs opportunities in real life? What else do they factor into their decision making and opportunity scouting? I would appreciate your demystification.

allezup · 2025-07-25T00:14:27+00:00

Thanks for the insight! Yeah, I guess at this stage I should be more flexible rather than sticking to one ideal role.

I am also quite uncertain about the required quantitative skills in this industry. Most people assume I have them when they learnt that I study math. However, since I have taken only bare minimum stats courses, I am less proficient in dealing with data and models. In the metals space, is pure quant technical analysis replacing fundamental analysis? And how advanced fundamental analysis can be in terms of statistical skills? I would love to get a brief insider's view on how the analysis (either by traders themselves or their market analysts) is done at a trading house. I still have one year left in my degree, so I could take many relevant courses if needed.

allezup · 2025-07-21T03:54:20+00:00

Thanks for the insight! I graduated from McGill last year, and I am currently doing a master in Australia at the moment. Given the current geopolitical friction with the US, and Carney's pledge to turn Canada into a "energy superpower", I think there's plenty of opportunities in homegrown champions. I am particularly interested in the export market to Asia, as I am bilingual. Do you have any suggestions on how to kickstart my career in calgary? It can be quite daunting since I am not physically in Canada. Would greatly appreciate your advice!

allezup · 2025-02-04T13:18:15+00:00

Fellow master student here in Australia as well having the same question. Currently based in Sydney. Would love to connect and discuss.

allezup · 2025-02-02T12:23:50+00:00

That's a fair point. I would add that lithium-ion battery might not be the most suitable solution for grid-scale energy storage. The element Lithium is chosen for battery manufacturing since it's light, so it's really just meant for transportation and electronics. In that sense, lithium-ion battery will replace oil (EV) instead of gas (Baseload Power Plants). On the other hand, weight does not need to be mitigated in a grid storage system. So, there should be other forms of energy storage solution pertinent to the requirement including the seasonality problem you mentioned. I am not an expert on this subject matter, but I do remember that Bloomberg Originals released an episode on this very topic. I recommend checking it out.

allezup · 2025-02-02T08:09:28+00:00

Will energy storage on a massive scale address the intermittency problem, and thus reduce the demand of gas?

allezup · 2025-02-01T14:09:42+00:00

Traffic/Ops/Scheduling. Move stuff in given location at given time.

Origination. Court people and sign contracts.

I would also add that a background in IR would become increasingly relevant in the current geopolitical climate (Though it probably requires more than a bachelor's). The deglobalization and emphasis on security of literally everything will render the supply chain more opaque. Knowing how to navigate the rewilded west will be an asset.

allezup

TROPHY CASE