Energy trading - Graduate gig at BB

Hello team,

I've got a graduate gig at several BB ib's and a large utility. I am very interested in the utility as I firmly believe energy trading is the future.

The problems I have is being offered ~80k at the BB's and ~45k at utility. Also the two year graduate program for the utility, meaning I would not be considered for bonus or be an actual trader until 2015 (if I start 2013). And the utility is based in the middle of nowhere and not a trading hub, ie NY, Houston etc... (The ultility trades oil, gas, coal, freight, pretty much everything)

My question is where would you go, and how tangible it is to move to a trading house (glencore, vitol etc..) from a utility?

Kind regards, and a merry xmas to all

Curtis

12 Comments
 

I have an offer to as a trainee energy trader with a utility. What do you mean by when you say that not many utility traders are going to Vitol/Glencore. do you mean they wouldn't wont to or wouldn't be able to? I hoping to move to a company like Vitol/Glencore after a few years.

 

Take the BB and worry about kicking ass/making your PnL first. Everyone wants to go to Vitol/Glencore/Trafigura but focus on point A not point Z

 

Blender, can you share what a typical path to vitol/glencore/traf trading would be like? I feel like I've heard that their programs for new grads don't lead to trading there and obviously the bp/shell route would only help for oil products.

 

There really isn't a typical path and if there was, it would be something along the lines of be a great trader at whatever shop you are at with a huge PnL and have a recruiter call you when an opening pops up. I think there is a lot of mystique or prestige chasing on this forum about these physical commodity shops; sure they pay can be great IF you can perform.

 

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