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Sounds pretty silly to me unless you just really love ops/analyst work. You'll basically be taking at least a >50% haircut, and even that is probably generous given they can pick up someone greener for less. If you could somehow work out an internal transfer that'd probably be your only option honestly. You'd have to really make a case for it and negotiate how that would look with your company from a pay perspective. Can't see how they would be able to justify a 1:1 move and they'd of course have to be ok with losing the productivity you're giving them right now in your current position to go learn something completely new (and replace you). If you go externally then yes get ready for a massive paycut and everyone and their mother grilling you on why, so you better have a pretty compelling story.
I fully agree with eveyrting you've said here. They have talked about doing an internal transfer for me but I feel like the politics of me moving are not in my favor. They would have a difficult time replacing me with my current experience, and I can't imagine a new group would want to match my current comp. In a bit of a pickle if this is the route I want to pursue, which is annoying.
Yeah you'll have to throw the comp match out the window if you're set on making the jump. The unfortunate thing is that even if you yourself say you're ok with this the hiring manager is going to have it hanging around the back of their mind. Or they can just go with someone else who doesn't come with the "baggage". You will just have to have your story worked out on why and reassure/explain to them that it makes sense to bring you on.
I assume your end goal isn't to be in ops or an analyst for your new career but more of a stepping stone to a trading role? (sorry this wasn't explicitly mentioned in your post but seems insinuated?) If so ops and analyst positions are the bread and butter to do so but it is by no means even a guarantee. Is your reasoning for wanting to move careers because you think traders will get paid more or do you feel the work is more stimulating or prestigious or more direct impact on the PnL etc.? You need to figure out your "why" for moving to essentially an entry level role and if it's purely just to "break-in" and as a stepping stone you may have a harder time convincing a hiring manager to even give you a shot in ops or as an analyst if they feel you're just using it as a place holder. Not to try and discourage you as i'm sure you can find a shop that will take you but you need to be ok with the cost of doing so and so do they.
Curious to if you'd be open to chatting with me over phone / privately? You are correct - I would ideally want to move into a trading seat.
A firm was speaking with me in Europe but they for some reason 1) couldn’t get over the fact that I’ve never lived in Europe and 2) couldn’t code.
I’m working on python right now but it’s hard to learn python, do my job, and keep up to speed on what’s going on in the commodities markets.
Terrible move, do not do this. If the end goal is a trading seat, I would shoot for the TDP directly or a commercial role, going thru scheduling is just not a good way of going about doing this. Be patient and network/keep your eyes peeled for opportunities internally/at competitors. It's the tightest labor market prob since pre-gfc for junior commodities trading seats...everyone is moving around and getting comp boosts, entire teams being built out and expanding, you do not need to cut comp by >50% and go back to level 1 to get to a trading seat w/ ur background.
Your opportunity cost going to scheduling is way too high... you have presumably been learning about energy markets and developing commercial/analytical skills as a structurer (def need to learn to code, shocked you can't code as a structurer...but separate issue).
But in general, would you say scheduling is a role one should pursue if they're trying to break into the phys trading side? (say for an oil and gas company for example) or are there better entry level roles that you're aware of?
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