Is Physical commodity trading a desk job or do traders still travel a lot?
Hi I am interested in starting my career in the physical commodity trading sector however I am wondering what the nature of the work is like. At firms like Trafigura/Vitol/Cargill/Bunge/Glencore, will the job be done behind a computer or is it partly a relationship business. I am very curious.
Mostly a desk job at my firm. <5% travel
is this the case only because you're more a junior trader -- what about as you become more senior?
This is what I have seen across all levels in crude
In my experience, it depends a lot on the product and market.
Lease trading from random producers in a podunk town? Probably a lot of travel, drinking, golfing, etc.
Whereas a lot of other trading jobs have much less travel.
I would qualify as well that lunches, drinks, and golf (all within town) I did not count as travel
Interesting. I guess that stuff isn't travel, but it also isn't desk work as OP alluded to.
As a ballpark, I would say the experienced traders at my place are at the desk 40 - 50 % of the time.
Going out for coffee, drink, golf meetings with counterparts is a surprisingly large part of the gig.
Depends on the town and the industry.
Houston traders going to the Calgary Stampede? Likely.
In Houston going for drinks/golf/dinner/ game? Likely.
Power trader going to the PJM conference? Likely.
Senior power/gas trader going to Doniphan, NE? Not unless there is a $10 million P&L opportunity.
Pretty rare in US natty at least in my experience/on my desk for trading. Originators on the other hand do get out much more. LDC/Rodeo/golf/drinks of course but this is like once in a while type things. Flying around to get deals done on the regular not so much especially post Covid, just easier over ICE.
I am out a lot during week in town and travel 1-3 times a month
Covid has changed all that at least for now but a lot of going to visit industrial consumers at their plants and taking them out for lunch/dinner, conferences, golf...
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