Sales Career Spotlight: Is Commodity Trading Right for You?

While many college students graduate knowing they’re looking for a career in sales, it’s not always as easy to know what type of sales jobs to look for. In today’s blog, the experts at AIFP discuss what type of person thrives in a commodity trading role.

You Studied Business, Finance, Economics in College

Many of our steel and lumber traders at AIFP graduated with a Business, Economics, or Finance degree. While this type of academic background is by no means necessary, it does give you a solid foundation of knowledge and skills to bring to a commodity trading career.

That said, just because you didn’t study one of those majors in college doesn’t mean you should rule yourself out. This is especially true for people looking for a steel or lumber trading career at AIFP, as we’ve developed an intensive paid trader training program that helps you build and develop the sales skills you need to succeed as a trader.

You Have Experience in the Building Materials Industry

If you’re trading a commodity like lumber or steel, having experience at any level in the building materials industry can be a real perk. Whether it’s working at a mill, working in construction, or even working in logistics and transportation, understanding any element of the industry can be extremely valuable in your trading career.

You Love a Challenge

As a commodity trader, every single day is different. That’s why people who love a challenge tend to thrive so much in this type of sales career. The market is always changing, which means that traders must stay up-to-date on changing prices, supply and demand shifts, and developing construction and manufacturing trends. While this fluidity can be challenging for some, the best commodity traders tend to thrive on the energy of the trading floor.

You’re Good at Building Relationships

In this industry, it’s all about who you know and what relationships you’ve built. Whether it’s a mill or steel supplier who needs to offload some product at the end of the year, a home improvement retailer looking to beef up their supply for the summer months, or a commercial builder trying to make sure their big construction project stays on track, commodity traders must be skilled at cultivating relationships with people on both sides of the transaction.

You’re Resilient

You’d be hard-pressed to find a sales job that doesn’t require resilience, but it’s especially important in commodity trading. While you’re always looking for a “yes,” you often have to wade through a lot of “no’s” before you get there. To succeed, you’ll need to be able to enter your next sales pitch with the same amount of enthusiasm and confidence after a “no” as you would if you had just scored a huge deal.

You Love Finding Solutions

As a commodity trader, you need to be able to solve problems on both sides of the sale in a way that benefits everyone involved. In fact, the suppliers are just as important as the customers, and vice versa. If you’re someone who is good at identifying problems, analyzing them, considering solutions, and then implementing the best one, you’ll likely thrive in the role of trader. This skill is especially useful if you can identify problems before they occur, saving your partners and customers future headaches.

When it comes to unique sales jobs, it doesn’t get much better than commodity trading, especially if you possess the qualities we highlighted in this blog.

Ready to apply for a unique sales job as a steel or lumber trader at one of the best places to work in Portland, Oregon? Send us your resume today! In the meantime, check out our blog where we cover other recruiting topics, including what AIFP traders think you should know about our paid trader training program and soft skills every commodity trader needs to succeed.