Commodities Brokers

To obtain experience, work as a clerk at a brokerage firm.

To be a successful broker, you must possess a combination of research and money management skills. You need to be attentive to detail and have a knack for analyzing data. Strong communication and sales skills are important as well, as brokers make money by convincing people to let them place their trades. An interest in and awareness of the world around you will also be a contributing factor to your success in this field, as commodities are influenced by everything from political decisions and international news to social and fashion trends. You also must be a disciplined hard worker, able to comb through reams of market reports and charts to gain a thorough understanding of a particular commodity and the mechanics of the marketplace. Strong, consistent, and independent judgment is also key.

If you work in a setting where the open outcry format is still used, you must also be emotionally stable to work in such a volatile environment. You need to be persistent, aggressive, and comfortable taking risks and dealing with failure. You also need to be outspoken and assertive and able to yell out prices loudly and energetically on the trading floor and to command attention.