Meet Georgy

How did you find out about the Glencore Industrial Placement Programme?

After reading about Glencore, I thought that this would be a great place to work. I looked and saw that they had a placement programme and applied.

Why did you apply to the programme?

I applied to the programme because I was curious about trading and how the world functions on a fundamental level. I wanted to know what it took to become a trader and how it all worked. I thought a place like Glencore would be the perfect environment to learn; and see if this is the right industry for me.

Why should students apply for the Industrial Placement Programme at Glencore?

You should apply to the programme because from day one you are ingrained into your teams; and begin contributing as early as possible. It’s a great opportunity to showcase your skills and determine for yourself if this is the type of environment for you. It would be hard to find a place as willing to teach you, and willing to give you impactful tasks that affect the business’ day-to-day working.

Which Glencore team are you part of and what do they do?

I am part of the Quant team. The Quant team at Glencore works on a variety of projects: from assisting the traders and analysts with their market analysis, to building infrastructure that helps said traders and analysts to make informed decisions about the markets.

What is a typical week like in your role, eg typical activities and responsibilities?

A typical week for me involves working on my projects and assisting analysts with their analysis. It also includes fixing any issues or problems that they might have when either conducting their own analysis or using the in-place infrastructure. Because of this, you learn a huge amount about what each desk does and how they conduct their operations - which in my opinion is super interesting.

What was the induction phase like at Glencore?

The induction phase at Glencore lasts the duration of your first morning. You are given responsibility from day one and are treated like any other member of the team. Although, no one is expecting you to be an expert on all processes and methods. Instead, you’re given tasks to learn and develop your understanding of the role you’re in. The tasks become more complex, the more of them you do.

What training and support is available throughout the programme?

There is training and support available. This includes talks by the traders about their desks, and how they function and a subscription to a platform called Entrima. Additionally, your team will be more than happy to show you how things work and teach you the things that may be missed; from coding to analysis itself.

What new skills have you learned on the programme?

My coding skills have definitely improved, but also my understanding of how a trading house operates and the fundamentals of analysis that go into assisting the traders when making their decisions. A large part of my work has consisted of ‘I’ve learnt this, can I apply it to what I’m doing?’ which is great as you get to put new skills to the test almost immediately.

Describe a project or piece of work you have been involved in.

One project I was involved in consisted of me analysing congestion and mobility data. The other analysts and traders would then use this to implement their own analysis to consider on a larger scale. This was my first time using SQL; was a great way to be introduced to the functions of my team.

How can students best prepare for a placement year at Glencore?

I think the best way to prepare for Glencore is to gain a basic understanding of commodities. You will be taught everything you need to know as you’re developing with your work, but it’d it would be valuable to familiarise yourself with these words beforehand. It is also important to be open minded and friendly. Glencore is so intertwined that you can always ask somebody for help. It is a team-focused placement, so make sure you make an effort with those around you.