Meet Tomas

At which university do you study and what subject?

I study mathematics at the University of Reading

Why did you apply to the programme?

I’ve always had a profound interest in finance and particularly the commodity markets. With Glencore being a global leader within commodity trading, it was at the top of my list of companies to apply for.

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

Glencore has a very fast-paced work culture, which is incredibly rewarding in many different ways. Unlike the majority of work placements, at Glencore you are treated as equal to the rest of your colleagues on your team. I was quickly given a high level of responsibility soon after I joined, which pushed me to learn so much about the business and the industry. Students who are motivated and ambitious will thrive and gain a level of experience that can’t be matched anywhere else.

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

I work as a risk manager. The risk team control and maintain exposure and profit and loss (PnL) within our specific books.

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

I run the speculative book for my desk so each day I have to make sure exposure is correct and expected. I calculate PnL and book any trades made by the traders into the system. Part of my job is to try and improve processes on the trading desk.

What was the induction phase like at Glencore?

The induction phase consisted of presentations from HR and the business and meeting the team we were assigned to.

What training and support is available throughout the programme?

We have a consistent open dialogue with human resources (HR) and have a meeting every six weeks to catch up and make sure everything is going smoothly. The opportunity to learn is readily available, with access to training programs for learning about financial instruments, as well as the freedom to improve our knowledge of coding and Excel. I also have weekly meetings with the senior risk manager on my desk to make sure everything is going well and that there are no issues with both work and personal life.

What new skills have you learned on the programme?

During the program I have focused on improving my Excel and Python skills. Before I joined Glencore I had a very mediocre knowledge of Python, so having the opportunity to develop those skills further has really enhanced the quality of my work.

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

In weekly meetings it is my job to provide analysis of movements within different energy markets. To visualise these moves, I built curves that showed the weekly change in prices with the help of another placement student on the data team.

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

My advice is for students to come into the programme with an eagerness to learn. Skills in Excel and programming would be beneficial, as would a basic understanding of the industry, but the majority of these skills will be learnt on the job through training.