Sales and Trading

The sales and trading department of any investment bank can appear to be a high-stress environment of people dressed in suits, yelling bids, and staring at computer monitors with huge screens flashing vast quantities of data. At times, things can be calmer, but the instant the market shows a downturn, the usual environment takes hold once more. However, this chaotic working life does not last indefinitely, and traders and salespeople work much more reasonable hours than research analysts, rarely coming to their offices during the weekends or staying late in the evening.

Needless to say, the latest financial global crisis and the global recession it has provoked have had a negative impact on the sales and trading industry. Lots of jobs have been lost, and the volume of stock sold and traded has declined dramatically. Investors are less confident on stock options due to their high volatility, and prefer investing in precious metals such as gold, silver or platinum.

However, it is still possible to develop a successful career in sales and trading. Many companies of this niche offer rotational entry positions to recent graduates or advanced students that are interested in gaining their first professional experience in the sector. Sales and trading are highly dependent on each other although the relationship between them can sometimes be unstable.

Traders try to sell at the highest possible price, and buy at the lowest. On the other hand, sales people wish the opposite to occur so that they appear competitive before the eyes of a client. In order to be a salesperson you will need to have outstanding communication skills, and an outgoing personality.

Traders are usually considered to be tougher and smarter. Needless to say, you will also need to be able to cope efficiently with highly stressful environments, and be able to make decisions involving millions of dollars in only a few minutes or even seconds. If you have a strong will, and an inability to let your nerves get the better of you, then sales and trading may well be the area for you to pursue a career. Many people interested in working in the sales and trading department wonder if pursuing an MBA will really get them where they want to be.

Unlike other professional fields, there are no right or wrong answers, as much depends on each sales and trading organization in particular. Within some organizations, MBA degrees are highly appreciated, as they are a guaranteed way towards earning a promotion, a better salary or being offered the trading desk we are interested in.

In others, post-graduate courses are not valuable at all, and they may even hinder your progress if nobody in the organization has acquired an MBA and thus additional expertise.

Being a sales and trading associate can be very exciting from a professional point of view, and it is often a well-paid position. You will receive your monthly wage and a yearly bonus according to your performance. Promotions usually imply receiving a better salary.