The commodity market is located in the bustling city of Sao Paulo.
With a rapidly growing economy, an increasingly sophisticated financial system and vast natural wealth, Brazil has recently attracted attention from economists, investors and job-seekers. The commodity market is especially attractive in Brazil, a nation with large reserves of vital oil resources and close trade relationships with the largest economies in Latin America. Jobs in Brazil as a commodity trader are extremely competitive, with the leading global trading and brokerage houses all participating in the BM&F Bovespa, the combined mercantile exchange and stock market in Sao Paulo. The right candidate can secure a position by using proper strategy and applying with the right company.
Instructions
1. Identify brokerage houses in the exchange where you want to seek employment. All brokers authorized to trade in the BM&F Bovespa are listed on the exchange's website. If you're applying from outside of Brazil, consider applying to international operations, such as Citigroup or Deutsche Bank, to facilitate interviews and find a position on the floor in Sao Paulo. The exchange has offices in New York, Shanghai and London that might provide information about the involved brokers.
2. Prepare a resume and cover letter specifically for a position as a commodity trader in Brazil and distribute it to the relevant brokerage houses. You should search the employment pages of your favored brokerage houses for openings in Brazil and apply directly for those positions.
3. Follow up with all the houses where you sent a resume, if you don't hear back within a week. Once you hear back, prepare for and attend any necessary interviews.
4. Complete all necessary legal paperwork. Once you are offered a position, your firm should help you obtain a work permit and residency in Brazil. For certain sectors, you may also need to complete specific legal registrations. In crude oil commodity trading, for instance, you need to register with the state-owned oil company, PetroBras, as an authorized trader.
If you are not offered a position and are interested in becoming an independent commodity trader, you will need to fill out paperwork independently, but the process can be more time consuming. Begin by applying for legal residency in the country and then proceed to register for tax information and a working permit. Depending on your country of citizenship, this process may require proof of considerable financial assets, but nationals from certain countries, such as South American nations in the Mercosur, are offered faster paths to residency.
5. Complete the necessary examinations for a commodity trader or certify your results from a compatible test. If you've taken and passed commodity trader certification tests, such as the Series 3 test offered by the National Futures Association (NFA) in the U.S., you should submit recent results and register locally. You must repeat the necessary background check with Brazilian authorities, providing criminal and residency records. If you don't have compatible test results, you'll have to take the Brazilian certification exam, offered only in Portuguese.
6. Register with the exchange as a licensed commodity trader and begin trading. If you aren't working for a firm, you must have investors or commodity providers as partners.
