Oil trading has that reputation. Sometimes you negotiate contracts in places where business norms, political environments, and expectations are very different. The work can feel intense, unpredictable, and occasionally confrontational.<\/p>\n
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But \u201ctoughness\u201d in trading looks very different from the clich\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Because the truth is: markets will knock down everyone<\/em>.<\/p>\n Even when your analysis is solid, you can lose money. You can be right and still be forced out of a position. The key isn\u2019t bravado; it\u2019s the ability to reset, learn, and get back into the ring. A kind of emotional agility.<\/p>\n Rocky Balboa with spreadsheets.<\/p>\n As the student told me about some of the challenges she\u2019d overcome in her life, it was apparent she had exactly the resilience the job required. Gender has nothing to do with it. Resilience is universal.<\/p>\n After our conversation, I found myself reflecting on my own assumptions.<\/p>\n Interviewers make life-changing decisions based on ten-minute conversations \u2014 and our brains love shortcuts.<\/p>\n But here\u2019s what I\u2019ve learned after decades in markets:<\/p>\n 1. You can be both tough and kind.<\/strong><\/p>\n Some of the best traders I know are empathetic, generous mentors. They\u2019re steady under pressure, not loud.<\/p>\n 2. Physical trading isn\u2019t about confrontation.<\/strong><\/p>\n The best trades are built on collaboration, transparency, and long-term relationships \u2014 not \u201cwinning\u201d at someone else\u2019s expense.<\/p>\n When I traded derivatives, I never tried to \u201cbeat\u201d the market. I treated it like a conversation partner. When I moved into physical trading, I realised some people thrive in high-pressure negotiations \u2014 and some don\u2019t. I eventually found my place as a broker, where analysis and relationships mattered more than brinkmanship.<\/p>\n And let\u2019s be honest: trading isn\u2019t the only job that demands toughness. Teachers, doctors, founders, artists, engineers \u2014 everyone gets knocked down. Everyone has to get up again.<\/p>\n So yes, you need resilience to trade. But resilience isn\u2019t aggression. It isn\u2019t volume. It isn\u2019t swagger.<\/p>\n At the recent Commodities Show in Geneva, I asked a friend \u2014 one of the best traders I know \u2014 whether toughness is essential. He paused for a long time.<\/p>\n Then he smiled and said, \u201cYou need to be as hard as nails.\u201d<\/p>\n Maybe. Or maybe there\u2019s more than one way to be tough.<\/p>\n What do you think?<\/p>\n \u00a9 Commodity Conversations\u00ae 2025<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A master\u2019s student recently asked me for advice. She had applied for a trading position at a major oil-trading firm but had been turned down. She was sharp, articulate, and clearly passionate about markets. If I still ran my company, I would have hired her immediately. So why didn\u2019t they? My guess \u2014 and it … <\/p>\n