Rejected at Trafigura final stage — how can I improve my chances next cycle?
I was rejected at the final stage of the Trafigura Graduate Program back in March. The rejection came after HR mentioned that the final assessment had been scheduled, but they had already reached full capacity. They added that if a place became available, I would be given first priority, but unfortunately, nothing opened up.
While the outcome was disappointing, I've since used the time to strengthen my knowledge and prepare for the next application cycle. Some of the areas I've focused on include:
- The oil & gas value chain (upstream exploration, production, transportation, storage, SPAs, etc.)
- Refining economics (outputs from a CDU, blending, refining margin calculations, product flows)
- Power markets, particularly gas–power interdependencies
- Energy trading (to understand risk management and hedging)
- Shipping and commodities operations course by Damien (Through a friend)
- Currently reading The Physical Trade by Samuel Basi
Some of the resources I've worked through include Commodities Demystified, The Economics of Commodity Trading Firms, Prepayment Demystified, and FERC's Energy Primer.
I'd be grateful to hear from anyone who made it into the program, as well as industry professionals who have experience hiring, mentoring, or working with graduate talent in commodities.
What do successful candidates typically do differently? Are there specific skills, experiences, commercial awareness, or technical areas that materially improve someone's chances?
My profile: Male, non-EU citizen based in France. Bachelor's degree in Engineering and recently completed my Master's in Energy Economics from IFP School.