Interview - Louise

Louise joined Triland in 2023 and is currently completing her programme

I attended the London Institute of Banking & Finance between 2020-2023, where I studied for a BSc in Finance, Investment & Risk and graduated with a 2:1. Whilst I was a full-time Uni student, I also worked part-time in retail which allowed me to gain great work ethic and communication skills – two key strengths to have before starting a career in the commodities market.  I joined Triland in November 2023.

I found out about Triland through a friend who encouraged me to do some research on the firm to see if a career in the commodities market interested me. As soon as I came across the graduate training programme on Triland’s website, I instantly knew that the immersive, hands-on learning experience would be a great starting point to a career in the industry.

The opportunity to rotate around various back-, middle- and front-office functions attracted me to working at Triland. I had come across and applied for various graduate schemes before Triland, of which none of them offered a rotation quite like this one. As somebody who was at the beginning of their career, the opportunity to learn from an entire company of experts is not one to pass up. 

It is important that you are as prepared as possible when you attend an interview at Triland. As someone who had very minimal industry knowledge, I ensured that I did not only research Triland as a company, but I also researched Mitsubishi Corporation, Triland’s parent company, as well as the LME and the metals industry altogether. As a graduate, it is important to show your potential employer the value you could add to the company, whilst you may not have much experience, the best way to do this is to prove that you’re eager and committed to learn by going the extra mile, ensuring that you are well-prepared for a challenging – yet highly stimulating career at Triland.

At the start of the programme, I found it difficult to keep up with the everyday jargon within Triland’s business. It took me a while to get my head around terms such as spot, forward, swaps and even the metal symbols used on the LME as well as the differing lot sizes. However, I overcome this quickly as I decided to do my own research to find answers to my questions whilst also asking my colleagues if I needed further guidance. It is important to remember that there is no such thing as a silly question and the team at Triland are always happy to share their knowledge, however to show initiative and find the answers yourself can be very rewarding.

I am currently studying for the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment exam on UK Financial Regulation. This is a very content heavy qualification which is very useful for any career in financial services. From past experience, I learn best through practice and therefore my approach for this exam has been to complete as many practice questions and mock tests as possible. I have also found ‘Revision Express’ on the CISI website to be very useful for revision as it gives an insight into what the actual exam will look like.

Currently, I am working in the Credit Risk Department. Some of the main responsibilities of the department are to minimise and mitigate the risk of credit default by counterparties, by analysing, assessing, and monitoring counterparty credit risks undertaken by Triland. Whilst on this team, I have undertaken a plethora of tasks such as transfer monitoring, monitoring client risks imposed by the current red sea conflict as well as country risk reporting. I have also completed two client credit papers which I will be presenting at the next ‘Credit Committee’ to senior management. This is just a small snippet of the wide range of tasks that I complete daily on the graduate programme. I also ensure that I am making time to study during each day, even if I can only schedule in 20 minutes a day, revising little and often is important to me to ensure that I am balancing work and study time effectively.

So far, I am most enjoying learning from others around me and hearing their experiences in the commodities market throughout their careers. At Triland, there is an ocean of experience and expertise across the departments, which enables me, as a graduate trainee, to hear and learn all about what a career in the many different avenues might look like. In addition to this, I am enjoying the challenge of learning in the face-paced, highly-stimulating environment. Whilst I am still learning, the programme has given me the great opportunity to add value to the company whilst being taught new things on a daily basis. This helps me bring everything that I’ve learned to life and is also a great way to track my progression throughout the programme as my knowledge expands.

My biggest take-away so far is to never be afraid to ask questions. If you don’t understand something it is much better to ask for help than to struggle in silence. Afterall, everybody at Triland is always happy to help and it’s only a silly question if you repeatedly ask and don’t learn from your mistakes.

I believe that this is just the beginning of my career with Triland and I hope that, after my department rotations, I feel confident within a particular team in which I will prosper and use my pool of knowledge to excel.

If you are thinking of applying to Triland, the best advice that I can give is to do it. The application process can be lengthy since it is very thorough and so it’s better to apply as soon as possible and begin your journey now. However, always make sure you come prepared, undertake extensive research to understand the company and think about what you can offer to the business. Competition is high for graduate positions, so always ensure you are focused on what makes you stand out from other applicants.