- Clear career path: Start as a junior trader and progress through the ranks to specialist roles such as Country Export Manager.
- Mentoring and training support: Foodcom S.A. offers new traders intensive training and mentor support at every stage of their career.
- Client relationship building: A trader’s success depends on the ability to establish long-term, personal relationships with clients.
- Professional challenges: Overcoming stress, language barriers and negotiating difficulties is part of the job, and the support of the team and practice helps you gain confidence quickly.
The work of a trader at Foodcom S.A. is a demanding, but at the same time challenging and rewarding professional path, offering great opportunities for growth. In order to succeed, trading skills are required, as are openness, determination, and full commitment. We focus on supporting our employees, offering them a clear career path and regular mentoring to help them develop the skills needed in a dynamic trading environment. Both the food and feed industries are known for their resilience in times of crisis such as pandemics, wars and other force majeure situations, making these industries stable and attractive fields for building a long-term career.
Beginning of career – junior trader
New traders begin their adventure in the company in the position of junior trader, where it is important to quickly learn about products and the market. An important aspect is firmness in dealing with clients and the ability to adapt flexibly to changing conditions. A Junior Trader must also quickly identify customer needs, which enables him to effectively offer products and build trust.
At this stage, communicativeness plays an important role. Formal relationships with customers gradually transform into more casual interactions based on trust, paving the way for better sales results. The ability to build personal, authentic relationships becomes the secret to success and an advantage in long-term cooperation.
Implementation process and mentoring
The implementation process for new traders at Foodcom S.A. is based on the support of mentorship and regular training. New employees can count on intensive training provided by the New Business Development department, which teaches them the basics of a trader’s work, techniques for talking to customers, as well as details of the products offered. Mentoring at Foodcom S.A. takes place on an ongoing basis – experienced traders monitor new employees’ conversations and offer them tips on how to negotiate.
Particularly important in daily work is the so-called prime time, the key hours when traders make the most customer calls. During these hours, young traders have the opportunity to learn by doing, and mentors actively support them by advising them on how best to respond to clients’ needs. New employees must complete their first three sales transactions to advance to the next level and gain access to more advanced tasks.
Building relationships with customers
Building long-term relationships with clients is the foundation of a trader’s work. Regular contact and an understanding of the client’s needs help increase the number of trades and facilitate negotiations. The longer and more often a trader works with a client, the easier it is to establish effective cooperation. The important element is not only formal communication, but also the ability to establish more personal contacts, which fosters closer business relationships.
Challenges in a Trader’s Work
The work of a trader, especially at the beginning of a career, comes with many challenges. One of them is the stress of first conversations with clients. In an international environment, an additional challenge can be the language barrier, especially for those who do not feel confident speaking foreign languages. However, systematic practice and support from mentors can quickly overcome these difficulties, and after a few conversations, most traders feel much more confident.
Another challenge is the need to obtain complete information about clients’ needs. It is essential to gather data such as order quantities, delivery dates and manufacturer preferences. Lack of this information can make it difficult to finalize deals, so traders need to be thorough and meticulous in their conversations with customers.
Transition to the “big room”
After completing the first three transactions, the young trader has the opportunity to move to this space, where experienced employees work on larger and more complex transactions. In the “big room” more demanding products and larger volumes are handled, and traders manage sales processes with greater freedom.
This transition demonstrates the acquisition of more experience and responsibility, but it also opens the way to independent work that allows further development within the company’s structures.
Career development path
At Foodcom S.A., the career path is clearly defined and is based on the continuous development of competence. After gaining experience and concluding the first transactions, a trader is promoted to the position of mid-trader. At this stage, traders have more responsibility for clients and projects, and manage more complex transactions.
Then it is possible to be promoted to a senior position, which opens the door to managing a team and mentoring younger colleagues. Experienced traders can also take on specialized positions, such as country export manager, with responsibility for operations in specific markets.
Keys to success – activity and effective communication
The most important tool in a trader’s work is the telephone. Regular calls with clients, quick responses to their needs, and openness to new contacts are essential elements of success. Every conversation with a client is an opportunity to build relationships and finalize transactions. The more calls a trader makes, the greater the chances of success.
Effective team communication is also an important aspect. Traders at Foodcom S.A. work closely together, sharing knowledge and experience, which allows them to better adapt their actions to the requirements of the market and customers.
Do you want to join a team where collaboration and knowledge sharing are key to success? Check out our current vacancies and start your career at Foodcom S.A. today!
