Get an internship or part-time job in an energy brokerage firm while youre in school. This will give you the chance to see firsthand what energy brokers do in their daily work and help you determine if this is a good fit for you. Find useful information about energy products and services by visiting the Web sites of the National Energy Marketers Association, https://www.energymarketers.com, and The Energy Professionals Association, https://www.tepausa.org. Keep up with commercial and industrial energy news and developments and learn more about best practices in the energy management field by reading articles posted on Environment+Energy Leader, https://environmentenergyleader.com/energy. Another way to explore this job is by conducting an information interview with an energy broker. Ask your schools career services office for help in securing a broker who is interested in sharing information about their job.

Energy brokers help clients get the best prices for energy services and products. They are the liaisons between energy producers and energy consumers, and they may specialize in residential or commercial energy. Many energy brokers work for energy brokerage firms and are paid on commissions, which means they are paid when they make sales.

Brokers who work in residential energy negotiate energy contracts for electricity and gas for home owners. They are the intermediaries between local utility providers and home owners, and advise home owners on the best energy services and prices in their area. Commercial energy brokers consult with corporations, government agencies, and other large businesses, providing information about and negotiating contracts for the most cost-efficient and sustainable energy products and services for daily operations. Commercial energy brokers may also work in other energy sectors, such as petroleum, coal, natural gas, ethanol, and renewable energy. Their work entails analyzing the market for energy derivatives and other commodities and sharing this information with clients.

The work day of energy brokers involves phone calls and e-mails with current and prospective clients and energy producers. They conduct research online and are knowledgeable about software programs such as Oracle Siebel, for customer relationship management; Microsoft Visual Basic, for development environment; and SAP, for enterprise resource planning. They also use Microsoft Office and spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel.