I am in chartering/freight trading field (tankers).
Shipbrokers - need tenacity/relationship/communications skill
Prior maritime knowledge - good to have, but can pick up on job
Broking jobs start with stint on Ops to understand how things work & if good, firm will bump u up to be broker.
No life. Good broker works & entertains hard. To excel, do not think about work life balence, especially when you just start. Clientele base & support is everything.
Education - spans from O levels to degree holders. Know some non grads that are doing extremely well in this line; ie, its a people business and being streetwise helps.
Principles these days (charterers & owners) talk direct nowadays and view broking as a necessary evil. Gone are the days when there is co-broking.
Renumeration - trainee takes rubbish. Experienced people can command as high as USD20K/mth excluding comms/bonus. Professional firm setup. Star brokers pulling in more business usually get a much higher cut/basic.