Please help

Hi,
Many thank in advance...
I will be short. I am going to apply for a trading job at the company I work for.
I have been in the middle office role for nearly 6 years (various products), and have a technical background degree in "Engineering and computer science".
questions
Cover letter should be bullet point so directly to point? (Currently I have written a full page)
What do you think my chance of getting into this role?
If I am selected for an interview, what questions can I expect to be asked since I will be moving from middle office?

Any other feedback and guidance you can give will be greatly appreciated..

IS there a slot available? go and see the head of trading and tell him you want that job...

Impress the guy with your trader spiel and enthusiasm.
Drop words like scalping, trends, stochastics etc. into the conversation.

Hi bluesky212

bluesky212 said:

Cover letter should be bullet point so directly to point? (Currently I have written a full page)..

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Is this a question or a statement of fact?
The purpose of covering letters and CVs is to present the most important facts in the most succinct way. It's a sales pitch: you must impress the reader instantly and make them want to read more (and, hopefully, be impressed more) so that they offer you an interview. That's all you're attempting to do at this stage. In other words, you're not trying to convince them that you're the right person for the job, merely that you must be put on the short list for interview.

bluesky212 said:

What do you think my chance of getting into this role?..

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Impossible for anyone here to say as we don't know you from Adam. Suffice to say, all 'proper' jobs in this industry are hard to come by, competition is fierce and employers won't take punts in the way they did (allegedly) back in the 70s and 80s.

bluesky212 said:

If I am selected for an interview, what questions can I expect to be asked since I will be moving from middle office?..

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I don't know as I'm not an industry professional myself. However, it's reasonable to assume they will ask you anything and everything about the markets, with a strong focus on the ones that the firm specialises in. So, for example, if it's forex, make sure you know the names, views and blood groups of all the head ponchos at the ECB, BoE and IMF etc. Be able to give a running commentary on the major political events that impact the forex market - e.g. the Greek debt crisis and make sure the current prices of all the majors roll off your tongue with ease. That's just the tip of the iceberg - but you get the general idea, hopefully!

bluesky212 said:

. Any other feedback and guidance you can give will be greatly appreciated..

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Check out this FAQ: How Do I get a Job Trading?
Tim.

Bluesky,

Think about the following questions in advance:
Why do you want to take this role?
Are you willing to trade a steady and secure income to a fluctuating one?
How does your personality benefit your trading?
If they find you being very modest, I don´t think they would consider you. A trader needs to be able to take on risk. I have seen a lot of real nice and smart people fail, because they just can´t handle the risk and I´m sure that your head of the trading desk has seen even more. I´ve heard that often your resume is secondary to your personality.

CityTrader said:

IS there a slot available? go and see the head of trading and tell him you want that job...

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already told my trader that I wan to apply

timsk said:

Check out this FAQ: How Do I get a Job Trading?
Tim.

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many thanks for the advise. link you given is excellent

AlexTagr said:

Bluesky,

Think about the following questions in advance:
Why do you want to take this role?
Are you willing to trade a steady and secure income to a fluctuating one?
How does your personality benefit your trading?
If they find you being very modest, I don´t think they would consider you. A trader needs to be able to take on risk. I have seen a lot of real nice and smart people fail, because they just can´t handle the risk and I´m sure that your head of the trading desk has seen even more. I´ve heard that often your resume is secondary to your personality.

Click to expand...

noted!!

Pat494 said:

Impress the guy with your trader spiel and enthusiasm.
Drop words like scalping, trends, stochastics etc. into the conversation.

Click to expand...

if i get the interview yes great way to make good impression

once agagin all who replied many thanks for your feedback.

I am going to apply on Monday, fingres crossed