Trainee Trader job?

thinkman

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Hi, wondering if you can help me. I'm a 27 year old graphic designer, based in northern ireland and I've been trading from home (end of day) for about a year now with mixed success. Trading is something that fascinates me and I love watching how markets react etc. I am really keen to pursue a career in trading, learn the ropes, and wondering if you guys would be able to recommend any companies I should apply to to pursue my career in trading? (I'm prepared to move to London)

Any advice from experienced traders would be greatly appreciated?
 
Take any trading job you can get in this climate is my recommendation.

Will probably be VERY different in 12 months.

P.S. Masquerade is a bender!
 
Thanks for your reply arabianights, I'm curious to know why you think it will be very different in 12 months? Also do you work for a firm yourself?
 
I am not a trader, nor have I had much work experience compared to some of the guys here, but I have researched job roles and job markets to a fair degree via reading and talking to people who do it.

My view is you should not just take any trading job. Whether the market is good or bad you should look for value added in any position. So with any job you take, you choose the one which offers you a highest benefit in that period, and obviously this doesnt mean just monetary or if you like the people your working with.

The market is bad and whether (or not) its very different in 12 months time is anyones guess. There are views both for and against but general consensus is that it will get better but the question is by how much. Personally I dont think this should affect your decision too much. A good opportunity is a good opportunity at any time, and vice versa. You just need to understand how committed you are to your goals and put the according amount of effort in, which may be greater at particular economic cycles.

I had some advice from someone which I thought was very good. It was 'Don't think about where you want to be in one year but instead have a goal in 5 years time. There are always factors outside of your control which can go against you in the short term but in the long term you have sufficient influence to achieve those goals.' It was put better than that but that is the gist of it. I would add that you should know what your goals are and not get side-tracked by taking jobs that divert you from your longer term goals, and you should be diciplined in this (although I know many people who disagree with this and have good reasons).

Why not stay put, improve as a trader, gain qualifications, create a network, so that when you find a good opportunity (and you have enough knowledge to know its a good opportunity), you can be the best candidate from amongst the applicants? There are many resources out there. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for your reply arabianights, I'm curious to know why you think it will be very different in 12 months? Also do you work for a firm yourself?

Yup am at a firm itself. And I think it'll be different in 12 months cause industry seems to be increasing again, as a whole, after quite a nasty lull. Will be a rather different industry mind...
 
Hi, Thanks for the feedback guys. I agree with you Dante26 about thinking where I should be in 5 years time, and that I should not just apply for any trading job. I do want to try and build a network and it would be great to hear an insight to any traders jobs on this forum. Arabianights - curious to know what you mean by a 'different industry mind'? ie. good for taking on new employees or not?

Thanks in advance
 
I personally think you should apply for any trading roles and then if you are lucky enough to get an interview, then decide. Interview experience is good and especially in a field which is different to what you are doing now. Then if you are lucky enough to get offered the role, then decide.
I think by limiting the roles you apply for will limit any chance you have.

In the current climate I personally have found it very hard to find something.
 
Can I just ask generally...what are firms like for having a Degree/Master's in a specific field?
I mean say for example you had a Degree in English and then a Master's in Business - would people still consider you? Or is it a one-way street?
 
If you have a passion for trading but you do not have the technical skills (programming, maths), you could also become a sales trader or a broker. My best advice: consider sending prospective applications to sales traders in all the banks in London. Tell them that you want to start a career in finance and that you are offering your services to them. You can find a list of emails in a website called goodbyehr. Get a list of sales traders for instance and see how it goes.
 
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