IT jobs in trading

[jkyle69]

I am looking to get into trading and was recommended to go in via IT contracting front office roles. I currently work as an IT contract mainly in web technologies (.NET c#/SQL Server/PHP/MySQL) but have no experience of working in the financial dector. It seems impossible to get through via recruitment agents but from someone I spoke with this sector is unpopular due to high pressure and unfavourable working environment but I have checked this out and it doesn't bother me and is more akin to the clients I have been working with in the past anyway. Do you think it would be better if I pitched myself directly at relevant organisations, has anybody here had success doing this and what organisations would people recommend for IT contracting in this sector??? I always thought organisations would be happy for people to do this as they would avoid agency commissions of anywhere between 20-40% but it seems people are getting extremely lazy in the 21st centuary!!!

 

[Robertral]

I am looking to get into trading and was recommended to go in via IT contracting front office roles. I currently work as an IT contract mainly in web technologies (.NET c#/SQL Server/PHP/MySQL) but have no experience of working in the financial dector. It seems impossible to get through via recruitment agents but from someone I spoke with this sector is unpopular due to high pressure and unfavourable working environment but I have checked this out and it doesn't bother me and is more akin to the clients I have been working with in the past anyway. Do you think it would be better if I pitched myself directly at relevant organisations, has anybody here had success doing this and what organisations would people recommend for IT contracting in this sector??? I always thought organisations would be happy for people to do this as they would avoid agency commissions of anywhere between 20-40% but it seems people are getting extremely lazy in the 21st centuary!!!

You could try and get in on the "traders assistant" route as you have the programmign skills, but then again all the deriv traders will have your skills plus more. If you become a developer in the front office then you might get stuck there. How much do you know about trading? Why would they want to hire you instead of an MSc in Fin Maths (maths, trading, programming) over just a programmer? There are routes onto the desk via programmign, such as model validation quant, but then you need to know most of the models inside out (stoch vol etc)...does this help? I can point in the direction ofn a recruitment consultant I know, but the competition is tough.....bset of luck

 

[rog1111]

This may be a start :

http://www.trade2win.com/boards/showthread.php?t=13468

rog1111

I am looking to get into trading and was recommended to go in via IT contracting front office roles. I currently work as an IT contract mainly in web technologies (.NET c#/SQL Server/PHP/MySQL) but have no experience of working in the financial dector. It seems impossible to get through via recruitment agents but from someone I spoke with this sector is unpopular due to high pressure and unfavourable working environment but I have checked this out and it doesn't bother me and is more akin to the clients I have been working with in the past anyway. Do you think it would be better if I pitched myself directly at relevant organisations, has anybody here had success doing this and what organisations would people recommend for IT contracting in this sector??? I always thought organisations would be happy for people to do this as they would avoid agency commissions of anywhere between 20-40% but it seems people are getting extremely lazy in the 21st centuary!!!

 

[rog1111]

...or you could try a newbie trader's day at one of the trading rooms geared up to do them. This way you'll get to sit 1-on-1 with some Pro traders, pick up some advice, and see whether what they do for a living suits you. You'll have to pay for the privelege of course, only fair as you're taking up their earning time, but it should be worth a little expense now rather than much greater potential losses further down the track. PM me if you need some names.

GL
rog1111

 

[sccz97]

I am looking to get into trading and was recommended to go in via IT contracting front office roles. I currently work as an IT contract mainly in web technologies (.NET c#/SQL Server/PHP/MySQL) but have no experience of working in the financial dector. It seems impossible to get through via recruitment agents but from someone I spoke with this sector is unpopular due to high pressure and unfavourable working environment but I have checked this out and it doesn't bother me and is more akin to the clients I have been working with in the past anyway. Do you think it would be better if I pitched myself directly at relevant organisations, has anybody here had success doing this and what organisations would people recommend for IT contracting in this sector??? I always thought organisations would be happy for people to do this as they would avoid agency commissions of anywhere between 20-40% but it seems people are getting extremely lazy in the 21st centuary!!!

all depends on what kinda trading you want to get into. Many prop trading firms and hedge funds have quant developers that go into trading. I work at a hedge fund and we a developer heads the automated trading system we have do stat arb. It's entirly possible but doens't happen often unles you're in the righ place at the right time. Your best bet is to take a year out if you got enoguh cash to support yourself and join a trading arcade like macfutures