Just Graduated and need some career advice.

[JHUNTER]

Hi,

I am 24years old and I have just graduated from a top ranking University with a MERIT / 2.1 in (MSc) International Management. Before that I was doing an undergraduate degree in (BA) Business Management with Ecommerce and got a 2.2.

Since an early age I have always wanted to become a broker / trader for obvious reasons. However I find myself at a disadvantage when compared to other graduates due to the wealth of things that perhaps I should know before entering this profession. I only have basic fundamental knowledge of the financial markets and no experience in trading what so ever . I did not take A-Level mathematics although I'm good at statistics and a fast learner.

My work experience comes mostly in the field of sales. I would like to join a firm as a trainee trader and enrol on a CFA program ! Yet there’s a whole variety of trader roles out there – how can I decide which one is most suitable for me?

 

[Adamus]

broking and trading are totally different! although you could try doing both at the same time. your choice should be based on what's going to give you the most satisfying career, in your own terms. broking is all about getting good deals, fast deals, big deals, getting customers, whatever actually I don't know much more than that but I guess it's strictly corporate.

being a trader means taking a punt on something happening in the markets that you can make money on - and it could be just with your own money or it could be with a banks money or with a hedge fund. It's all about learning to read the markets.

nick leason was a broker who ended up being a trader

so what do you want your career to be? you want to take big risks or earn big money or both or neither or is it just the buzz you want?

search the archives here. you're not the first to ask this question and there are loads of useful answers in there.

 

[spreader_legger]

Nick Leason was a back room office grunt (compliance officer) not a broker. His knowledge of backroom procedures enabled him to perpetuate his fraud without detection.

Your knowledge of sales would lead me to suggest broking as opposed to trading (path of least resistance and all that) & you can always trade your own account in your spare time. I presume that it would be hard to get a trainee trading job in a IB let alone a hedge fund unless ofcourse your daddy is George Soros. ( P.S. In his days it was easier to land yourself a trading role even though in his own words he had several false starts to begin with)

By the way, if there are any trainee graduate roles on offer in IB I would also be interested!! However given my age and experience I doubt there would be any takers. For some reason I heard that IB's hate original thinkers & they're also in the process of unwinding their prop desks.

broking and trading are totally different! although you could try doing both at the same time. your choice should be based on what's going to give you the most satisfying career, in your own terms. broking is all about getting good deals, fast deals, big deals, getting customers, whatever actually I don't know much more than that but I guess it's strictly corporate.

being a trader means taking a punt on something happening in the markets that you can make money on - and it could be just with your own money or it could be with a banks money or with a hedge fund. It's all about learning to read the markets.

nick leason was a broker who ended up being a trader

so what do you want your career to be? you want to take big risks or earn big money or both or neither or is it just the buzz you want?

search the archives here. you're not the first to ask this question and there are loads of useful answers in there.

 

[Adamus]

Nick Leason was a back room office grunt (compliance officer) not a broker. His knowledge of backroom procedures enabled him to perpetuate his fraud without detection.

Oh, I stand corrected. My knowledge of Nick Leason is based purely on the film Rogue Trader where he takes orders from some rich client on a yacht.

But back to being a broker as a career option - hmm. If you're going to do it in the City these days, I dunno. Not my area.