Where to go from here.

[sxu11]

I posted this in reply to another post but maybe giving it its own thread will help.

Since I finished school last may its been a struggle breaking into the industry. Out of school I had 2 job offers one was at a prop shop which I turned down at the time thinking better offers would come along from more reputable firms, the other was a data entry position for a Bond trading firm - which forced you to sign documents stating you could not have a person trading account. A deal Breaker for me.

I have 6 years of personal trading experience, while I never was able to build a huge nest egg of money to trade on my own - (My trading profits always went to bills). I learned as much as I could about technical and fundamental analysis of markets. I read every relevent book I could find, studied charts endlessly, watched lvl 2 ticks from market open to close.

Then I got the bright Idea to make this a career by going to school. I figured I would get a degree and I could trade with someone else's money! So got a degree in Finance thinking it would open the necessary doors. I WAS WRONG. I am finding out most trading firms want candidates with mathematical degrees, or computer programming degrees.

The trading experience means little.

Now the only jobs being offered to me are in the financial sales/services sector which I absolutely loathe.

I would like to point out getting a degree has put me in the hole by about 20k, I have stayed active in the market swing trading other peoples money, nothing significant and only a few trades here and there when the chart dictates it. I cant make more then 3 round trips or short sell, which limits my activity greatly.

I started a full-time masters program just to delay the repayment of my previous college loans.

Maybe I havent been in front of the right person yet on an interview, I dont know. What I will say is trading is where I want to be, and I am not going to give up till I get there.

Knowing full well I can fall flat on my face when I finally make it.

So what do I do if the goal is to become a trader? Wait it out? Take a job in financial sales? Go back to school and add a mathematics/computer science degree?

Right now I am substitute teaching in grade schools and picking up fill in hours bartending.

I am willing to relocate to just about any where, I am currently in Chicago. And if anyone can help I will PM you my resume.

 

[Raadster]

Don't ever think about going back to uni and getting a computer TRASH degree or a mathematical degree, your finance degree which I'm going to assume is an applied finance degree puts you as the most qualified graduate to become a trader.

The truth of the matter is and as you already know, is that all the theory you learnt in your finance degree will be retaught to trainee traders in about 3 months making all the crap you already know some what useless.

The major advantage that you have is that you already trade, your not a total noob. You want to become a trader and are doing everything in your power to do so from a personal stand point.

What you need to do is show employers that your a self taught enthusiastic trader, who with the proper guidance from said employer can flourish and make them alot of money.

My advice to you is to make your application personal, go to these firms you want to work for and ask to see the manager with your resume in hand. Look straight into their eyes, give them a firm handshake and introduce yourself. Tell them about your experience and then let them know how badly you want to work for them, then ask if it would be possible to sit down and have a chat for a few mins regarding a job.

9/10 employers will be impressed and at the very least remember your name when they look at your application, I would say most employers would happily invite you into their office for a quick chat.

Using this improptu tactic just got you a quick interview, since any meeting with a potential employer is a oppurtunity to sell yourself and a oppurtunity for them to assess you. At the very least you will come across as an enthusiastic and pro active person, which employer doesn't want that?