I want to thank everyone for taking the time to offer your advice and opinions. I just took the time to carefully read all of them. It's one thing to consider a career change like this but as some of you have stated the end result can be a lot different than what I'm expecting. It's invaluable to have your insight on the reality of the finance business and what I may be getting myself into. I'm 38 and still feel like a 20 year old, it's hard to think that by the time I re-educate I may be considered too old for some roles. I get it. I paid my dues in aviation and like anyone that knows the business I've struggled for a long time, flying 2 million dollar aircraft at minimum wage. Camping at times to save the company money. Been broke during most of it. On the flip side I've had the privilege to experience amazing adventures all over the world and am now a jet captain. So like you in your business I've paid my dues, problem is this doesn't transfer all that well to other fields. Some of it I agree yes.
I have a lot to consider and my head is spinning. But thanks to your advice I'm able to get a better picture of things and with more research I'll be able to consider this better. The gameplan until now has been to save as much as I can and trade! Maybe even go overseas where the real money is for a few years and rack up the trading capital. It's a logical plan. However I'm so much away from home now, constantly in the air that I'm not able to trade at all. And I recently learned that some of my family members are sick. Been away from them for years and with no days off aside from vacation I rarely see them. So the stress levels have spiked and I'm finding myself frustrated and hating this career. I just see no end in sight to these crazy schedules of being away for months and on call 24/7. Trying to keep a level head. So I'm thinking up some backup plans. Crazy thing is all these years of grinding have not racked up that much in savings. So to go ahead with this career change could wipe me out and bring me back to the starting gate. But no debt and no kids. Gotta say the easiest solution still seems to just keep plugging along, save and trade. Will see. Thank you all and happy trading!!!!
FWIW, having worked for large multinational companies in the past, and having dealt with most departments that make up an organisation, I can honestly say that the biggest problem you will face with any job, is, dealing with other people.
Very few people are genuine, and no matter what you might think of someone, there will always be a side that you will know nothing about!
The best decision I ever made was to walk out of a good paying job on the day of my 40th birthday, and I haven't looked back since - apart from a recent foolish episode of drinking, which I am glad to say is now over and done with.
When you are on your own it is an entirely different ball game, and you need to have one solid plan made out to stop you from getting sucked in and wasting years doing nothing of real value.
In hindsight, it is now easy for me, but when I look back, I was the biggest fool in the world, wasting loads of time and money on silly things like trading books, courses and private chat rooms.
You need to be very careful with whom you associate and speak with, as with any profession that we choose, a lot will depend on who we know!
For your information, it is possible to trade for no more than 1.5 hours per day, carry no overnight positions, and make between $500 to $5,000 (or more!) per day, depending on how much cash you have, and how good you are at handling boredom, for that is exactly how it gets after the excitement has died down, much the same as you described bout your pilot career.
The freedom and time off makes up for it though - a small price to pay for a nice quiet and simple life, which you will never get working for someone else.
J_S
. You'll get a feel for who's legit or not over time. A dead give away is if they're trying to sell anything Aka. Shill
