Do you tell people you're a trader?

I'd have to say that there are a lot of different responses when I say that I daytrade, but the most common verbal response/body language is:

"What do you do for a living ?"

"I day trade" (with a questioning tone)

"What exactly is that ?"

"You trade stocks and make an income from daily profits"

and this is the best part, the most common body language response is :
In the first part of the first second after stating that I make income from daily profits trading stocks you get a kind of interested/excitement look which quickly turns into a 'worried for you/insecure' look in the last part of that first second.

I think the next time I see it I'm going to ask "ok what was that facial expression change that just happened !?!"
 
Quote from mhashe:

I'd tell them I'm a money manager, as of this time I have enough under management. However if I were to take in new money at a future date, they'd be the first to know.
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That is funny, because it is exactly what I do. The response usually is "oh, so what does it take to put some money with you...".

I respond just like you do.
 
Quote from NihabaAshi:

Hi Thunderdog,

Not sure what else it could suggest other than private with the words Private Trader on it.

My tax accountant got one when I first met him, my real estate agent got one when I first met her, the private ski instructor for my toddler got one when I first met her et cetera...

Just useful to hand out when people ask for your phone number and/or email address instead of carrying around a pen and paper.

Also, the other person can write on the back of my card. I tend to not misplace my cards in comparison to misplace piece of paper with something scrible on it.

NihabaAshi
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Hi NihabaAshi,

True enough. I guess I didn't think of all of these possible uses for a card. Point taken. I suppose if I wanted to have a card for sundry purposes, I would probably just have my name and the contact particulars - sort of a personal or "calling" card as opposed to a business card per se. But that's just a matter of choice.
 
Quote from dont:

I left (=fired) my last job two years ago sued the suckers for big tom and actually won.
I worked as a quant/trader for a number of banks for about 8 years. Now I sit and trade from home. My ex-collegues say I have put out to pasture (But my ex-boss hates me). Some of my friends say I gamble.

What amazes me is when I was a "big time" quant/trader working for someone that was cool, now I trade my own money and I am unemployed/loser a gambler etc etc.

I even had a friend(still working at a bank) say to me "you're using your own money?"

Huh maybe he thinks I am a crap trader :D

This thread has bought tears to my eyes generally I tell people I run a hedge fund. Or that I am in property. They love that, until that bubble burst.
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You need a ofifce - to impress people. If you have no job and works from home, everyone thinks you are unemployed (and a loser).
 
Quote from Baruch:

You need a ofifce - to impress people. If you have no job and works from home, everyone thinks you are unemployed (and a loser).
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I trade/research from an office at home...will this suffice?
 
Quote from Baruch:

You need a ofifce - to impress people. If you have no job and works from home, everyone thinks you are unemployed (and a loser).
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So the fact that I work without ever leaving my bed could give the wrong impression? What if I plaster my bedroom with charts? :D
 
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