you're probably not going to get a job at a prop firm unless you go to one of those bucketshop types with huge turnover that require upfront capital.
not sure why you'd want a job at a prop firm though if you're a discretionary trader. maybe 10-20 years ago that would have been helpful but with current technology and internet services available, it's completely unnecessary.
do you lack capital? work a day job while trading on the side until you become profitable and have enough capital.
don't wanna do that? sure, take a shot at topsteptrader or oneuptrader which will give you capital as long as you can pass their tests. if you don't pass the tests, well good! you would have lost money trading your own money anyway so in a way, you saved yourself some money.
are you seeking mentorship or learning to become a better trader? welcome to one of the greatest equalizers of the 21st century: the internet! quality mentorship in real life in this field is already extremely rare and quite often involves a ton of luck/connections in the first place. the good thing is so many teachings about trading are available online, either in forums like this or private chatrooms, etc. almost all trading books can be found on libgen for free. there are just so many resources available to you in today's world that can help you grow as a trader right inside your computer.
commissions are cheaper than ever. trading platforms are more sophisticated than ever. spreads are tighter than ever due to algos and market makers. honestly, this is the best time in modern history to be a retail trader. i'd just embrace it if i were you.
people keep blabbering on about how the quants and their algos are creating an uneven playing field. it's total bullshit. you have to realize quant trading firms compete with OTHER quant trading firms due to the strats they use. most of them are employing similar strategies chasing after the same inefficiences which is why alpha in the quant trading world has dramatically reduced, esp when inefficiences lack scale. just look at how quant funds have been getting killed left and right the past year. you'd think a fund filled with the best mathematicians, computer scientists, statisticians, physicists, etc. would obviously beat those uncouth, discretionary trading liberal arts majoring scum. it's almost a disgrace that they aren't all outright outperforming discretionary oriented funds by a solid 30-40% across the board given they're all geniuses from the very best schools but that's the reality of it.
just keep working on your trading skills in the mean time. the great thing about trading is it's probably the only profession in the world where your income can be compounded minute by minute. it's really fucking easy to run up your account balance when you get good at this, more than whatever you'll be earning as a trader at Akuna, DRW, DV Trading, etc.
honestly i don't get why people here have such a hard on for firms like Akuna or DRW. They'll hire talented quants for around 300k-500k only to milk their strategies for TENS of millions of dollars. then when those quants are upset with how much they're getting fucked in the ass and attempt to leave, these firms will pursue all legal avenues possible to make their lives miserable for their 'betrayal.' you ain't gonna be earning millions working at these prop firms and if you were the type of person just trying to earn a few 100k dollars a year, then wtf are you doing trading? For just a few 100 g's, I'd be working as an engineer, lawyer, or doctor being a productive member of society. Eventually any trader who wants to earn real money is going to have to go out on his own. That's the end game in this profession. So don't worry about prop firms not hiring you. If you are to ever make it big in this game, you're gonna have to work for yourself anyway, just like any other retail trader.
