Quote from Tums:
trading your own money is a definite minus against any corporate possibilities.
They want fresh meat.
They want yes man.
They want to train you to do their thing their way.
They don't want any smart ass remarks.
They don't want any creativity. (see SoGen)
They want you to produce. You don't have to make a lot, just consistency. Consistently little bit is ok.
They don't want you to lose money, not even a little bit.
If you have experience, that's a score against you.
If you "know" the market, that's a score against you.
If you have opinion, that's a score against you.
You are better off dumb when you apply.
They would rather take fresh meat than have to retrain you.