Lasner -
I'm going to give you some advice that I wish someone would have given me when I was stuck doing stuff on Wall Street that I hated.
First, recognize that 99% of Wall Street supports the 1% (traders) that everyone strives to emulate. If you think that's pathetic (I do), then do this...
Buy your way in - go prop. Put up 10k and get intraday leverage.
I'm assuming you're a young guy, so even if you have a false start, like I did, you can just go back to work to save up your next stake and do it better the second time.
Don't waste your 20s working on the sell-side. Even if you do become a "trader", you'll likely be a Sales Trader, which is basically a bookie. The universe of people who get proprietary trading jobs with Ibanks is so small that it isn't even worth going for unless you are either asian or have a phd in math or engineering from an ivy.
If you love the market and feel like it's a riddle waiting to be deciphered, then go prop and take responsibility for your own destiny and success (or failure).
Trading is about freedom and the unlimited potential for creative self-expression coupled with an objective scoring mechanism (P/L). Working for other people, particularly in finance, offers little in the way of either of those.
I'm going to give you some advice that I wish someone would have given me when I was stuck doing stuff on Wall Street that I hated.
First, recognize that 99% of Wall Street supports the 1% (traders) that everyone strives to emulate. If you think that's pathetic (I do), then do this...
Buy your way in - go prop. Put up 10k and get intraday leverage.
I'm assuming you're a young guy, so even if you have a false start, like I did, you can just go back to work to save up your next stake and do it better the second time.
Don't waste your 20s working on the sell-side. Even if you do become a "trader", you'll likely be a Sales Trader, which is basically a bookie. The universe of people who get proprietary trading jobs with Ibanks is so small that it isn't even worth going for unless you are either asian or have a phd in math or engineering from an ivy.
If you love the market and feel like it's a riddle waiting to be deciphered, then go prop and take responsibility for your own destiny and success (or failure).
Trading is about freedom and the unlimited potential for creative self-expression coupled with an objective scoring mechanism (P/L). Working for other people, particularly in finance, offers little in the way of either of those.
