Altucher's advice on how to find a mentor is spot on. Check the link and do it if anyone is serious about real mentors.
Those particular mentors scrutinize the student background and qualifications (that includes security check...don't want to work with someone that once been arrested for trading violations) to ensure they are even suitable to be a trader.
My best friend kid attends a top university that recently built a multi million dollar trading room for business/finance/economic students. One of the sponsors of that trading room was looking for a few students as interns.
They checked grades, students were tested, security background check was done and so on. If someone made it into the internship...no pay but hands on learning with the firm head trader that could eventually lead into a job or pretty info on a resume when applying for a job elsewhere or going out on your own as a private trader.
If attending one of the almost hundred listed universities that offer trading rooms and mentoring isn't possible...
Reputable prop firm is an option as marketsurfer suggested but not all prop firms offer actual mentoring. Simply, gotta be careful there too about actual mentoring considering the trader at his desk next to you isn't going to waste his time teaching you because he's trying to make a living too without any interruptions.
Simply, if the goal is to trade for a living...you can't be cheap about it via Elitetrader.com simple text message board.
it is true what you say about neiderhoffer. however, you will never have as much fun as neiderhoffer has had while blowing up his accounts . this man knows how to have a good time and people around him don't care about their losses that he has created for them. investing with him is like being a partner in an restaurant or in a theatre production. it is just for bragging rights with your acquaintances.
The thread starter posted a very interesting question.... but through that question..... the replies that followed have already provided everything there is to know, so let me interpret.
I don't see anything wrong with a mentor, however, there's great value in getting more than one person's perspective on certain things, and that's where a forum like this comes in. You can get many sources of input on a variety of subjects and then you mix and mash that up into your own personal belief system with the ultimate goal of all, which is forging your own way into profitability.
When it comes to forum participation, the problem as I see it, is not with the members who post the replies. The problem is with the members who post the questions.
I see a lot of lazy, poorly structured questions being submitted and it's on those questions that replying members usually post very biting or sarcastic replies, and rightly so. Basically what they are communicating is that if you post a stupid fucking one-sentence question with crap grammar and no punctuation, then that's the level of response that you're going to get. Or if you ask a question requiring a very detailed answer without giving any background information about yourself or the parameters necessary required for people to give you thoughtful answers, then you are probably going to get roasted.
People like to give ET a bad name saying there are lot of abrasive assholes here. Well guess what? That's because there are actually people here who know what the hell they are talking about, and they are more than willing to help people out given that the people asking for help are doing their part. But for the clueless, lazy, and ignorant types who can't spend more that 15 seconds typing a question on their phone, um..... yeah, they are going to get shredded to pieces.
So what happens when somebody actually takes the time the craft a thoughtful question? They get pages and pages of insightful responses, just like what's happened in this thread.
You put the effort in, you get it right back. You put virtually nothing in, you get nothing of value back. That's the way ET works. That's the way the world works.
I see a lot of lazy, poorly structured questions being submitted and it's on those questions that replying members usually post very biting or sarcastic replies, and rightly so. Basically what they are communicating is that if you post a stupid fucking one-sentence question with crap grammar and no punctuation, then that's the level of response that you're going to get. Or if you ask a question requiring a very detailed answer without giving any background information about yourself or the parameters necessary required for people to give you thoughtful answers, then you are probably going to get roasted.
People like to give ET a bad name saying there are lot of abrasive assholes here. Well guess what? That's because there are actually people here who know what the hell they are talking about, and they are more than willing to help people out given that the people asking for help are doing their part. But for the clueless, lazy, and ignorant types who can't spend more that 15 seconds typing a question on their phone, um..... yeah, they are going to get shredded to pieces.
So what happens when somebody actually takes the time the craft a thoughtful question? They get pages and pages of insightful responses, just like what's happened in this thread.
You put the effort in, you get it right back. You put virtually nothing in, you get nothing of value back. That's the way ET works. That's the way the world works.
When the student is ready...the teacher will appear.

sounds pretty fishy what you describe. No reputable firm grabs interns and pays them nothing. I received at the hedge fund as summer intern a salary most graduating MBAs were not even offered. I have never heard of any hedge fund or investment bank that does not pay its interns. Everything else I would be highly suspicious.