Tell us about your job

[mal_noles]

I am well-suited to my job because I perform well under pressure and have the ability to lose large amounts of money and not let it effect my judgement and mindset. A huge part of trading is how you deal with adversity and pressure. At times I can be a little to much of a gambler which luckily the other people on my trading desk realize and reign me in at times.

I currently work European hours so I go into work between 12-1am. The first few hours of work before the European market opens I research what I want to do for the day, review the positions we have on as a group and evaulate other more macro factors. From 2-8am I am pretty much sitting on the trading desk, it really depends on what kind of positions on and how the market is trading. Some days I take 2 hours to go to breakfast with the gf, other days I dont leave the desk for more than 30 seconds and sit around till we close at 1:30pm.

Probably the biggest frustration in trading is software or technical issues. I have worked for several very highly regarded firms and you still at times will encounter technical problems that can be incrediably frustrating.

Trading can have extreme ups and downs, you can be utterly right on how you feel the market is going to move and still lose money. Other times you will be utterly lost and still make money. But their isnt much that can compete with going into work knowing how the market is going to move and just completely killing it.

I am very well paid, a salary in the 80-100k range with the majority of my compensation coming from a bonus based on how my group performs and individual PNL. The bonus is usually 6 figures and can be several multiples of my salary.
In trading your initial salary or pay can be low but the upside potential is virtually unlimited. I have friends under 30 that have been trading at high tier hedge funds making well over $1 mil a year.