Career Decision: Software vs. Trading

[ep510]

Put it this way, I didn't hate it when I interned at MSFT last summer. There were some interesting moments, some boring, but overall it was pretty much something that I don't despise but don't truly love.

What I'm worried about with trading is that I might think I love it now, but I won't later on. It's kinda like poker. When I first started playing poker, I loved it. I read all the books at Barnes and bought every new book that came out. I read these forums 24/7 (didn't post that much tho). I'm doing the same for trading now.

After a while though, the enthusiasm kinda died down as the challenge went away. As I learned more about the game and started grinding out the tables, it got more and more boring. And when I lost my passion for the game, my winrate dwindled as well. I'd kinda compare it to the honeymoon stage of a relationship.

[El Diablo]

ep,

Do whatever you think you'll like more. Plenty of easy ways to make tons of money doing either thing in the Bay Area. Note that if you go the programming route and play poker on the side, you'll have plenty of money to trade on your own.

[Orlando Salazar]

uhhh...diablo, are u still in college or something? work full time, play poker, and trade? NFW! It's tough enough sleeping 5or6 hours a night after long sessions then getting up for a 9 hour workday...trading is time consuming and requires research and news monitoring. unless u are a hypomaniac...impossible

[highhustla]

ya, Diablo is a punk kid.

I'll take a stab at your Q though: managing 10's or 100's of $k of your own money isn't as time consuming as managing $MM+ funds.

[El Diablo]

Orlando,

Lots of people work full time, play poker, and spend a lot of time on some other hobby, say training for triathlons. Or go out drinking a lot. Or watch a lot of TV. Or play videogames. Or countless other activities. Any of those pastimes can easily be replaced with trading if someone wants. I know a number of people who do this.

[KingNeo]

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Orlando,

Lots of people work full time, play poker, and spend a lot of time on some other hobby, say training for triathlons. Or go out drinking a lot. Or watch a lot of TV. Or play videogames. Or countless other activities. Any of those pastimes can easily be replaced with trading if someone wants. I know a number of people who do this.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is 100% correct, however there is one stipulation. This person most likely does not have a girlfriend. Girlfriends are time consuming.

[SlowHabit]

[ QUOTE ]
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Orlando,

Lots of people work full time, play poker, and spend a lot of time on some other hobby, say training for triathlons. Or go out drinking a lot. Or watch a lot of TV. Or play videogames. Or countless other activities. Any of those pastimes can easily be replaced with trading if someone wants. I know a number of people who do this.

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Girlfriends are time consuming.

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Understatement.

[El Diablo]

King,

That's not necessarily that hard to do with a girlfriend. Much harder to do when you're dating.

Note that I'm a lot older than you guys, so girlfriend means spending the night together just about every night and often living together.

If you have to carve out a lot of time for Six Flags trips and hanging out at the mall, yeah, that'll definitely eat up your free time.

[TheWorstPlayer]

You're a lot older so sleeping together with your girlfriend doesn't take a lot of time anymore? Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I got out of your post.

[El Diablo]

TWP,

"Going on dates" takes up bigger chunks of your free time.