A Career in Day Trading - Get Hired Today!

Day trading has a certain lure to it. Making trades and walking away at the end of the day with hopefully some money in your pocket (and possibly a lot more money than most other jobs) is a good feeling. So first off, let's dispel a myth - day trading is not gambling! If you control your risk and follow a proven plan, then the odds are in your favor.

There are many proprietary day trading firms all around the world which will hire and train you to become a profitable trader. Each firm is different, some require no capital be put up by the trader and others will require a deposit. No experience is needed, although it is common to have to go through several interviews which address how you psychologically respond to stressful situations, how well you can follow rules and how you balance aggressiveness with logic. The process starts by simple sending a company your resume with your current background, no matter what it is, highlighting your entrepreneurial spirit and ability to work under pressure. Some countries have licensing requirements, while others do not. A firm may sponsor you to get the required licenses or they may require you have them prior. The process for passing the necessary examinations is not an obstacle for most ambitious people.

Once hired, the firm will provide you with capital (or leverage the capital you provided) to trade a particular market, or several markets. Training is generally provided and the extent of what they teach varies greatly by firm. Some will push you to trade a proven method, while others encourage the trader to develop their own methods.

The firm will often take a percentage of your profits and generally there are small fees associated with each trade. These fees vary from pennies to dollars per trade and fees can be offset or even be credited to the trader for providing liquidity and receiving ECN credits.

Each firm will have their own balance of fees and profit pay outs. Very low fees will often mean the trade will give up a higher percentage of their profits, and high fees will means a lower percentage is filtered to the company. The percentage of profits the trader is payed generally ranges from 30%-100%. Remember though, there is always a trade off. High fees can make it hard to make a profit, and 100% of nothing is $0. Where say 40% of a small profit due to lower fees may be more favorable. Also, it is important to consider whether your own money is at stake, or just the firms capital. If the firm is risking their capital, generally pay outs will be lower or fees higher or some combination of the factors.

Also most firms do not hire you as an employee but rather you are contracted. This allows you to write off business expenses (consult the documentation and your own tax advisor). Some firms allow you to trade from home and some will require you be in a office.

If you want to start trading, and get out of the rat race, it is something to look into. There are day trading firms in almost every major city throughout the industrialized world.