Mr. Bellafiore,
I will keep this as short as possible, as I know you are extremely busy. To ask my question, I must give you some background information about myself. I just finished your book, One Good Trade and I am truly inspired. I graduated from school in May. I did not graduate from an Ivy League school, or with a 4.0. I did not know I wanted to be in finance let alone be a trader until Junior year. I did have an interview at (redacted) Trading earlier this year but turned it down because, at the time, I did not have the funds required for a deposit. I made the best of my situation and found a way to land an analyst position at (redacted). My long hours and company policies regulate my intraday trading severely. I am committing myself to my goal of being a prop trader in the future, but for now I am well aware that I am just not ready. I’m not asking for pity, nor a job. I’m simply asking, if you were me, how would you practice your trading skills (i.e. reading the tape) and what steps would you take to work towards landing a job at a prop trading desk? I refuse to live my entire life wondering if I could have made it as a trader.
I know this is a short story, but I would really appreciate your input.
@MikeBellafiore
This is a great opportunity to aggregate former posts on this topic and definitely answer the question above for this SMB Reader.
What Can I Do to Make Myself Attractive to a Prop Trading Firm?
The Opportunity for a Prop Trader
Don’t Quit Your Day Job to Turn Pro Trader Yet
How Do I Find a Firm to Back My Trading?
Should You Quit Your Job to Trade?
A Successful Trader Who Made a Late Career Change
And lastly one of the most popular presentations on this topic at Indiana U.
I hope these past blogs help.
Mike Bellafiore is the Co-Founder of SMB Capital and SMBU, which provides trading education in stocks, options, forex and futures. Bella is the author of One Good Trade and The PlayBook. He welcomes your trading questions at [email protected].
*no relevant positions