Too Old for Trading?
I'm 32yo, obtained a Ph.D. from one of the HYP schools in a science field in 2008. I have a BA in math with a minor in finance in 2001. I was thinking of becoming a prof, but I bailed and now I am doing consulting for a sub-MBB in a technical practice.
I'd really like to join a trading firm like SIG -- I am completely mental for poker and play speed chess regularly. I follow the markets, read economics in my spare time (von Mises, etc.) and actually LIKE it -- which is something I CANNOT say about my job. I got into science because ultimately like problem solving, not because I really care about science. In trading and the markets, I see the chance for that daily problem-solving excitement.
I think the pros for me are that I have a solid technical background and enthusiasm. I would fucking kill to get into trading.
The cons are that I have zilch practical market experience and I am old.
Do I have any shot at making the jump? Are there things I can do to shore up my applications? Any other SIG-like firms out there I should consider?





You could always start to
You could always start to trade your own capital.
"Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
I've thought about that
I've thought about that Gekko. I had a good 2009 and 2010 and beat the index by a good margin but to be quite honest with myself that was just blind ass luck. I could not point to anything that I could call a real edge.
At the risk of sounding phony, I don't want to do it just for the money: I want to do it because this is something I want to be good at. Sitting at home, I don't think I will learn as much from Wilmott or Hull as I would from real traders. Making the right decision in the markets gives me the same rush as making a good move in chess or poker. There is nothing else in my life that I really look forward to getting up in the morning for.
Sounds like you have a good
Sounds like you have a good story. Now you need to quantify your performance in the markets and why you want to make the switch to really have a solid shot. There are a lot of heavy hitters in S&T. You need to come in with the personality and brains to make them trust you with their millions.
you don't need a phd to win
you don't need a phd to win at poker and read von mises (btw you lose your "scientist" credibility by admitting you read that). you need to find an edge. tell us what kind of empirical techniques you learned in your phd (of what?) and brainstorm how that can be relevant in finance. If you can't/won't do that then the PhD part of your profile is useless and you'd be picked after the 2001-version of yourself (which would be unfortunate, but not a deal-breaker). Now if you don't think your phd is relevant and you want read amateur economics and try to be some sort of long-term macro trader, that's fine. But your age is less forgivable then.
If Ludwig von Mises is
If Ludwig von Mises is "amateur economics" unworthy of a scientist then The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money must have been written in fucking crayon.
its unscientific because (1)
its unscientific because (1) it's too abstract and (2) it's against any empirical verification. That's my rote definition of unscientific. But even besides that it's also too ideologically/politically biased. If you want to be an economic philosopher and/or write political papers on classical liberalism than ludwig is your man, but if you want to aspire towards scientific/practical economics than its garbage.
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Look far and wide for
Look far and wide for opportunities. Prop shops, physicals, banks, any place is good if the money isn't your foremost motivation. I have a buddy who's spent the past year in the treasury department of a major energy company. The people there make 100k-200k but risk management is pretty loose and they just mess around with fx and rates trades all day.
Also, read this: http://tinyurl.com/2usambe
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Thanks to all for the input.
Thanks to all for the input. Goodbread, I'm going to do your plan and see how much alpha I can generate in the coming year. If I don't blow up I am going to recruit hard next fall.
Seig: von Mises, Hazlitt, etc. are just for fun. I went to a saltwater Keynesian UG school so the Austrian stuff is like econ-porn to me.
It's Bondarb's plan just to
It's Bondarb's plan just to give props where they're due. For my part, I'm planning on starting to trade eurodollar futures after some reading.
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Apply to legit prop trading
Apply to legit prop trading companies. Your background will certainly get you interviews. It's all up to you after that.
Edmundo Braverman wrote: If
If Ludwig von Mises is "amateur economics" unworthy of a scientist then The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money must have been written in fucking crayon.
Sig'd.
I win here, I win there...
numm wrote: Apply to legit
Apply to legit prop trading companies. Your background will certainly get you interviews. It's all up to you after that.
I'd definitely second this. D.E Shaw is full of scientists.
http://www.deshawresearch.com/
I win here, I win there...
Seigniorage wrote: its
its unscientific because (1) it's too abstract and (2) it's against any empirical verification. That's my rote definition of unscientific. But even besides that it's also too ideologically/politically biased. If you want to be an economic philosopher and/or write political papers on classical liberalism than ludwig is your man, but if you want to aspire towards scientific/practical economics than its garbage.
"scientific/practical economics"
lmfao. you kids and your mathematical sophistry. economics is not a science buddy. humans make decisions with their emotions, markets are not efficient, there isn't perfect information, and your stupid little models simplify too much. it's all a house of cards
Second the DE Shaw
Second the DE Shaw suggestion...they love PhD/Science types
If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses - Henry Ford
Let's see now, you've got a
Quote: "scientific/practical
patio wrote: Let's see now,
You certainly can make the
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I win here, I win there...
You can try any reputed hedge
But don't many students get
If you are really from the DC
+1 on the DC Energy
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SIG wrote: If you are really
ivoteforthatguy wrote: SIG
DC bread and butter is the
WSO Conf - June 29, 2013