Trader Personalities
I have no experience on Wall Street and had a few general questions...
Do most successful sell-side traders have more of an extroverted, intense type-A personality or does it differ greatly from person to person? How much do personalities vary between different products?
I'm very interested in entry level market maker positions but am not sure how my personality would align. I'm moderately introverted, methodical and patient, and probably more risk-averse than the average 21 year old - things which may be viewed as negatives for trader. But, I'm also competitive and hard working, having played sports throughout college.
Are there any specific products/desks that may suit my personality better than others?
Or, do I sound more suited for an area like equity research, which also interests me?
Any comments are appreciated.
- Login or register to post comments
- Email this Forum topic
Poll
WSO Employment Rate: for those of you searching for a job, have you received an offer yet?
Yes
53%
No
47%
Total votes: 106
New groups
traders all need to be cool
traders all need to be cool under pressure (sports is good conditioning for this); I think most traders are opinionated, but you need to be to take risk. at the same time, you can't be stubborn because you need to change what you're doing (often quickly) if it isn't working.
that said, I think personalities vary greatly - some people are loud, some are reserved, and I haven't seen any trend across product groups. my general observation is that the nicest people are invariably the most talented; some guys may be assholes on the floor, but they should always be cool when they take you for a beer after work. if a guy is a tool all the time, he better be a top producer.