Measuring what I have; getting restless
New poster here. I’m consistently told by parents/friends how well I have it so I wanted to ask everyone here. Went to a local large public non-target strictly due to cost, got a finance degree with close to 4.0 and stellar extra-curricular leadership, missed out on IB recruiting, ended up in commodity trading when I graduated a few years ago. Currently in my middling metro I was raised in (luxury 1bd apt goes for less than 2.5k/mo) trading a smaller oil & gas commodity (trading primarily OTC futures). Would say I have close to absolute discretion over trades and a top-15 VAR (head trader vibes on responsibilities but without the title given my youth) in the specific market, TC is very bonus heavy but in an okay year was 200-300k with splits/salary being raised aggressively, work is like 7-5 on a daily basis. Considering trying to make a complete 90 degree turn over to more of a prop FX role at a middle market bank just due to a random personal friend I picked up within the last year or two and then trying to hop into a macro HF style role in about 5 years given experience in broad commodities and FX.
what I’m trying to figure out; am I just not thankful for the very good situation I have now? Are HF’s just the glorious answer everyone likes to tout but then you get there and you regret leaving a good thing? I’ve been in my home metro my entire life and just starting to get restless about never taking a big career/lifestyle home run swing. Any advice here is really helpful
You're doing good brother. Are you happy with your asset class (not talking abt the material prestige you're talking abt)? Become a killer in it
Happy with the asset class (commodities) but this commodity specifically is a bit niche and small enough space that it’s made me a bit nihilistic about the world so I want to get to a difference space entirely. Part of it is prestige; I’m at a well respected incumbent in the market but not known as a big swinger by any means (think VITOL). Part of it is ego; had a very serious relationship, partner went off to an extremely prestigious law school, leaves for a classmate, and I’m left in hometown feeling like I have something to prove given I believe I’m more capable. It’s absurd to even say this but the difference between $10 and $100 mil net worth for me I realize is going to have minimal impact on my happiness, so really I just want to go somewhere to learn and be able to go for the jugular and really take a home run swing
Can you elaborate how your commodity niche made you nihilistic about the world? Genuinely curious haha
I say send it. Life is short and you don't want to look back saying "what if."
Now at the same time idk how long ago you broke up with your GF (sorry that happened) so don't make any emotional decisions either.
It was long enough ago that I’m over it. More just a function of wanting to go toe to toe against the best of the best and continually putting my best foot forward but whiffing on the big move
You can do that in a more calculated way. Why not say look to trade the same commodity at Vitol or one of the big shops, where they might allow you to expand and trade/manage other commodities 2 years down the line as well?
Would be a shame to leave behind the expertise you've built up which is probably usable in related commodities.
Well funny enough, tried to do exactly that and ran into a bit of a dead end after a couple conversations. Just feeling like it’s a ticking clock and mindset/growing nihilism may be better fit for a market with bigger “real money,” and a broader urge to jump into something bigger. May be misplaced and a bit of the “grass greener on the other side” issue. Thank you for the answer tho, this is the most helpful yet
Were you able to get traction with commods teams at the MM platforms? Understand it’s different trading physical vs paper but seems like it’s a common transition?
I trade mostly paper. Feels like a lot of guys will get silo’d in specific commodities or the pod will blow up (happened to a very bright friend who’s now a broker) and they’ll get fucked. I know guys at the big MM shops and I think the overall sentiment isn’t great. Seems like more guys want out of funds into aggressive phys roles, hence my wanting to try to diversify into more broad macro
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