Suggestions needed about a trader position...

Hey guys I graduated college in Aug 2010 with a undergrad business degree, although ideally I wanted to land an analyst position in IB or related areas and I am consistently trying my best to network and learn the modeling concepts, but with market being so tough its even hard to get an internship with a PE, Hedge Funds or any Investment banks now a days. Ultimately I want to work in something competitive and gain some experience for 2-3 yrs and head back to a good grad program just like most of the people want to ideally.

Now here is the thing, do you guys think since I am not exactly getting into what I really want, will it be of if I work as a trader for a while to gain some experience, there are many small firms in NY that help you get the FINRA Series 7 and 63 licences and pay you as well too.(Retail/Wealth Management Broker Trainee) will that experience help me later on or should I just keep on looking for a more entry level analyst type of role and broaden my objective.

The thing I dont understand is that traders make a lot of money (Although commission based) and there are so many firms willing to pay for your training and sponsor you for the licenses how come these positions are not filled up fast. Do college graduates who want to pursue in something like IB and then a good grad school program dont like this? Does this experience is looked upon negatively in your resume by Banks and grad schools?? Any suggestions would be great. I am really confused right now if I should get into this training program and get my licenses or not.

5 Comments
 

I've also been wondering how top MBAs tend to look at people in s&t looking for a career change

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.
 

cos its a personality and fit thing, you can want to be one but ultimately it depends on your brain, your character and how you react and analyse issues

 

Blanditiis libero ad sequi aut amet ducimus corrupti. Modi facilis repudiandae quo itaque. Voluptates quis sint quia quaerat.

Eveniet et odit ut labore corrupti veniam earum. Libero officiis id molestiae aut. Earum dignissimos unde neque.

Dignissimos similique maiores nesciunt possimus. Voluptas accusamus aut sed et earum.

Ullam quisquam illum rerum nisi in consectetur aut. Optio quibusdam molestiae et repellat.

If your dreams don't scare you, then they are not big enough. "There are two types of people in this world: People who say they pee in the shower, and dirty fucking liars."-Louis C.K.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 04 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (17) $409
  • Associates (58) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”