How to become a (institutional) trader after age 30?

I'm curious about the path to work as an institutional trader trading on behalf of the big banks, funds, prop funds, etc.

Could you use an MBA to pivot into this career field? 

Are there traders on the institutional side that aren't quantitative? I've seen job postings for traders but a lot of those postings have to do with quants/programmers (ex. Jump Trading, Two Sigma, Optiver). 

If anyone can direct me to any WSO threads, that would be nice as well (Google isn't giving me the exact info I'm trying to find...)

Much appreciated for any advice :)

 

Certainly, breaking into institutional trading for major financial entities involves a strategic approach. An MBA can be a valuable asset, providing a well-rounded financial education and potentially opening doors in this competitive field. While many institutional trading roles are quantitatively focused, there are non-quantitative roles too, such as sales trading or relationship management. For more specific information, exploring threads on Wall Street Oasis (WSO) could offer deeper insights. Keep networking and seeking advice from professionals in the industry to refine your path. Best of luck!

 

I'm a management consultant currently in the role of product manager for a tier 2 consulting firm. I have a computer science degree and am turning 30 soon. I am contemplating getting an MBA

I want to get into trading because frankly speaking, it's just way more exciting than shuffling meetings all day and excel reports. However, I do believe that 99% of retail traders fail and my ideal form of trading would be working under the purview (and team) of a large institution. 

Any google searches show that a lot of these available trading roles are for hardcore data/CS/math guys. I'm simply not that. While I can get my quant skills up to a workable level, I am well aware that I'm far below the talented guys that did olympiads when younger. So the trading roles at Two Sigma, Akuna, etc. just seem way out of reach. 

At the same time, there seem to be trading roles that don't necessarily want hardcore quant skills, but merely quant-adjacent thinkers. For example, the person featured in this video: 

wasn't a math PHD by any means, just a smart guy who could use numbers. 

So ultimately, I'm just a little confused at how recruiting for trading shops work and if an MBA could give me an entryway into the industry. Hope that gives more color to my original question.

 

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