New analyst - but no "passion for the markets" yet?
So I started working in fixed income trading at a BB top in our product a few months ago. I majored in math/physics and didn't have much of finance background going in. To be honest, the job seems much less exciting than how most people describe trading to be - I definitely see how the trading floor is very high stress/intensity and loud/social, but this kind of stress personally doesn't equate to exciting for me, and the job function itself actually seems quite mundane, at least on the sell-side as a market maker. What I'm most worried about is that I feel like all my coworkers are genuinely passionate about work and the markets, whereas I don't think I'm really that intrigued by the markets yet and try to avoid spending much extra time at work. I know that I am still new, learning a lot about markets/finance, and doing a lot of grunt work, so my question for you guys is: Was your passion for the markets something that you had prior to starting as a trader, or was it something that developed over time as you became more familiar with the job and markets/finance? Are there ways to tell if I am just intrinsically not interested in the markets, e.g. certain events or trends that basically everyone who enjoys the markets would find to be at least a specific level of fascinating? I'm quickly realizing that the lifestyle of S&T can feel pretty draining/miserable unless you are truly passionate about the work, so I want to figure out asap if this is simply not the industry for me.
Bump, any thoughts at all are appreciated
May I asked what product group within FI you are trading ? Also, as an analyst you are probably not trading yet, right? That might be why you think it's a bit boring. Hopefully you can develop a passion for markets with time. If not then you can always exit to things like corporate finance, try to lateral to IBD (not really market focused so you may prefer it) at your bank, maybe join a hedge fund and see if you prefer buy side, try and join a startup, or something else.
Sometimes it’s hard to have a passion for something if you don’t really understand what it is or are just too inexperienced to be good at your job. I didn’t much like discussing my market when all the words thrown around made no sense to me and I felt like I wasn’t making a meaningful or recognized contribution. After a few years, you grasp the basics, adopt the right mental models, and apply them to areas that the firm may have had some blind spots in and you feel good about that. That’s when I got interested in the market.
Are you actually executing trades yourself yet? You said you're new... For me I didnt start actually giving enough shits to even remember how much and when rates hikes were until I started trading
I second this. When you actually have a book to run - regardless of size - it forces you to pay attention/care.
And how were you able demonstrate "passion" for the markets during your interviews?
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