Hi all,

I am a fresh grad and I am really interested in stock trading (and dont mind to learn trading in other financial products).
I am wondering what kind of job can I consider that will provide me the opportunity to learn the practical knowledge of trading and also have a good career progression?
So far by doing some research, I've only discovered one job that is related to trading, which is Proprietary Day Trader.
Can anyone experienced advice me on the career that I could consider and also can anyone who did or currently doing as a Proprietary Day Trader could share their experience with me please?

Much appreciated! Thanks !!

i am not sure if the SC is still issuing new PDT licence, you may check and see. but if you like going that route, can suggest you something like remisier or dealer's rep, they do a lot of trading.

Thank you very much.
According to what I've checked, remisier and dealer's rep do trading on behalf of their clients, am i right?
and, I found a company called NGS Analytics who's providing job like PDT with only commission and not basic salary, just wondering if you know that is this legit/legal?
Besides, I am also wondering what else company has a better career development in this sector? (and also is there any companies in Malaysia who trade US Stock?)

I know there's a lot of questions. I am sorry about that and really appreciated if you or anyone experienced could help this newbie (me) out! Thanks!

May I know ur studies field in?

Hi,
Fresh Grad from Actuarial Science.

If you want to trade stocks, one option is to join a fund management firm. There are a handful of private sector ones such as Public Mutual, Principal and Affin-Hwang. Then there are the Government Linked ones such as EPF, KWAP, PNB and etc. You will not trade stocks immediately as you will begin your career as an analyst, and if you prove yourself several years down the road, you may become a fund manager. This is a longer pathway to 'trading'.

Another quicker pathway is to become a trader with a bank treasury, although they don't trade stocks. They trade other asset classes such as FX, bonds and derivatives. This pathway is not easy for a fresh grad to enter if you lack the right connections. Your best shot is to join one of those management training programs, prove yourself when you are rotated into the treasury department and hope you catch the attention of one of the traders. Otherwise, you may end up doing banking or being stuck in other parts of the bank. These traders are the ones that are heavily glamorized in Wall Street movies.

Getting on either pathway requires a lot of luck and/or connections simply because there are so few positions in the industry but many fresh grads with finance related degrees trying to get in. More often than not, daddies who are high-net worth clients of these banks or fund management will often leap frog their children's CV ahead of the rest.

Thanks a lot!

This path is closer to "investing" than "trading". TS wants to be trader not an investor.

There are many fund managers who are effectively traders here. TS asked for general advice on the industry, and am trying to broaden his horizon instead of just looking at a very specific role.

best to join an investment bank.. if you do it as a retail trader you will get wiped.

Best to invest using real money and show the trading result to the investment bank. If result is good they will hire u

To join an IB, usually you need strong cable or graduated from branded uni or CFA

In that case, I also advise that TS try to enter fund management industry and learn how to invest. You can start investing in stocks as a student, learning how to analyse companies and industries, and use that experience to impress your interviewers at the fund management company.

I'm also a fund manager btw.

Thanks for all the advices!

Sent you a dm!

Hihi May i know is it how someone with mechanical engineering enter into this world?

u want to trade or u want to invest ?

am i only able to choose one.? i have seen few jobs PDT and remiser, i am thinking maybe i can learn myself at home and trade & invest, since that is not my expertise. as most of my friend is from engineering field so i have to self study

It will be very tough for eng like us to venture into the 'investing' route as mostly those IBs hire people with CFA, they mostly work as analyst in the IBs and slowly jump towards the fund manager role, another route is 'trade', those PDT falls under trading route or the common name is IVT (Investment Trader).

My advice for you is to gather some experience on trading real life, study the market and industry. After a few years and then try applying for those positions again.

FYI, I graduated as a mech eng too since 2015, currently attached with a local IB doing intraday trading.

if you want to know more, you can PM me your questions.

This post has been edited by GSCboy: Oct 5 2020, 03:15 PM

Hi, if you are just keen on actively trading stocks, i suggest you apply for a position as a trainee proprietary day trader, you will be called a dealer's representative but its just a legal thing because you wont really be trading for any client but for the firm or trader who employs you, following a team or a person is the only way youll learn how to trade. Firms like affin, kenanga , TA, interpacific, mercury and so on. Their active day traders move a ton of volume and they trade their own book , means you eat what you kill. You dont need to be super smart as you would to get into IB or fund management as thats a whole different ballgame. Active trading is more or less just moving liquidity while making profits, trust me they are serious earners just by doing this, talking 7figure months. Even IB does not reap such rewards unless you are at a very high level after more than a decade spent by making big deals.