I'm looking at a "Junior Trader" job posting (and a few others) that are a near perfect fit to my credentials. I am curious what it takes to get your foot in the door for these firms.I have a BS in Finance and have worked in IT for a financial services firm (BPS) the last few years. My passion is for a more direct role, i.e. buy side risk/hedge funds. I've written and trade my own systematic equity trading algos. So I have experience in modeling, trading, risk management (on a limited scale), and very strong programming skills with C++, Ruby, Bash, with Linux. So... other than blindly cold calling, I'm looking for some advice to get into the buy side of the industry. Thanks guys!

If your algo works then why don't you use it in real life to make some big bucks for yourself?

Well... I am. Still, that is a good question but the problem lies in capital needs, compliance, and industry knowledge. The way I see it, getting my foot in the door will open many more doors in return. This has been a hurdle on my own. Wouldn't you agree?

QuoteOriginally posted by: mrozelThe way I see it, getting my foot in the door will open many more doors in return. This has been a hurdle on my own. Wouldn't you agree?If you are doing what you like, trading stocks, then your whole body is already in the building. The doors you see are exits.It really comes down to doing what you like and you are good at. If you like marketing, or interacting with other members of a team to get things done, or managing human resources or compliance, then your interests are not in building algorithms and trading stocks.The people who are most successful at doing what you want to emulate, that being wearing suits in big shiny office buildings, are not married to a single business or product. They are primarily communicators, and socializers.Maybe you should ditch the trading, and look for a job in something like customer retention at one of these businesses. After a bad month, people will call to withdraw their money. You explain to them why the outlook is still solid. This skill will open many doors, and be more durable than any particular investing or trading fad.