Considering a future in trading

[El Osito]

Hello,

I am 18 and have had an interest in trading for a few years but never saw it as an option, as I always thought it was for people leaving the top universities with math degrees. My original plan was after my A-Levels ( live in the UK ) to get an apprenticeship in accounting and then follow it to a career but I started to look into trading and would prefer this as a future career.

Anyways I am getting my results in a few days and was thinking I could still follow into an apprenticeship into account get my qualifications in it but whilst following the course. I would start to save up spare money and get into trading from home and then when I finished, I'd hopefully have some experience and get into trading as a career. I believe coming from an accounting background would help with money management among other things.

My question is what would be a good career path to follow to get into trading, if I can avoid it I'd rather not go to university and have would have to wait year to go now. Is there anything I can go it to at 18 to start trading earlier ? Any advice ?

I should be getting good grades ABB ( Accounting, Maths, Physics )

 

[AubreyPlaza]

Just do a basic course in forex and that would more than enough.

 

[timsk]

My question is what would be a good career path to follow to get into trading, if I can avoid it I'd rather not go to university and have would have to wait year to go now. Is there anything I can go it to at 18 to start trading earlier ? Any advice ?

Hi El Osito,
Welcome to T2W.

I'm going to offer some advice that I wager no one will disagree with. And that's a very, very bold claim on a site where very little agreement is ever reached about anything trading related! Here it is:

Don't curtail - or opt out - of further education in order to pursue your goals to become a trader!

I can't think of an exception to the above. Even if Goldman Sachs offer to train you I recommend you ask if they'll defer the offer until you finish uni. Get to the best uni you can and get the best grades you can. Sure, there are graduates who will tell you that a degree in XYZ never helped them get a job or move on in life. However, there are many, many more languishing on the scrap heap of life wishing they had made more of an effort at school and that they had gone to uni. Right now, there is no better way for you to spend your time than getting the best education that you can.

Having said the above, getting the best qualifications in the right subjects so that you stand a chance of breaking into the trading world in a few years time is an obvious way forward. For ideas of how to go about doing that - read this sticky: How Do I get a Job Trading?

While you continue with your studies, regardless of whether or not they are geared towards trading, there's nothing to stop you paper trading your own account. I disagree with both AubreyPlaza and MargaretLekker who advise you to trade Forex. Learn about all markets before deciding which one of them is best for you. There are at least as many reasons for avoiding forex like the plague as there are reasons to trade it. That said, it's top of the popularity charts (for now) and some people do very well with it. Who knows, you might become one of them.

Best of luck with your studies!
Tim.

 

[Rockfeller]

I am also suggesting you to go to university. There are so much hype on the web that trading is easy and you will get rich fast. Finish university and then get a decent job and then if you want you can start trading.

 

[tommac]

Having been in this game longer than I care to think about I can tell you that I have met many many traders and only a small handful of the really successful ones trade with their own accounts .Regardless of what you read on forums , people that make a living from this are a rarity. The wealthy ones are salaried---get educated then get a job .

 

[StockIdeas]

Having been in this game longer than I care to think about I can tell you that I have met many many traders and only a small handful of the really successful ones trade with their own accounts .Regardless of what you read on forums , people that make a living from this are a rarity. The wealthy ones are salaried---get educated then get a job .

Agree get more education first so there is always something you can fall back on, you may even go the route of a educator, many make good dollars doing this over trading for themselves.

 

[pboyles]

Hello,

I am 18 and have had an interest in trading for a few years but never saw it as an option, as I always thought it was for people leaving the top universities with math degrees. My original plan was after my A-Levels ( live in the UK ) to get an apprenticeship in accounting and then follow it to a career but I started to look into trading and would prefer this as a future career.

Anyways I am getting my results in a few days and was thinking I could still follow into an apprenticeship into account get my qualifications in it but whilst following the course. I would start to save up spare money and get into trading from home and then when I finished, I'd hopefully have some experience and get into trading as a career. I believe coming from an accounting background would help with money management among other things.

My question is what would be a good career path to follow to get into trading, if I can avoid it I'd rather not go to university and have would have to wait year to go now. Is there anything I can go it to at 18 to start trading earlier ? Any advice ?

I should be getting good grades ABB ( Accounting, Maths, Physics )

Either get a proper job or go to university. Forget about a 'career' in trading, there is no such thing.

 

[El Osito]

Thanks for all the advise, especially from timsk. I think I will go to university after all but whilst I am there I will most likely paper trade in my spare time.

Regards,

El Osito

 

[AshleyTrader]

Hi El Osito,

There is some interesting advice in this thread. If you are really interested in trading, my advice would be; get a demo account! And if you can, find someone to teach you, someone who you can sit next to while she is trading.

Also, if you do go to university, try to stay out of debt.
Take care