Trading Asia market from London

[Trader525]

Hi guys,

I was hoping someone who was currently trading nights on asia/aus could give a brief summary of what your'e life is like?

Some prop shops want you to work 1 in 4/5 weeks on the asia market, meaning you must work from 8pm-7am for 1 week in 4/5. This will clearly have some affect on sleeping patterns and social life, so I was wandering how bad it really is?

Can somebody with experience, or someone who knows somebody who does this give their view on this sort of role.

Cheers,

 

[level 2 headed]

Hi guys,

I was hoping someone who was currently trading nights on asia/aus could give a brief summary of what your'e life is like?

Some prop shops want you to work 1 in 4/5 weeks on the asia market, meaning you must work from 8pm-7am for 1 week in 4/5. This will clearly have some affect on sleeping patterns and social life, so I was wandering how bad it really is?

Can somebody with experience, or someone who knows somebody who does this give their view on this sort of role.

Cheers,

Hi Trader 525,

I'm surprised that some prop shops want you to trade Asian markets 1 week in 4/5. Apart from the obvious disruption in sleeping pattern it makes more sense to concentrate on your preferred markets every week. Which markets are they expecting you to trade for the other 3/4 weeks?

 

[Trader525]

Hi Trader 525,

I'm surprised that some prop shops want you to trade Asian markets 1 week in 4/5. Apart from the obvious disruption in sleeping pattern it makes more sense to concentrate on your preferred markets every week. Which markets are they expecting you to trade for the other 3/4 weeks?

Thanks for the reply. It'll be the London markets on futures and options for the other 3 weeks. I guess it would make more sense to do all night shifts and become familiar with Asia, or all day shifts. The thing I'm most concerned about is the effect on ones health.

Do you know of anybody who has done similar shifts? I can imagine it would affect your health, because your constantly readjusting your body clock and confusing the body in terms of what time is rests/repairs.

 

[level 2 headed]

Thanks for the reply. It'll be the London markets on futures and options for the other 3 weeks. I guess it would make more sense to do all night shifts and become familiar with Asia, or all day shifts. The thing I'm most concerned about is the effect on ones health.

Do you know of anybody who has done similar shifts? I can imagine it would affect your health, because your constantly readjusting your body clock and confusing the body in terms of what time is rests/repairs.

Hi,

I don't know anyone that has a working pattern like this for the reasons mentioned. Surely there is a greater financial risk on the balance sheet having traders operate on a work pattern conducive to sleep deprivation.

 

[rsh01]

Thanks for the reply. It'll be the London markets on futures and options for the other 3 weeks. I guess it would make more sense to do all night shifts and become familiar with Asia, or all day shifts. The thing I'm most concerned about is the effect on ones health.

Do you know of anybody who has done similar shifts? I can imagine it would affect your health, because your constantly readjusting your body clock and confusing the body in terms of what time is rests/repairs.

Dude, if health is main issue you should go on an Asia trading site and ask the thousands who are trading European/us mkts. Or, Google "shift work / night work impact on health'.

 

[Trader525]

hey, thanks for the reply.

Night works itself is okay, because you're just awake at the opposite times to the rest of the world. This however, has a weird receptive pattern where you are constantly readjusting every 3 weeks which will have a totally different affect in my opinion. Im just not sure whether it is the case in practise because Ive never done it.

 

[rsh01]

hey, thanks for the reply.

Night works itself is okay, because you're just awake at the opposite times to the rest of the world. This however, has a weird receptive pattern where you are constantly readjusting every 3 weeks which will have a totally different affect in my opinion. Im just not sure whether it is the case in practise because Ive never done it.

Hey
There are paramedics, doctors, media and many other industries where their shifts vary often, some on weekly basis so they're constantly having to readjust. Last report I read from psychologist was that night time shift workers had lower life expectancy but no idea veracity of it, sure there's plenty of research out there for disruptive sleep patterns.
You should be wealthy/broke enough to retire/change career within 5 years anyway so wouldnt worry about it.
Sleep well.

 

[Trader525]

Hey
There are paramedics, doctors, media and many other industries where their shifts vary often, some on weekly basis so they're constantly having to readjust. Last report I read from psychologist was that night time shift workers had lower life expectancy but no idea veracity of it, sure there's plenty of research out there for disruptive sleep patterns.
You should be wealthy/broke enough to retire/change career within 5 years anyway so wouldnt worry about it.
Sleep well.

Haha, love the last couple of lines. I'll consider it, but given that I'm only 22, ill probably try something else first before I risk destroying my health! Wealth is only a small measure of success amongst other things like earning respect, giving back to the community, charity work and being an overall good person. Those are things you can't buy

 

[rsh01]

Good philosophy you have. If you are keen in career in the markets then study - do your CFA for example. Wealth/asset management seems to be growing industry around the world (not so much in the UK though). Plenty of opportunities.

Good luck.

 

[Trader525]

Good philosophy you have. If you are keen in career in the markets then study - do your CFA for example. Wealth/asset management seems to be growing industry around the world (not so much in the UK though). Plenty of opportunities.

Good luck.

Many thanks for your advice. Ill check it out. Im just finishing off a Mathematical Finance MSc at the moment, hence look for Quant trading types role of now. Will certainly consider the roles you mentioned as well

 

[rsh01]

Many thanks for your advice. Ill check it out. Im just finishing off a Mathematical Finance MSc at the moment, hence look for Quant trading types role of now. Will certainly consider the roles you mentioned as well

I know a few quants who have CFA, main thing is to be flexible. Job market going to have some big shifts.

 

[Trader525]

I know a few quants who have CFA, main thing is to be flexible. Job market going to have some big shifts.

Ill try and get the CFA under my belt then. Thanks for the heads up. Do you work for a firm in London?

 

[rsh01]

Ill try and get the CFA under my belt then. Thanks for the heads up. Do you work for a firm in London?

I also know quite a few quants out of a job! Think some of them are over qualified, firms seem to be happy recruiting grad coders and anyone with 5-10 years experience being overlooked - too expensive.
Don't take my word though do your research.Quals like CFA can be done when young and good to get out of way before get bogged down in career. Guess youve done work placements then?

Not anymore, I did work for banks in city, also been at 3 prop firms. Took a few years out travelling and living and working for myself abroad. Now I am thinking of reeducating, more than likely fintech area. Need to do some research myself.

 

[Trader525]

I also know quite a few quants out of a job! Think some of them are over qualified, firms seem to be happy recruiting grad coders and anyone with 5-10 years experience being overlooked - too expensive.
Don't take my word though do your research.Quals like CFA can be done when young and good to get out of way before get bogged down in career. Guess youve done work placements then?

Not anymore, I did work for banks in city, also been at 3 prop firms. Took a few years out travelling and living and working for myself abroad. Now I am thinking of reeducating, more than likely fintech area. Need to do some research myself.

Yes I heard during my internship at HSBC that new grads who demand around £50k are cheaper than senior guys who want £150k+. Also, Ive heard they get some stuff done abroad where the rates are lower for the same work. HSBCs is my only bit of industry work.

You've done your fair share in the city =D. I don't think I'm going to like it there. I don't like being around corporate people who are fake in the sense that they just tell you what you want to here and are always lying and talking behind your back. The city is full with these people. I think smaller funds and fintech firms have much better teams in this respect.

What course are you looking at doing?

 

[rsh01]

Yes I heard during my internship at HSBC that new grads who demand around £50k are cheaper than senior guys who want £150k+. Also, Ive heard they get some stuff done abroad where the rates are lower for the same work. HSBCs is my only bit of industry work.

You've done your fair share in the city =D. I don't think I'm going to like it there. I don't like being around corporate people who are fake in the sense that they just tell you what you want to here and are always lying and talking behind your back. The city is full with these people. I think smaller funds and fintech firms have much better teams in this respect.

What course are you looking at doing?

Exactly wld expect most will be offshored as it's so easy to offshore coders.

I am exactly the same re corporate politics, too much deadwood so insecure about losing their livelihoods that they will suck d1ck to maintain it. Such inefficient industry. One of my old bosses springs to mind! Good that you are aware of this so young, can make decisions to avoid it as best as possible. IT not bad area, many autonomous type roles in IT and much more meritocratic. I think the corporate world will change soon for the better though, you see it more and more with flatter structured companies.

MIT do what looks like a good fintech course (hard to verify) covering blockchain, and couple of others out there more blockchain specific, exosphere for instance. I am not a programmer btw, I would look to move into business development/consultancy in this area, ideally. You have any interest in this area?

 

[Trader525]

Exactly wld expect most will be offshored as it's so easy to offshore coders.

I am exactly the same re corporate politics, too much deadwood so insecure about losing their livelihoods that they will suck d1ck to maintain it. Such inefficient industry. One of my old bosses springs to mind! Good that you are aware of this so young, can make decisions to avoid it as best as possible. IT not bad area, many autonomous type roles in IT and much more meritocratic. I think the corporate world will change soon for the better though, you see it more and more with flatter structured companies.

MIT do what looks like a good fintech course (hard to verify) covering blockchain, and couple of others out there more blockchain specific, exosphere for instance. I am not a programmer btw, I would look to move into business development/consultancy in this area, ideally. You have any interest in this area?

You seem to have a plan! And MIT would be crazy =D

I currently want to utilise my Maths so I think ill try to find a quant trading / systematic trading role for now. Ive heard many people move away from this within 10 years or so to do something more related to consultancy or fund management, which requires less hardcore maths. So I'll probably end up doing something like you soon.

I just want to give the trading area a go first so that I have no regrets later in life. Don't want to avoid it and then say "I should've given it a go" later on. Let me know how you get on, will be good to hear. PM your linkedin?

 

[rsh01]

You seem to have a plan! And MIT would be crazy =D

I currently want to utilise my Maths so I think ill try to find a quant trading / systematic trading role for now. Ive heard many people move away from this within 10 years or so to do something more related to consultancy or fund management, which requires less hardcore maths. So I'll probably end up doing something like you soon.

I just want to give the trading area a go first so that I have no regrets later in life. Don't want to avoid it and then say "I should've given it a go" later on. Let me know how you get on, will be good to hear. PM your linkedin?

And why not.

Hmm not so much a plan, a last minute escape route. Actually working on a move to Asia/Australia. Work culture is much better than London/US IMHO, and money flow seems to be that way also.