Next week I'm going to talk to a member of the CBOT about being a clerk for him on the trading floor. If he hires me, after a while he'll give me a chance to trade. What are the requirements for being a clerk and/or trader on the trading floor? I thought I saw something about having to pass a hand signal test on the CME's website but that's all I really know. Some places say I have to get fingerprinted and a background investigation. Really? A friend of mine trades electroniclly for a prop firm at the CBOT and he didn't have to do anything other than a credit check. Thanks for any info.
1) To become a clerk, floor trader or floor broker, there are written exam(s) having to do with trading, hand signals and regulations. There will be a background check of your past. Your "financials" may be looked at too. As long as you haven't done anything blatantly stupid, you ought to be okay. 2) To become a prop trader is less stringent because the prop firm is more responsible for its traders instead of the exchanges.