just graduated from college with a BS in computer science degree and an emphasis on IT I've been practicing this whole summer various stock strategies and I think I found one that defiantly can generate some profits been using this platform for practice but it sucks any recommendations or ideas as to how to start a career would be most appreciated?
Going back to school to get a math degree would maybe get you looked at if it's a farm school. Don't get your hopes up. I say this not to discourage you but to tell you the reality of the situation. The big hedge funds recruit from farm schools (MIT, Harvard, etc) and really only go for math and math adjacent fields. If your specialization in Computer Science is a computational field, rather than a theoretical CS field, you'll stand a better chance. Of course you could also apply for engineering/IT positions at a hedge fund/BB. But you wont ever trade, and you'll never see what I think you want to see. If you have a futures/options broker locally that's probably your best leg in. Become a broker or a desk trader and work your way up. Be warned - absolutely none of your CS degree will be useful here. But for someone not from a farm school that's probably your only way in without an MBA + finance or econ background or math/physics/EE degree from a top 10 school's graduate program.
I wouldn't do it if I were in your shoes. Wayne Gretzky once said "I am successful because I go where the puck is going, not where it has been." 15 years ago, top CompSci money was earned on Wall Street. Today it is earned at big tech companies, AI, etc. I think you will likely make more money, and have a more fulfilling career if you focused your efforts on getting a tech job in a non-finance related field...AI, automation, healthcare, defense, etc. Develop your trading strategies on your own free time, and them put money into them from savings generated by your traditional job.
There are a lot of people trading successfully in this perpetual bull. The question is can you make money in a bear market with that SAME strategy?...perhaps you need a separate strategy for Bear market success. There should some jobs out there in your field that would give you time to concentrate on what you love to do... ES
Yeah I agree I got lucky I found a few places to practice without having to use actual capital sadly there aren't many places to practice where you don't have to pay
Do anything other than trading. Perhaps work in a brokerage firm , trading software firm, or charting service provider, and provide IT support. So do anything, anything other than trading.
I would recommend that you work your way out through Tech companies, well paid, low risk, very much in demand now (And expected to stay like this at least for the next 5-7 years minimum). Save from your tech job, try to save & invest a lot in your early age and leave those investments to grow. When you hit your 35, you will probably be very comfortable financially, where you can pursue trading, you will have the capital, you will have time (If you decide to get yourself dedicated to trading) and you will have the experience as well. Just my opinion. If I were you, I would do this.