wall street... so old... the only question is : how much latency do you have... the rest is the matrix
First of, WTF is a Wall Street trader? Does it mean you have to work on the actual Wall Street? Or the big name firms? Second of all, if you had a clue, you would know that any big Wall Street firm is firewalled up the ass and monitored, especially in the higher more important positions. These guys would be risking their jobs posting on here, even outside work. Third of all, why do you care? Are you planning to kiss ass to try to get a job? Good luck. You would need to at least get on your knees if that's your approach.
His statement is not stupid, it's right on, you obviously do not know the business. It is driven by connections & networking. You probably think that their prop desks sit there and evaluate charts & P/E ratios to take positions.
What I mean by a wall street trader is anyone trading for a legitimate firm. I know a kid younger than me getting ready to graduate from Princeton with a financial engineering degree. He just got hired by a hedge fund. Most of the people on this site seem angry and pissed off (like yourself) In order to work for a legitimate fund you need serious credentials. If you work for a fund you can still post on ET. I remember there was a CEO of a company that got caught posting on forums...the only way they caught him is because he knew so much...even he didn't get into trouble.
I'm one of the principals in a small equity trading firm in Philly. We're not that big, but we're successful enough that I can call myself a pro. I imagine most of the "pro" equity traders are like us - quiet, small, in our own little corners eking out what we can from the market, while trying not to draw undue attention upon ourselves. I've looked around for industry/professional networks in Philadelphia. There's a lot for bankers and the like. Nothing to be found for traders, as far as I know.
You know it's funny you mention that. Talking with my wife's relative, whom lives in Dublin, she said Europe is a bit less who you know and more what you know. And she works at HSBC.