i worked on the cboe for years... if you want to get noticed...type up your resume and go down to the floor... dress to the nines...look the trader in the eyes and tell them you want to learn the business and don't mind working your ass off... don't take offense to the tone of this because it is nothing compared to what you will hear in the real world... i used to hire clerks with or without education...it all depends on your attitude... if your aggressive, show it...if your a wallflower...your in the wrong business...
I know a few girls that started off as deck holders at the CBOT and CME (even recentley). 2 are in the cattle pit at the MERC, 1 in Eurodollars, and the others at the BOT in bond/note options. After a while if you show your worth something some will fund you to trade. Like what was being said above, you need to dress to impress, go down and stand outside & pass out some resumes (I've even heard of some people, standing outside, offering to buy a trader a decent lunch so they can sit down and get a contact going). (but only if this side of the business interests you)
That was going to be my next question... What do I tell security when I walk in? I'm willing to do this, but do you mean go to the offices at the CBOE or the actual floor?
you must know somebody who knows somebody... a friend of a friend ? if you want it you will figure it out... not trying to be cruel... think of yourself as a trader groupie...what would they do?
This is also part of my concern. I have read this other places too when researching the job with JPM. The reason I am considering it is because it gets me closer to trading. I've seen it be called a dead end job in a lot of my research which is another deterrent from me taking the position. Is anyone out there heard of people transitioning from Operations to Trading?
If you want to trade, and you know it.... The payoffs for becoming a great trader are so very high. The younger you are, the less you risk in terms of opportunity cost to try (thats is, if you are not good or decide that actual trading is not your thing.) If you need comfort, you might stay with the job offer you have. But great success and comfort seem inversely proportional. This includes creature material comforts as well as the potential illusory comfort of going along with what your family and friends might think the best for you. Great traders trade. If thats your gut, don't you feel like you need the shortest route between where you are now and where you wanna be? An analyst isn't a trader. Neither is someone working in the back office. Only when you put your decisions on the line and you come face to face with the values you associate to money, via trading, will you become a good or great trader. I would start a networking project for youself of everyone you know. Tell them what you want to do, get references, names, numbers. You should in a few weeks or even days, have direct contact with people who can open the door for you, and you will have to then take a step inside.
Oh...of course you can transition from a back office job to trading, just like a person who works in a manhole can transition to trading. I just believe, when you have it in your gut, that is a whole lot of intuition pointing you in a direction. Get on the express train and see what its like while that feeling is in you. That doesn't mean to say its going to be comfortabl or easy. Great things seem to rarely feel like that in the process.
if your plan is to get your foot into the door and then transfer to trading or ib, this will be a near zero probabliity way of doing it. the reason is because you will be viewed as a lowly operations and back office person. they will think you are inferior to them and not worthy of their ranks. this assessment is often unfair, but that's just how it works.
i see your point but i would say that a person's competitiveness and determination is very difficult to assess without really knowing the person. there's a difference between being talented and being competitive. a benchwarmer can be the most competitive and hard working person on his team, but doesn't have the physical talent to be a starter. the starter can score with ease and will always be more accomplished than the benchwarmer in this game. play a different game and the roles are reversed.