There are many definitions of a "trader". 1)speculator 2)some order taker on a retail/institutional desk. 3)market maker on an institutional desk 4)proprietary trader 5)hedge fund manager etc. etc. Study the field and get a better idea of what it is that captures your imagination.
Why don't you step off your high horse and deign to answer the young man's honest questions -- that way, you can get over your asshole phase and concentrate on shutting the fuck up.
Yes. Those days were over. I am not sure I shall live long enough to experience another bubble economy. In 1999, my friends and I were constantly complaining about our compensations: salary too low, bonus too small, etc. In that year, one of my friends turned down an offer with an annual compensation(salary plus bonus) close to $200,000, because the title of VP was not part of the package. It is amazing that people can be so blind. Well, I guess we need to learn the facts of life the hard way.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 6] Suggest avoiding what thay jokingly call ''hermit traders'' 7] Study also home office trading & Bright idea ''remote trading'' 17] Dont worry about but may study number gaps. I simply found the trading quote ''attitude of spending and splurging'' in that Princeton review article simply unbelievable. Matt-Zelemonte; No wonder Solomon warned us the simple believe every word; amidst the $80k-500k they listed AMEX as major FOREX employer??????????????????????????????????????? Might want to also study ticker DIA, SPY, QQQ. And ask AMEX about $80K-500k FOREX trading like that Princeton article said???????????????????????????????????????????? Don't know if Princeton library has practical trading books; elitetrader.com , click ''books at the top of this page, like Jack Schwager top trading books.
At an inroduction to a guest event at Landmark Education a few years ago the leader for the evening asked the guests that the ones that were overweight to please raise their hands. About a third of the audience raised their hands. Next the leader asked the people who knew how to loose weight to please put up their hands. Almost to a person the same people raised their hands. Clearly there is a disconnect between knowing how to do things and doing them successfully. The ability to get it done can not be discerned when one is still learning, it show up, or the lack of it, in actual trading. I would advise anyone wanting to enter the field to get their feet wet trading ASAP (even on the smallest scale in the beginning) to try to find out wether or not they are cut out for it, otherwise they'll spend years walking down the wrong path. What I find to be great about todays trading scene is that knowledge is readily available, information delivery is instant and cheap, support, like this forum and others, are available if one needs support and money to trade is available in one form or another. I feel that a bright enterprising enrgetic person has a great chance of making it with or without formal education.