I am a college kid looking to get into trading but I want to work my way up from either being a runner or as a clerk to help support my way through school. I live in Chicago and I have no contacts at all. I just want to know if someone out there could just help me out.
don't want to be mean but you got no shot. i think you should look into fast food or if you got a car delivery. thats a favor kinda job and nobody will just give it to you.
Find out who runs the biggest hedge funds in the area...they employ runners etc. And don't take no for an answer.
it does not matter that you want it that bad. there are 1000 other guys who want it too. 500 on them are willing to do it for free. 50 of them have very wealthy parents or know somebody in the loop. i am not trying to burst your bubble but who are you. someone had a good idea goto any hedge fund and tell them you will work for free. say you will do anything from get lunch to mop floors to spend time working around big traders.
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% Romey1982; Easier to guide a moving boat; may spend time in as many exchange libraries as possible=win/win. May volunteer for work blairhull.com, Democrat leadership also can give phone number; another helpful hint, dont tell them how wise & victorious Reagan /Bush tax cuts were/are In all labor there is profit-Solomon trader king Trader king also got the labor vote.
Several years ago i had the same experience in chicago. I had moved to Chicago from NYC to pursue trading options from the ground up. When i got there, the situation looked bleaker for me than i had expected. No ads or classifieds. I had also contacted job placement agencies but they weren't much help What i did was go on to the library and find the phone numbers for as many of the hedgefunds, options brokerages and trading floors in the area. Alot of grunt work. Then i got on the phone all day calling. This went on for about 2 weeks. I had the good fortune to leave a message to a large options trader who's assistant had abruptly moved on to trade on his own. I stepped in and got the job. Find the numbers and call people. They're not all advertising. Good Luck, let me know how its going.
I agree with these other posters. For a runner or clerk job on the floor it is all about networking. If you live in chicago, you must know someone who knows someone who knows someone... who is a trader or works for one of the big brokerage firms. Are you in a fraternity at school? If you are, you probably have a chicago alumni chapter which can be amazingly helpful. If not, try your university's alumni club.