Does prop. trading experience really hurt your resume? http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=69342 Please share your thoughts, positive or negative.
I was on that thread...so let me clarify something Nothing hurts a resume if it is not on there... I used to own a recruiting firm, so i have written a few hundred resumes.. Put "RELEVANT work experience" on the resume, and if you traded prop...it doesnt fall under relevant. so dont put it on there. if they ask tell them the truth. "i took a couple years to persue an entreprenurial venture while i was young, unfortuantely it didnt work out....but i sure am gald i did it!" A resume is designed to make you look as good as possible without lying. there are lots of ways to do that.
I suppose it really depends on what job you'd be going for. The scope of someones market knowledge, if they're only traded prop, can be very limited so I can see how some wouldn't consider a prop traders credentials the same as other types of traders w/ large firms.
All mentions of prop trading hurting your resume seem to be assuming that it was a failed venture. Would it still hurt your resume if you were very successful at prop trading and decided to move on to bigger and better things?
Good questions. Most of the corporate are institutional whereas props are retail. You learn to build models based on fundamental and technicals at prop. You are stick with one or two instruments in prop.