Beautiful example! (damn, I wish I'd thought of the, "get Dad to make the semester from hell go away!" thing. In my case, I guess it would have been seen as nepotism, lol.)
well it was basically luck. I didn't even know how to break into trading, outside of trading my own funds. my friend who sparked my interest in trading found the firm. the official term for the type of business is a proprietary trading company. I was lucky because my firm did not require the new traders to put money down (typically 10000+) to be able to trade. further I was lucky to find a place that has such a high success rate for new traders. I believe it is over 40% compared to 10% for traders on their own. our success is due to the coaching system, support staff, IT staff, and technology. anyhow, I do not recommend getting into trading on your own. it is simply too hard to expect to succeed before you go broke, which I almost did. it really helps a ton to have someone who trades for a living guide you. there is a ton more I can talk to you about, so if you want more info just shoot me off an email at robbie31580@gmail.com and we can talk.
Amusing...I also had similiar path. Spanish major > toured with dead > psyche major > neuroscience major > graduation > research assistant / bartender > full time bartender > backpacked around Asia and Europe for 6 months > gym rat with rich girlfriend > temp job > IT gig > computer sales > business school > energy analyst > gas scheduler > trader
ktvoss, like others, i say use the start of college to find what you kinda like...then if you still can't find it...then just go with what happens, just get a degree! For what to do after that...i'm there now, read below... Mateo and robbie380, sounds like a crazy exciting trip so far. I'm in a similar predicament as the thread-starter, but I just graduated college with a chem engineering degree and will soon start a job as a research engineer with a huge company...but I still have no idea what I want to do or what passion I will have in my life. I know I'm not locked in and I probably will drift around before finding my place in life... My question is, how much time did it take to settle into what you're doing now. Especially Mateo...seems like a couple lifetimes! I'm just scared about running out of time or eventually wanting to settle down with a wife and kids etc...Thanks, lazybum234
No but I think paladins are in demand these days.. or he can consider becoming a wizard and devoting his life to attaining mastery of the arcane arts. Even better, multiclass to a paladin/wizard Seriously, ktvoss, I'm a fresh graduate but it was during my four-year course that I realised what I really want to do with my life, and it has nothing to do with what I was studying.. now that I'm out, my next objective is to earn money as quickly as possible so I can pursue my second degree and "get back on track", so to speak My point being: We may sometimes take wrong turns and choose less suitable roads early in life, but if in doing so we discover the right paths for ourselves, then it's all good in the end (I hope so at least, for my own sake ). Selecting your degree is an important decision, but it's certainly not the be-all and end-all of career choice
I got my degree in Advertising, have been working in IT for 20+ years, and I play guitar in blues and alt-country bands at night. But what I really want to be is a flamenco dancer. Oh well. 45 years old is just too damn late for a career change.
How old are you? If your answer is between 18-20, you are not alone. Try to focus on the core classes for now and fill the rest with things that interest you. It never hurts to have a few degrees. Do you like to help people? If so, do you want to heal people? Do you like to build things? If so, do you like to create the things you build or strictly anjoy the act itself? Are you analytical? If so, how can you best utilize this that in a way that fulfills you, while getting paid? Is there a combination of the questions? Bio-Engineering, Technical marketing. There is no simple one answer. There are many questionaires that can shrink the list of opportunities and what the field requires. Try to find that short list and do some research into what it would take to prepare for each. It sounds like a lot of work and it is. Use your time in a constructive way. Always keep options open. I respect that it means a lot to you at this age. Good luck. If you're not 18-20, then stop living in your parents basement and make something of yourself!!!
It took a while. When I started in the energy business I was 28 while the rest of my "class" was 22 or 23. I just had my first kid at 35. However, I married someone younger than me. I wouldnt trade all of my travels for anything, however. Now I work like a dog and have yet to take my full 4 weeks of allocated vacation a year. The time I spend wandering the globe was worth being a couple of years "behind"
I pretty much knew what I wanted to be since age 15. I was going to be a doctor. I made it through college and even got into medical school. Right as I was about to start, I was recruited to work for a hedge fund. I decided that the chance to work for a firm of this sorts was a rare opportunity. This was right before the big boom in this industry. Now I work as chief stock trader for a hedge fund.
I was going to let him roll and then tell him how the dice will dictate the rest of his life 1: air conditioner repair guy 2: amway sales person 3: theoritical physicist 4: MRI technician 5: real estate mogul 6: dental floss tycoon 7: rock star party facilitator 8: OB/GYN 9: clutchfans BBS admin 10: commedian 11: merchant marine 12: wildcatter
