spider87 Posted February 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 day trader and student and sales consultant at AD in London. Nice with the AD workers and stuff my biggest question in my mind has always been, do they require you to wear their product? I know clothing stores generally require their workers, if not in uniform, to wear the clothing they sell at the store and assume it would be the same type of deal with an AD. The problem their is price their you're talking a significant difference between wearing the clothing from AE and wearing an Omega(or other) watch. haha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
username here Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 self-employed- partner in an asset management firm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman_Fred Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 My forum name sort of gives the game away, although, after 24 years in the job, I rarely have to get "hot and sweaty" (except when I'm staying in my apartment in Turkey !!) and spend most of my working days driving a desk !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Yeah, by any measure I'm killing it lately. Blessed really. I am going to marry the girl of my dreams, have a great family, beautiful homes, great friends, my business has grown leaps and bounds, etc.. I just have to pinch myself sometimes. Notice I didn't mention work or money at the top of reasons why I'm successful. That will come automatically really if the rest is in line I believe. But here is the key: I'm GRATEFUL and I believe in the power of that as part of being successful. And it all means more to me because I appreciate it. I came from nothing - poor white trash. I busted my as*s to get educated and smarter and most of all never let up on the work ethic. I give it my all everyday - pedal to the metal. My advice to you at such a young age is be nice on the way up because you will come down at some point. Everyone does. From timeto time life will kick the everloving sh*t out of you and you will need all the allies you can get when that happens. Respect your elders and their experience and don't be a young little pr*ck. Trust me, there are far too many of them these days. Be confident, but not cocky. And as for what you choose to do for a career - pick something you are passionate about and it will make it all the much easier to be great at it. Other than that, what it is doesn't really matter. Oh yeah, me, I'm a trader. I own a private equity hedge fund which primarly trades specialzed derivative based return enhancement strategies for institutional clients (investment banks and larger hedge funds). I also have a software company that develops automated trading systems, risk management systems, and productivity tools again for larger funds, institutions, and money managers. And no, we are not down from these markets as that question always seems to come these days. Times are great. We trade many volatility keyed strategies and as such had a record year in 2008 for many of our asset classes for absolute returns. Great times for traders, the worst for investors... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whooperdog Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 day trader and student and sales consultant at AD in London. Sr. Quality Engineer by day - pay is better than good, work is sometimes quite chaotic (parts not fitting together, assembly lines going down, people not following procedures, etc.) but I thrive in these types of situations that I can "fix". I am just really happy to be gainfully employed right now. I consider myself fairly successful because I'm in a great relationship for 19+ years with the love of my life and have 3 rescue Dachshunds that I cherish. I finally got the car of my dreams last year, a 2002 Porsche Carerra Cabriolet, after biting the bullet and trading in my Mini Cooper S and my 1957 Porsche Speedster (replica). I do have a real Rolex but it's a 1950s Bubble-Back Grandpa-style watch (32mm) but I have starting wearing it everyday for the last month so I can get used to wearing the larger sizes, that way my options of finding a rep that I like are greater. I'm really happy I found this forum! whooperdog-gal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b16a2 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Success is a term that should be subjective. The real measurement of success in this life is how many people turn up to your funeral I was also 19 when I first joined these boards, luckily I knew what I wanted to do.....military aviator.....unluckily for me, it din't turn out medically. However, you get set backs in life, and I set my sights on something else, Im now about to finish my law degree and go and work for a good company. Do I consider this success.....to some degree yes. Do I consider it an important mark of who I am.....no.....the measurement of success comes from the journey that you make, not where you end up....it's about getting up each morning and motivating and challenging yourself. Success truly isn't measured in terms of status nor wealth. It is measured in happiness. Yes, money buys you freedom to do as you wish, however, it doesn't buy happiness, and that's why I don't think it is a measurement of success. Therefore, back to your OP, find something that you really enjoy. You can be passionate about it, and this will shine through in the work that you complete. If you don't know what you want to do, experiment, but ALWAYS keep your options open, never find yuorself closing doors....you never know when you might want to walk through it again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Hey, another MINI guy. I have an S too, but I kind of switched it around from you and got it after the Porsche - although I kept the Porsche too in my case. Did you love your MINI? I guess not enough cause you sold it, but I can't get enough of mine. I have been considering doing a Speedster rep though. They look like a lot of fun. I think I may build one when I tire of the MINI if I ever do. I have had the MINI a year now, although only 3500 miles on it or so. Just a runabout for store runs as I never leave the office really, but I bet the Speedster rep would fill that role nicely as well. I'll be PMing you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spider87 Posted February 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 (edited) My thing is I love programming in general so that seems like a good place to start. But the hard part is I feel like there's not enough time sometimes for the other stuff (not currently but ignore that factor haha). Like I love watches for instance and speedcubing (ok so my fastest time is only 1min 24 seconds but that's fast compared to my old 5min 47 sec) and I can see speedcubing probably wouldn't get me anywhere though it's fun. I also love money and making money in general. Days off I'm usually trying to dig up some way to make a few bucks and I would love to get into trading stocks or something. I would also love to get into watch repair. I've spent today reading the tz level 1 lesson. I feel like these are the places I thrive in. With programming my mind just works in a programming way I can hear something and pretty much picture the code to recreate it. With watchmaking/repair I have always been very patient with small parts and I have always had eyes that could pick up anything. I can find a 2mm eyeglass screw in a loose-rock driveway(2-3 times actually). But I really don't know where I want to go with life. It seems like while programming is a good field because computers themselves aren't going anywhere it seems like their are caps on it. A lady at an interview once asked me what I wanted to be in my career my answer was something like: "Well, in the end a CEO or the owner of a thriving company. I know for now that's unrealistic but that's where I want to be eventually. For now I would like to obtain a [hopefully] programming job with growth potential. Growth potential is a must because I feel given the opportunity I can go far." In my mind, I just want the ability to reach whatever height I want and that's why I am kind of questioning my programming decision as it seems there are caps that might hinder that wish. This is why I am considering doing something like trading on the side to keep my mind fresh and to keep money flow higher than just a simple 8-5 weekday job. EDIT: I realized after looking back at my post for some reason it's much easier to read long posts when they have avatars next to them haha so I added an av... it needs some work but it works for now... Edited February 25, 2009 by spider87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fireman_Fred Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Oh yeah, me, I'm a trader. I own a private equity hedge fund which primarly trades specialzed derivative based return enhancement strategies for institutional clients (investment banks and larger hedge funds). I also have a software company that develops automated trading systems, risk management systems, and productivity tools again for larger funds, institutions, and money managers. And no, we are not down from these markets as that question always seems to come these days. Times are great. We trade many volatility keyed strategies and as such had a record year in 2008 for many of our asset classes for absolute returns. Great times for traders, the worst for investors... Makes my job seem quite boring... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big e Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 I own 6 Insurance agencies and dabble in buying and selling beach condo's. I have been truly blessed after leaving a 6 figure salary 12 years ago from a fortune 500 company at 30 and everyone telling me I had lost my mind.Started with nothing but only my belief in myself. Only did it because I wanted to be my own boss and control my own destiny. I did not and you should not do it for the money. Do it because you love it and the income will follow. RobbieG and b16a2 said it beautifully. Yes I have other hobbies such as my Porsches and BMW's.Houses and ocean front beach condo's. But none of that matters if your not truly happy with yourself. Most importantly are my faith,family (2 kids and wife), health, and a whole lot of wonderful friends. Without these, no amount of money will make you happy. Surround yourself with POSITIVE people and POSITIVE things will happen. I love b16a2 saying that success is determined by how many people show up at your funeral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 I'm a UNIX sysadmin. I manage servers for clients you've heard of. I used to be a graphic designer and RPG writer back when RPGs happened around a table instead of at a keyboard. Successful? Well, I'm not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but I have no debt, apart from on the house I live in. I consider myself successful though as it's not all about money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spider87 Posted February 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 (edited) ??? Jetmid??? jk haha congrats big e @Pugwash, that's awesome man part of my excitement about this new job is that I've actually heard of some of our clients haha. My old job with an IT company we managed servers and networks for companies but small companies that I'd never heard of. It's not everything but it's a quick way to know where your company stands in the scheme of things. Edited February 25, 2009 by spider87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephane Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 I'm 48 and for the last 31 years have managed to stay "alive" and "happy". Quit school at 17, sold Hi-Fi, records, became a dj, then a radio founder and presentor, moved to dating phone services and mucic production... Well, today, I'm still happy allthough I split from the wife, I have 2 great kids at home 50% of my time...that is essential. Work and income have been terribly bad for the last year but who cares! On top of my kids, and at my age, I can't wait to fall in love one of these days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b16a2 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 I love b16a2 saying that success is determined by how many people show up at your funeral. I work voluntarily at my local airport at the weekends, just for the love of being around the aircraft. One of the instructors there sadly died after a serious aircraft failure. He was reknowned nationally for his passion, skill and most of all...his candour. 100's of people turned up to his funeral, we packed (literally) a hangar full of people and a personal friend who owns a Spitfire did a 15 minute display in memory of him......if that's not success I don't know what is. He wasn't rich, but he lived the life he wanted to. His compassion and drive eminated from him. A true gentleman. Spider, you have a passion for programming, and you want to be a CEO of a good company....so you know where you want to be. Now fill in the details, and take that journey. It might not ever be as simple as follwing steps A,B, and C, but it sounds like you have ambition and that is key! Also remeber in this life you can chop and change between careers. If you find programming starts to lose it's appeal after 5 years, maybe look into something else that you enjoy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numptyj Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Not sure we still have 72 days (the licenses are only good for 60) so we have to wait a while before getting them still. I'm hoping they don't cross examine us lol. Though I've been with my fiance for 7 years almost now and I feel I know her well enough to pass any test she's still a woman haha. Not to be offensive they just have their hard to understand moments.... :-p ...really? Your 19 and have been with our fianc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugwash Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 @Pugwash, that's awesome man part of my excitement about this new job is that I've actually heard of some of our clients haha. I know you'll have heard of some of the clients I manage sites/servers for. One was even mentioned in this very thread ... :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spider87 Posted February 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 ...really? Your 19 and have been with our fianc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numptyj Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Crazy [censored] isn't it? The actual numbers are that I was 13, she was 14 my '7 years' statement is a rounded estimate it will be 7 years as of May 8th this year. wow, fair enough! Have a date for your wedding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spider87 Posted February 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 (edited) @numpty, May 16th actually of this year :-) We're excited but also stressed out (inevitably) haha that rush of trying to get everything planned and done is something one shouldn't go through too many times haha bad for the heart... ;-P @Pugwash, I'm going to guess, after rereading the thread, either Mini, Porsche or Nintendo? Edited February 25, 2009 by spider87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
e6rnd Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 lol bit of a contradiction. No really though check your PM in a min @e6, what do you sell? investments its nothing amazing but u can hit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
numptyj Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 @numpty, May 16th actually of this year :-) We're excited but also stressed out (inevitably) haha that rush of trying to get everything planned and done is something one shouldn't go through too many times haha bad for the heart... ;-P @Pugwash, I'm going to guess, after rereading the thread, either Mini, Porsche or Nintendo? Cool! All the best with the future! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spider87 Posted February 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 @e6, that sounds awesome. Have always wanted to do something in sales too I think I'd make a pretty good salesman. Have you ever listened to the cd set 'The Psychology of Selling'? I used to have it loop basically in my car on my 1:15 commute to school @numpty, thanks man you too! :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Not sure we still have 72 days (the licenses are only good for 60) so we have to wait a while before getting them still. I'm hoping they don't cross examine us lol. Though I've been with my fiance for 7 years almost now and I feel I know her well enough to pass any test she's still a woman haha. Not to be offensive they just have their hard to understand moments.... :-p I guess it just depends on the protocols For us, it was essentially a case of she had a fifteen minute chat with the registrar, then I went in, and had a fifteen minute chat, just so they could cross-check our answers, and then we got the licences Not offensive at all, bro, you couldn't be more correct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spider87 Posted February 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 haha thanks teej. Bah no wonder the thread died... I hate when they move threads >_< lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobbieG Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Makes my job seem quite boring... Well it is exciting when the trades are happening sometimes as we trade shorter term intraday in many of our funds. But mostly we wait, and wait, and wait. That is why I'm here and posting so much 18 hours a day. So mostly it is pretty boring. I mess with our assistant and throw sh*t at programmers, watch tv, movies, play pool, whatever and everything is set up with audio alerts so I kind of put the game face on and spring into action. I never get nervous really anymore as everything is so mechanized in my brain. Just repeating behaviors like a machine (and with machines more and more). But when new staff or otherwise people think about the numbers we push around and they get pretty nervy. You just have to not think and just do your thing I guess. Keep in mind, even in the smalllest scalp type order we trade in one particular account, we are controlling maybe 50M or so worth of the S&P and risking somwhere on the order of up to $150,000 for a single trade which could be over in 6 seconds if it gets taken out at the full stop. Of course if we win we are going to make more than that on the same trade obviously and we try to do the latter a little more than the former if you know what I mean. LOL. So yes, I guess when you think of the numbers and the heat is on it is probably pretty far from boring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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