Been trading my own account for about 6 months now and feeling ready to take it to the next level.
Most job boards seem to want years of experience or fancy degrees. Where do actual beginners break into prop firms or trading companies?
Avoid mainstream job boards. Prop firms prioritize results over degrees.
Look for smaller firms that offer funded accounts after you complete their trading challenges. Firms like FTMO and MyForexFunds allow you to demonstrate your skills through real performance results.
Once you complete a few challenges and show profits, use that record to approach regional firms directly.
Networking is key. Attend local trading meetups and connect with traders on LinkedIn. Many job openings are not advertised.
Start with the evaluation programs from prop firms. I got my first trading gig through a $10k eval with The Funded Trader back when I was starting out.
The thing is, most legit firms care more about your P&L screenshots and consistency than where you went to school. Keep detailed records of your trades for the past 6 months - that’s your real resume.
Check smaller local firms too. They’re less picky about experience and more willing to train people who show they can actually make money. Found my second position just by cold calling trading desks in my city.
Also try reaching out to successful traders on social media. Some of them mentor new traders or know about openings that never get posted anywhere.
Check smaller firms after completing challenges.
Document your trading performance from those 6 months with clear profit and loss statements because that will be your strongest selling point.
Some prop firms accept traders based purely on live account results without needing challenge programs, so prepare a track record that shows consistent monthly gains.
Consider reaching out to forex signal services or trading educators who sometimes hire traders to manage client accounts or help with research work.
Try remote prop firms first. They care less about location and more about results than traditional firms.