What would you need to quit your job and become a professional investor?

[nomore4s]

As Tech says, you don't need to get bored out of your mind hunching over a computer all day to make money.

I always have a bit of a laugh to myself when I see this posted about full-time trading. This statement could be applied to the majority of office jobs imo, and quite a few manual labour jobs as well (ie being bored out of your brain), let's be honest here there would be only a small % of the population that would be truly happy with their jobs and not change it if given the opportunity(ie not having to work or compete for said position).

 

[tech/a]

I always have a bit of a laugh to myself when I see this posted about full-time trading. This statement could be applied to the majority of office jobs imo, and quite a few manual labour jobs as well (ie being bored out of your brain), let's be honest here there would be only a small % of the population that would be truly happy with their jobs and not change it if given the opportunity(ie not having to work or compete for said position).

You think?

I dont have one employee here who doesnt love getting up in the morning to face anoter challenging day.
They wont last 2 minutes with the other guys if they are complainers or slackers.
New people dont have to impress me they have to impress the crews.

I love the challenge of business---our business and I make sure that the acceptance of that challenge is infectious. I breed Passion here.

If your bored in a job --change jobs and do yourself and your employer a big favor.
Most employers would cringe at the thought of employees bored with their jobs.
Sure it happens but you always have a choice regardless of the level of position.

 

[againsthegrain]

LOL my full time job I sit in front of the pc all day refreshing the same sites and checking my watch lists, it is almost like im a trader working with a base salary chasing bonuses placing buy and sell orders online.

So why not get into the work force, sounds like you might be scared. When i was 19 still at uni I used to have the same ideas, yea start a business and never do the 9-5 im too good for that ... only suckers work for a boss.

In most cases you can't get to the top without starting at the bottom

 

[prawn_86]

Most employers would cringe at the thought of employees bored with their jobs.
Sure it happens but you always have a choice regardless of the level of position.

Clearly you have never, or know people who have, worked in big corporate/government structures then.

I know heaps of people who work for banks or government depts that are bored, and the employers couldnt care less. State gov departments are shocking for this especially.

And back on topic:
I would need at least 500k is i was going to live o/s, or 1m to be living in Australia and make a 'living' off my investments

 

[againsthegrain]

Clearly you have never, or know people who have, worked in big corporate/government structures then.

+1

Thats exactly where I am, and if it wasn't for trading, investing, research and my other hobbies and extra money generation to which I have to sadly resort during my work day I would become a vegetable like half of the co-workers who I see on facebook and heraldsun page always clicking refresh

 

[nomore4s]

You think?

I dont have one employee here who doesnt love getting up in the morning to face anoter challenging day.
They wont last 2 minutes with the other guys if they are complainers or slackers.
New people dont have to impress me they have to impress the crews.

I love the challenge of business---our business and I make sure that the acceptance of that challenge is infectious. I breed Passion here.

If your bored in a job --change jobs and do yourself and your employer a big favor.
Most employers would cringe at the thought of employees bored with their jobs.
Sure it happens but you always have a choice regardless of the level of position.

Again only small % of the population work for good employers, you have seriously rose coloured glasses on if you think otherwise. Also for the majority of people changing jobs isn't that easy due to a number of reasons ranging from lazyness to incompetence.

 

[againsthegrain]

Again only small % of the population work for good employers

There was a article I read not long ago that gave statistics of something like 80% are not happy with their jobs and would change jobs if opportunity presented itself. But I think only 20% were actively looking for new jobs.

So it just shows how many are actually doing something about it and how many are sitting there and being inefficient.

 

[tech/a]

Again only small % of the population work for good employers, you have seriously rose coloured glasses on if you think otherwise. Also for the majority of people changing jobs isn't that easy due to a number of reasons ranging from lazyness to incompetence.

You guys are a laugh.

I work with some of the largest building companies in Australia.
Fulton Hogan
Baulderstones
Hindmarsh
Multiplex.
Many Government and Council Bodies.
Dept Road Transport.

Bored pathetic employees deserve to be bored.
They are generally their for "The security" and the Govt perks.
Your right Employers wont give a damn about drones.
They have no added value to the employer--why should they add value to someone who clearly doesnt seek it!!

The egg doesnt have to stay with the chicken it has a choice!!

 

[againsthegrain]

Anyway I think the OP should get into the workforce, get the feel how it is to work and get some experience. Skipping work and going straight to being sucessfull investor, business owner etc is just too easy.
You need to get the feel of value of money and how it is to work for it.

 

[Julia]

I always have a bit of a laugh to myself when I see this posted about full-time trading. This statement could be applied to the majority of office jobs imo, and quite a few manual labour jobs as well (ie being bored out of your brain), let's be honest here there would be only a small % of the population that would be truly happy with their jobs and not change it if given the opportunity(ie not having to work or compete for said position).

If you're "having a bit of a laugh to yourself" about what I said, I'd suggest you have misinterpreted the comment.

What I thought was quite clear was that I was echoing Tech's advice that to make money, provided you have a decent capital base, you don't have to be avidly glued to a computer screen watching every movement of the market.

The jobs of many people may involve their doing mindless, repetitive stuff but has nothing to do with the point I was making.

I agree with Tech: if you're doing a job which isn't interesting, challenging and satisfying, go and find one that is. There are plenty.

 

[stargazer]

Any vacancies Tech. What sort of jobs?

So how do you make money without being glued to the screen. We talking weekly time frame charts..? daily?


cheers
SG

 

[tech/a]

Any vacancies Tech. What sort of jobs?

So how do you make money without being glued to the screen. We talking weekly time frame charts..? daily?


cheers
SG

Civil Construction we have employees find us---dropping off resume's
My timeframe is Day to a few weeks.
Im at an advantage as its on my desk and Im the boss!
While its there its only a cursory glance and maybe an alteration to a stop level or twice a day I do a scan and may place a trade or so.
15 min each time. Just set and forget monitoring takes around 30 min total a day.
I need to leave the office be in meetings take calls and talk to you guys!!

 

[nomore4s]

You guys are a laugh.

I work with some of the largest building companies in Australia.
Fulton Hogan
Baulderstones
Hindmarsh
Multiplex.
Many Government and Council Bodies.
Dept Road Transport.

Bored pathetic employees deserve to be bored.
They are generally their for "The security" and the Govt perks.
Your right Employers wont give a damn about drones.
They have no added value to the employer--why should they add value to someone who clearly doesnt seek it!!

The egg doesnt have to stay with the chicken it has a choice!!

Not sure telling us what companies you work with/for has to do with the discussion.

I'm not disputing the fact that there are opportunities to improve/change your options at work I'm just highlighting the fact the majority do not actually act upon these opportunities.

 

[skc]

Being bored is a subjective thing. Given 100% identical situation one person might find it boring while others find it interesting - stamp collection being one example. Trading is another one. I love my trading and it's by far the least bored I've ever been with my career...

I worked in civil engineering as a fresh grad - I was so bored that I actually enrolled in a university doing an arts degree majoring in philosophy (which no doubt many will find boring)...

Back on topic... I think the general view here is that the OP should seek employment, but obviously it's up to him/her to decide. What is important to takeaway, however, is that your capital base assumption is inadequate, and you need to plan in more detail about managing cashflow.

Civil Construction we have employees find us---dropping off resume's
My timeframe is Day to a few weeks.
Im at an advantage as its on my desk and Im the boss!
While its there its only a cursory glance and maybe an alteration to a stop level or twice a day I do a scan and may place a trade or so.
15 min each time. Just set and forget monitoring takes around 30 min total a day.
I need to leave the office be in meetings take calls and talk to you guys!!

If you spend 30 minutes a day trading and 6 hrs a day posting, how much time do you have for your civil business?

 

[tech/a]

If you spend 30 minutes a day trading and 6 hrs a day posting, how much time do you have for your civil business?

My "bored" staff take care of the important issues.
I take care of the very important issues.(There are less of those.)

 

[againsthegrain]

My "bored" staff take care of the important issues.
I take care of the very important issues.(There are less of those.)

The whole office is posting on asf and looking busy LOL

 

[FxTrader]

I really don't understand it when people say they would be bored without a regular day job. Do you find weekends boring being away from work? Wouldn't you value more free time to pursue other interests, hobbies, etc? You say it "doesn't take up a lot of time" as if that's a bad thing. Surely that's a positive thing, as you'd have more free time to do all those other things that you don't currently have time for. I don't know about you, but my weekends are never long enough to get even half the things done that I'd like to.

I can tell you that being a full time investor/trader as an occupation in itself is not boring but filling in the time when you're not trading can be. Trading can be a very lonely occupation, that's why some try to achieve balance by having other work. I keep myself occupied doing many things and don't miss being a wage slave but do miss the company of colleagues.

To be able to get out of the rat-race and be financially independent, my own boss, have to answer to no-one, to do something I enjoy (trading), get well rewarded for my efforts and get a great scene of accomplishment from doing it, to not have to be up early every morning for the mindless daily commute, to have more time to spend with family - that would be a dream come true for me. Isn't that everyone's dream? I could imagine nothing better!

In most respects your depiction is correct and while it's not quite a paradise you do have more personal freedom and free time to pursue other interests. There is little joy being trapped in a job you dislike (or hate) because you need the money to pay the bills each month - the vast majority fall into this category.

Pursue your dream, it's worth the effort but few will succeed because when it comes to money, most can't handle taking a loss and don't treat full time investing like an a profession. Learning to invest wisely and profitably will serve one well their entire life, regardless of whether or not you chose investing/trading as a profession. Living month to month, counting on a thankless job and good health to get by and investing little for the future other than in the family home is not a recipe for financial freedom and the lifestyle it can offer.

 

[Julia]

I can tell you that being a full time investor/trader as an occupation in itself is not boring but filling in the time when you're not trading can be. Trading can be a very lonely occupation, that's why some try to achieve balance by having other work. I keep myself occupied doing many things and don't miss being a wage slave but do miss the company of colleagues.

Agree that a sense of isolation can be very real, especially if you're used to bouncing ideas off others before you make a decision.

Some of this isolation can be remedied by using your spare time to become involved in voluntary activities in your community, thus widening your area of interest and avoiding becoming too obsessed by market stuff alone.

To me, the greatest advantage of not being employed in the usual sense, is being able to set your own timetable and not to have a boss.

 

[skyQuake]

Agree with above, trading by urself will net you a lot of bad habits.

Trading in a firm with like minded individuals is better than sitting at home by urself!

 

[Bill M]

And back on topic:
I would need at least 500k is i was going to live o/s, or 1m to be living in Australia and make a 'living' off my investments

I think you are pretty close to the mark there.