How Do You Become An Institutional Stock Trader?
Becoming an institutional stock trader is a process that typically takes many years along a well-defined career path. While there is more than one way to become an institutional stock trader, by far the most common path is attaining a college degree in a quantitative discipline, going to work at an investment bank as an analyst, earning an MBA, returning to investment banking as an associate, and then transitioning to a hedge fund or other institution as a trader. Step 1 Earn a degree in a quantitative discipline from a “target” school. Quantitative degrees in fields such as math, physics, computer science and engineering are highly valued by investment banks, especially as they relate to trading. Getting a math degree is not enough, however. It has to come from the right school, and you must maintain at least a 3.5 GPA. Target schools are those schools from which the major investment banks specifically recruit. The banks will often do their recruiting on-campus at these schools. Examp
