Day Trading for a Living Training – Before you even consider taking the leap towards becoming a full-time stock trader, you should make sure you are properly equipped. You wouldn’t quit your job to become an engineer without any proper training, right? What are your of chances of succeeding? The same logic applies to trading. Start developing the proper expertise before even considering a career in day trading. You can read 1000 books on trading theory and still get crushed by the markets. Theory and practice are two different skill sets. Most traders need to spend some time actually trading before they can get a real feel for the markets. If you are even considering becoming a full-time trader, make sure you are trading consistently. This will allow you to set realistic expectations for the future. Consistency is proof that you have actually developed an applicable skill set. For a new trader, there’s more long-term value in making $5,000/month for 12 months than making $200,000 your first month and $0 the rest of the year. Sure, one provides a higher short-term monetary value, however, it is less sustainable in the long run. There are plenty of day traders and swing traders out there, many of them engaging in the stock market at different levels. Some people utilize day trading for a living, while others just trade for a few hours a day to bring in some extra income. One of the questions I get asked a lot is, “when is the right time to make the leap to full-time day trading?” Of course, there is no universal answer to this question, however there are a few considerations that come into play. It should be noted that day trading is not as glamorous as it is often portrayed to be. Trading stocks is not about “making bank” or living an exotic lifestyle. For full-time day-traders, trading stocks is a career. This means it requires work – work that entails sitting by the computer for hours a day staring at screens. You are not guaranteed to make millions of dollars. Heck, you’re not even guaranteed to get paid. Day trading is one of the few career choices where you are not guaranteed a paycheck, and you may even lose money after investing hours of your time. Discouraged yet? Don’t be. This is not intended to critique day trading as a career. I trade every day and I love it. This post is intended to be a reality check that allows you to set realistic expectations that will help you take the necessary steps to achieve your goals. It’s also important to note that this post is targeted towards people who want to know how to start day trading full-time (meaning you are leaving your other job to pursue day trading full-time). Some of these points will not be relevant to those who trade as an extracurricular activity.
