Many graduates when leaving university are uncertain of what path they should take next. Should they continue with studying, get a part time job while they decide what to do next or jump headfirst into a career? At Milkround we recognise it’s not always the easiest decision and the more information you have whilst making this choice, the better. With this in mind, Rhiannon Hughes, our Client Marketing Executive, went undercover and saw what a career in trading stocks and shares was really like…

When I was asked to take part in an afternoon of learning how to trade, I jumped at the chance. Having friends who have worked as traders, I’ve always been fascinated by this industry, although always remaining clueless about what it involves. So it was with excitement, and a bit of trepidation, I entered the Amplify Trading’s office – our host for the day.

First off, it was back to school as me and my fellow ‘traders’ learnt some of the basics. Will de Lucy, one of the co-founders, introduced us to the world of trading with a candlestick chart. Considering it was Friday afternoon it took a while for us to get our heads around, but eventually we managed to grasp it. If you are curious about this then you can check out this video on Amplify Trading’s website for more information.

Next, Piers Curran, the fellow co-founder and Head Trader, explained the reasoning behind each trader’s decision making. This is the part when I became really fascinated. It was intriguing to see the direct correlation between political events and the dramatic effect it would have on the market. Take for example, the financial unrest during August – with America and the European union, you could see a sharp drop during that period – in fact some of the worst drops we’ve seen since the recession began. Luckily during September it slowly started to improve.

As it turned out Friday was a good day to trade; there were not only announcements coming from America that would affect the market but the result of Berlusconi’s vote of no confidence was due to be announced. As Will explained the finer details of trading and the rules involved, I couldn’t wait to get started!

Sitting in the classroom was one thing but being on the trading floor was completely another. While I thought I understood the basics, as soon as I came to sit in front of my two screens I felt useless! The markets were changing quickly and I have to admit I was baffled to begin with! Luckily Will was on hand to explain it a bit further. At this stage I was beginning to fear I would be the worst trader of the day! Nevertheless, I started investing in the markets and analysing the data coming in, I slowly began to understand what was happening. This is when I really started to enjoy it.

The intense analysis that goes on before an investment really intrigued me. The thinking behind each buy was immense and showed that there was a real art to this. Whilst looking at my stocks and shares fluctuating on the market, I was also analysing charts as well as listening into Piers, who was relating the latest financial news and the impact this would have on the market. With all this information I was able to make a conscious decision of what to invest in next, waiting patiently for my shares to increase in value.

So, just as I was beginning to get my head around what I was doing, all the big financial news started coming in from around the world. On top of this the American markets had just opened. The movement of the shares started to change dramatically and I felt like I’d be thrown back to the beginning of the day. However I have to admit this just added to the excitement. It was time for me to apply the knowledge I’d learnt during the day, in a fast paced environment, where literally the value of the shares was fluctuating dramatically from minute to minute. It takes some real skill to keep calm and be able to analyse the impact of each news story, whilst this flurry of activity is happening.

After a whirlwind of figures, sums, graphs, political know-how and making a damn good profit the day ended as suddenly as it began! I was a bit disappointed it was over so quickly as I felt I’d learnt so much in the space of a few hours. I still have a long way to go on the learning front but it definitely gave me a new found respect for traders.

Don’t be put off by the numbers though; a good trader is someone that can analyse the small details, whilst looking at the bigger picture. It uses a number of skills, and graduates from varying degree subjects have taken trading up as a career. However don’t just take my word for it. Check out Amplify Trading to find out more.