5 Different Trader Jobs You Would Be a Fool to not Consider

One thing will soon become clear as you start looking for trader jobs in South Africa. There are lots of them to consider applying for, which means it is wise to find out more about them. The more you know, the more you will be able to ascertain which ones will appeal to you and your skills most of all.

So let’s look at some of the job titles you can expect to come across when you are searching for jobs in the trading industry.

1 - Internal trader

This is a different type of trading job to the one that comes to mind when you think of standing on the sales floor in the stock market. Here, the position is created inside a specific company. It is still related to sales but it does not involve trading things on the stock market, so make sure you bear this in mind.

2 - Junior trader

As the title would suggest, this is a junior position that enables you to get your foot in the door. You will occasionally see junior positions offered in specific areas, such as the agricultural futures market for example. The contract may last for a year or so, during which time you can learn more about this area and earn a wage as well.

3 - Derivatives trader

Here you would be trading in derivatives. As with the job above this is likely to be a contract position, lasting for perhaps six to twelve months. You are unlikely to spot many junior positions in this area though, so you will usually need to demonstrate experience in this area before you apply.

4 - Trader

You will see lots of job titles that have no more than the single word ‘trader’ attached to them. However upon closer inspection you will discover they may involve a specific area of trading. For example you may see an advert for a grain trader, or a steel trader or even a meat trader. These trader jobs indicate the area you would be trading in, so it pays to have some experience or training in the area you want to go into.

5 - Trader assistant

You will occasionally see this type of job title available too, although as with the above role it will often be focused on a specific area. For example you might be an equities trader assistant. In this case you would assist the trader training in their daily work. In fact it can be an excellent role to take on if you want to gain some practical experience before moving on to a main trading position. If you didn’t have this experience you may find it more difficult to break into trading.

As you can see there are lots of trading jobs you could end up going into. This means it is vital to gain some qualifications in the right areas before applying. Of course you can find out a lot by reading the requirements given in the job listings, so bear this in mind as well.

Trader Training: Is it necessary in order to become a trader in South Africa?

The world of trading seems to be a very mysterious one to begin with. And yet trader training is absolutely necessary if you want to succeed in this career path. The main thing to focus on is the one exam you must pass before you can start work as a trader.

What is this exam?

It is called the Registered Persons Examination and it is provided by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. This is often abbreviated to the JSE. You must obtain a pass mark in this exam to be able to register as a trader. In a sense, this is the most important part of your trader training – if you don’t pass this exam you cannot legally become a trader.

Do you need a degree in order to become a trader?

It certainly helps to have one, yes; you’ll find you may struggle to get ahead in this profession if you don’t have one. The best course of action is to consider the area of trading you want to go into. This will help you choose the most appropriate degree for your needs.

For example, let’s say you want to trade in agricultural futures. In this case it would pay dividends to gain a degree that focuses on agriculture, as it will help you understand what is involved. In other cases a more general degree would suffice, such as a BCom. This is a Bachelor of Commerce degree, and indeed you will often see this referred to when you look at job vacancies in the trading arena.

What about learning on the job – is this possible?

You can find junior positions in various areas of the stock market that are offered by various companies. Indeed this can be a good way to gain entry into the trading profession.

Even here though, you cannot simply step into the role without having prior trader training of some kind. In many cases this will mean gaining a Bachelor of Commerce degree, as well as passing the JSE Registered Persons Examinations. You cannot take on even a junior position without first having passed these exams, so it is prudent to find out more about them as soon as you can.

Junior positions are a good way to learn more about the job itself, once you have the right qualifications. You will be paid to learn and it is a good way to begin trading while under the tutelage of a particular company. Once you have more practical experience in this way, you can move on to other trader positions with other companies if you wish.

As you can see there is a lot to keep in mind if you want to get trader training to embark on this career. With so many different areas to trade in, you may find you are interested more in one area over another. If this should occur you can plot a path through trader training to get you to where you want to be – once you have passed the JSE exams, of course.