Ever Wonder What it’s Like on a Trading Floor?

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If you’re considering a career in finance or think you have what it takes to work on the trading floor of a major Wall Street financial firm, it might be worth your while to scope out a few videos just so you know what you’re up against prior to making the plunge.

Depending on your education, your chosen specialty, and of course, what’s going on in global markets from day to day, the action will almost certainly vary. However, the videos compiled below give a fairly good representation of what it’s like on various financial firm trading floors, as well as what will be expected of you… if you’re lucky enough to land a job at one of them.

Research Analyst at UBS

Fixed Income Trading Floor at BlackRock

Assistant Trader at UBS

Senior Traders at Morgan Stanley Trading Floor

The Independent Day Trader

A Tour of the New York Stock Exchange Trading Floor

Even Financial Firms have their Pranksters

Just because you’re working in one of the most stress ridden, high pressure environments on the planet, it doesn’t mean you can let your guard down around your prankster coworkers. (Or you’re just a jackass and wanted to show up a TV host.)

As I mentioned, these videos cover a fairly broad range of the trading floors around Wall Street, as well as the rest of the global finance community. So if you were expecting a trading floor scene straight out of a Hollywood film like Boiler Room or thought trading floors were nothing but row after row of stressed out traders, then I’m sorry to burst your bubble. I’m sure there are days where traders are yelling and screaming at one another, but I would bet most financial firms want to avoid that type of work environment as much as possible.