I have just got an options trader job at a prop trading firm. But I knew nothing about options/trading/finance. The firms said they’ll be officially training us once we start. But in the meantime, what are some books/resources that you would recommend to start learning first?

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If you’re at a decent prop firm and you don’t have any trading knowledge, I’m going to assume you’re coming from a technical (math, engineering, etc.) background. After you get the basics down like what calls and puts are, I would focus on learning about volatility. For most options trading firms, volatility is the main driver of decisions, and understanding how that relates to the value of an option would be imperative. I’m sure your firm will give you the proper training, but if you want to get into the nitty gritty, “Option Volatility and Pricing” is a great place to start. It’s fairly technical, but I’m assuming that you can handle most of the math referenced.

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Thank you KPMG1

I would do a scan on Youtube and Spotify to see what comes up - there are some great vids and podcasts that can be helpful to get yourself in the right frame of mind

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Take a look at Investopedia.com. Easy to understand definitions and explanations.

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Will do thank you!

I have a friend who has been trying to break into prop trading firms - can you share any insights on how you landed the gig?

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Also if you’re friend is still in high school, it would be helpful for her/him to study and try for the IMO/IOI competition.

Options Trading Crash Course by Frank Richmond. Read it, never going to regret doing so, Highly recommend this one. Good luck with gaining some experience in the trade

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Hey congrats on the job, would you be willing to share a little more about your background and how you got into this job without prior experience ? I’d love to learn more if you’re okay with it

Had SWE and data scientist internships at big tech firm previous to applying. Applied directly on the company’s website for campus hire position. Passed resume screen then OT, rounds of interview. For the super day it was onsite, had two rounds of interview and a mock trading game. Pretty standard process overall

Is this boiler room? How did you get qualified?

Assuming you have been qualified to be given an offer, I thin you are technically equipped. For now, just focus on the technical areas of the job then let the training and experience supply the deficiencies. There is no rush to it anyway.

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