FAQ
I do not have any trading experience. Can I still apply?
We do not require any previous trading experience. Applicants from all disciplines are encouraged to apply as great traders can come from a variety of backgrounds. We do require that you have a strong passion for the market.
What kind of people become successful Traders?
Successful Traders come from a variety of backgrounds. Although many of our traders have experience in Finance, Economics, Mathematics/Statistics, Computer Science and Engineering, no formal experience or education is required. People from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
The most successful Traders are highly motivated individuals who demonstrate the desire to constantly improve. They also demonstrate a great degree of innovation and initiative, cornerstones of our business. Furthermore, successful traders exercise a great deal of discipline, emotional control, creativity, competitive drive, speed on the keyboard and love of the market.
How long does it take to become consistently profitable?
Becoming a Trader involves a steep learning curve and anyone thinking about a trading career needs to be prepared for this. A trading career is certainly not for everyone as becoming a proficient Trader requires a very particular set of skills that is not easily learned. Everyone learns at a different pace and there is no typical progression. In our experience, for those that are capable of doing this job, it can take anywhere from three to eight months to achieve consistent profitability.
How long is the typical workday?
The typical workday is market hours. The busiest time for a Trader is whenever the market is open. For instance, the NYSE is open from 9:30 AM ET to 4:00 PM ET. Traders are generally on the trading floor for the entire session. Also see “A Day in the Life of an Equity Trader” for more detailed information.
How are Traders compensated? Is there a base salary?
Halinova Trading is committed to rewarding success. Traders are compensated according to performance, earning a percentage of their trading profits. There is no base salary for a Trader.
What happens when a Trader loses money?
Using our risk management software, Traders are only allowed to sustain acceptable losses. If a Trader loses too much in one trading day that Trader would be forced to stop trading by our risk management systems. Compensation is calculated on a monthly basis so if there are any negative trading days in a Trader’s monthly results, the negative days would be subtracted from positive trading results.
If I am hired, what is the employment relationship? Would I be an employee and do you offer any benefits?
All Traders at Halinova Trading are considered affiliated independent contractors. We do not directly provide any benefits to Traders. We do, however, maintain a group health insurance plan that Traders are allowed to join.
What qualifications do I need to trade?
To intra-day trade at our firm you do not need any qualifications or certifications. We are not dealing with investments or providing any investment advice to the public and are not required to hold any special designations.
What are you looking for in an applicant?
The most important element needed for any applicant to be successful in this industry is to have a true passion for the markets. Our team is a group of highly motivated and dedicated people who understand what it takes to be an Equity Trader. Being a successful trader takes a lot of hard work and if you love the markets you will not mind the work.
Other attributes a successful applicant will posses include discipline, patience, emotional control, and competitive drive. We also place value on an applicant’s education, however, we are more interested in the personality of an applicant than we are with formal education and certifications.
Do you offer remote trading opportunities?
All Traders at our firm work on our trading floor located in Halifax, Nova Scotia. We do not offer any remote trading opportunities.
Do you have any part time or internship opportunities?
We do not offer any part time opportunities. Our Traders need to be on the trading floor while markets are open in order to take advantage of the best opportunities that can present themselves at any moment.
At the present time we do not have any internship opportunities available. Given the steep learning curve associated with the job we are not able to accommodate temporary internships. We are considering implementing internship opportunities in the future but for now there are no internship opportunities.
Many trading firms pass training fees on to traders, are there any fees associated with training at your firm? Do you require deposits from traders?
During the training period, trading fees are paid by the firm. Halinova Trading Inc covers the costs of training new traders. We do not require deposits from traders.