Job Responsibilities
Generally 40 hours per week is spent at a client site (major
investment bank). At least two hours each day are spent dealing
with the Market Data and Technical Support teams of the bank.
The software products we train people to use, despite providing
the Market Data folks with their jobs does make their jobs more
difficult so these two hours each day are spent taking a lot of
grief. Four hours per day is spent standing with your back
against a wall waiting for someone who needs assistance and then
two hours per day is spent actually teaching people how to use
the product(s).
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Job Requirements
Absolutely none. In fact, the more educated you are the more
you will come to resent this job. It's a paradox, you couldn't
have gotten this job without having had intense wall street
experience which itself mandates venerable levels of education
yet the more intelligent and educated you are the more you will
hate being a client trainer because it doesn't demand anything
of your brain.
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Uppers
The networking. If you want to meet a lot of Traders, Analysts and PM's this is
the job for you. Just be aware, they assume you're an idiot. If you're studying
for the GRE, GMAT or taking outside classes this job provides a significant
amount of paid study time.
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Downers
Intellectually unfullfilling. A client trainer is a
facilitator. Essentially, you enable other people to do their
jobs better. Your clients- Traders, Analysts, PM's assume that
the trainers have limited education and severely defficient
intellects. The fact that many of us are performing this job as
a bridge while looking for a permanent spot and that many of us
have multiple master's degrees and numerous years spent trading
or in analyst roles is infathomable to those whom we service.
The result is that trainers are generally treated very poorly by
their clients.
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Lifestyle
You're out when the school-bell rings, 4PM! Do expect to be on-site at 8am
though. And don't expect a desk, there's a lot of standing around a trading
floor with your back against the wall until someone yells, "Reuters, get the FUCK
over here!"
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Compensation
A first year trainer can expect to command a $60,000 salary
along with complete benefits, no bonus, no stock options. The
pay-off comes as you 'climb the ranks' to fill product expert
and sales positions.
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Advice to Jobseekers
Only pursue a client trainer position if you are interested in
sales. Market Data sales opportunities are hard to come by and
they generally require product expertise. Well, you will start
out being a product expert but when you transfer into sales it
becomes completely acceptable to know nothing about how to use
the products you are selling. Sales people earn limitless
income and are only required to know the selling points listed
in the product manuals. If sales doesn't interest you then use
a trainer opportunity as a bridge between permanent jobs. Don't
expect too much, it's a paycheck.
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