During college my friend Michelle L Marquez and I both studied law and whilst I went on to work in journalism, she ended up sticking with it and ended up working for a group which deals with the legalities of the stock market such as arbitration, fraud prevention and securities trading. I caught up with Michelle recently as I wanted to write a piece about the stock market, and the people who make their living within this world. Michelle absolutely adores the stock market and she was more than happy to open up about why she loved it and what aspects of it she likes the most.
Pace
The first thing that my friend talks about is the high velocity pace of the stock market and how exciting the trading floor is. Although she doesn’t work directly on the floor, she tells me that without question this is the most exciting aspect of the stock market on the whole. She goes on to say that this pace is present in all aspects of jobs that are attached to the stock exchange and that everything must be done in an instant.
Global Economy
Michelle says that when she is dealing with clients, traders and looking at deals, she often faces the realization that this is the global economy which is being impacted by these deals. At times she says that she feels in awe of what she is doing and the impacts which her job alone has on an industry which fuels economies around the world. Whilst she may feel taken aback by this, she does tell me that this in fact is one of the favorite parts of her job and it is why she loves doing what she does.
Fascinating
Because Michelle and her team do not solely focus on one type of trade or industry, she is able to look over a huge number of different companies across many different sectors. She tells me just how much she loves this because every day is different and she can often learn a great deal about different industries. One day she tells me that she could be working in the energy sector and the next she could be looking into a new and upcoming aerospace company. The variety is something which she really loves.
The People
She admits that they aren’t for everyone but that she genuinely enjoys working alongside traders and brokers in this industry. In this world money, power and success are everything and that brings about a certain type of person. Admittedly she says that she doesn’t fraternize with anyone from the industry outside of the work place but in terms of people to work with she says that she wouldn’t wish for any other type of people.
It is easy to see why the stock exchange is such an attractive option for people, would you like a career there?