>I haven’t updated this blog for a while, and this is since its been a busy time for me. In the last few months, I’ve had a big change in my family life (I don’t live with them anymore) and have finally gotten out to the real world on my own. So far its been taking up too much of my time and energy and I haven’t been able to even focus on my programming and trading. I don’t have a full-time internet connection available to me, and so I haven’t been trading on the forex markets. Its okay though, since I’m currently at a 2% gain, and so my money is keeping up with inflation at the very least.

Canadian Securities Course

I was speaking to a few salespeople in the finance industry a few months ago. They sell exempt securities to accredited individuals, and speaking to them has rekindled my interest in the financial services industry. It has also made me want to be a salesperson and help people protect their money. Sales, after all, is where the money is. Salespeople get paid for performance, not time (Like me right now). They get paid based on how much value they contribute, and I love that idea right now. I want to be able to sell.

I am half-way through the CSC course right now, and will be writing the first exam on the 3rd of August, 2010. I think I’ll be good for completing the course by the end of August. After that, I hope to be a more attractive hire for banks and brokerage firms.

Networking

Hiring, however, is something that I’m finding is more of an inter-personal thing than what people are actually capable of. I’ve been told by many people that the best thing is not to be the most able applicant, but the most personable one. Presentation counts for more than ability in the labour market.

I can talk and communicate with people well, but I need to improve my contact list to include professionals instead of just students. The best option for me that I can think of is to get back to the Economic Club of Canada and volunteer with them. This will get me exposure to professionals that I want to have a regular working relationship with during my career. After that, its up to me to make a (Good) impression. That is definitely something that I can see myself doing well.

Programming

Finally, the last thing I can think of to improve my standard of living is my trading programming. Neural nets seem to be a most promising method of having the computer learn how to make more profitable trading decisions. I have found more resources for helping me with this, and will have to get started on working those resources. Nothing is going to get done if I continue to coast through life.

While I’ve had a major change in my life, the above 3 things are the things that I feel can help me improve myself and my standard of living. These are the things I should spend more of my time on.