Copyright (c) 2010 John Howell

The stock market is a fast-paced and often exciting yet pressure-filled world. Working on the trading floor or even online for a major company as you help trade or sell their equity can be financially lucrative for someone with a solid know-how of equity trading and a desire to work in trading and daily stock sale operations.

So what does it take to get a job in equity trading? Here are a few ways you can break into this exciting career field:

First, get a degree - While it's most helpful to seek out a degree in finance, professionals involved in equity trading need to have an in-depth knowledge of their company's products and services.

Part of selling equities requires the equity trading pro to "tell the story" of why an investor should purchase company stock. In other words, you'll also need an education in the field that you're interested in selling and maybe even some psychology courses to help you understand human behavior and sales.

Next, read all you can - Getting familiar with financial instruments and the people you'll be selling them to should be your first priority if you want to work in equity trading.

Your job will involve transactions in bonds, equities, foreign currency, options, and futures. You'll be equity trading with large commercial banks and financial institutions, investment banks, and even large institutional investors. Therefore, it's crucial that you stay up-to-date on current affairs in business, economics, and even foreign affairs. If a deal goes south because there was a terrorist attack in Madrid, you'll need to know about it and know how to respond.

Finally, learn how to sell - Careers in equity trading can open up a number of doors for the individuals willing to take them on. If you want to work in equity trading, one of the best places to start is by getting a job in sales.

Working in a fast-paced, sale-oriented environment will teach you how to be persuasive, how to be persistent, and how to hear "no" over and over again without taking it personally. The faster you learn to adapt to a situation, the better off you'll be.

Once you've learned how to sell, attaining a job in equity trading is a matter of finding a firm you like and taking on a job that allows you to support their staff until you can get into your dream position.