Robo-investing careers are currently among the hottest and most sought-after options open to those adept at robotics. Even those who have just taken a few formal or online classes in the subject should take advantage of their unique knowledge and talents. The field is a subset of the automated investing trend taking brokerage firms by storm. Many consumers with spare cash and a bit of time are opening trading accounts to earn extra money.
Some new account holders, however, like the idea of active buying and selling but don’t have the time to spend hours per day managing their money and following the ups and downs of market activity. Their solution is to use robotic algorithms as part of a larger brokerage template to trade effortlessly. Robot-oriented trades use pre-written rules via computer code to purchase and sell securities with minimal human oversight.
Because brokers are inundated with first-time trading enthusiasts, now is an opportune time for those with programming skills to step up and develop trading bots. The career potential is virtually unlimited because savvy programmers can work as independent creators or sign on with one of the many larger companies that hire people who are skilled in all things related to robotics. If the idea of conceptualizing, developing, creating, and selling robo-trade products to the public interests you, consider taking the following steps to launch a career in this growing arena.
Learn the Basics of Securities Trading
No matter how talented you are or will become in the field of robotics, it’s imperative to learn the core principles of trading securities. One of the best ways to approach this challenge is to open an account on one of the major online platforms. Try to stick with companies you’re either heard of or have excellent reputations. Don’t use real money yet. Instead, work within a demo account where you can acquire all the necessary skills like placing orders, following price action, setting stop-loss orders, exiting a position, and more. There’s a lot to absorb, but it’s possible to gain a great deal of knowledge if you spend an hour or so per day for a month or more within the virtual trading platform using fictitious funds to trade.
Get a Relevant College Degree
Earning a college degree entails two substantial pieces of work. First, candidates need to figure out a way to pay for schooling. Then, they must attend the courses and earn good enough grades to receive a diploma at the end of four years. For those who are attracted to the idea of a career in a robotics-related field, there’s no better first step on the path than attending college. However, step one is to make a specific plan of attack related to the payment of tuition and other expenses.
Without a doubt, taking out a student loan is the simplest and most efficient way to cover some or all of the cost of going to college and earning the degree of your choice. Generally, borrowing makes sense because it frees you up to focus on learning as much as possible. When all the major bills are paid in advance via a loan, students can give all their attention to coursework and never worry about where the next semester’s tuition payment will come from.
Study the Competition
The basic rule for dealing with competitors is to know what’s out there. Check out your future competitors, anyone who creates and sells retail robo-products to individuals or brokerage firms. You can find these folks and gain insight into their marketing techniques by doing simple online research for sellers. Note the leading indie companies and the larger corporations that offer to write customized programs or sell black-box ones for general use.
Create & Test a Simple Robotic System
Develop a simple product that offers the basic bells and whistles, like automated order entry and exit, stop-loss setting, and position sizing. Then, test it in a dry run on a brokerage site where you have an account and users are allowed to import their coded systems. Work out any problems and ensure that the product functions correctly under multiple circumstances.
Design a Marketing Program
It doesn’t matter how wonderful your final result is. No one will buy it if they don’t know it exists. You must design a marketing plan on your own or with hired help. Note that there are three core niches in which programmers offer their wares. In addition to selling directly to brokerage firms, creators of robo-programs sell directly to consumers or wholesale resellers. Wholesalers offer a license agreement or a percentage of each developer’s sale. It’s up to you to decide which financial arrangement you prefer.
