Decisiveness Determines Fate

Six years ago, the group of ambitious young people who entered the bank with him had all left one by one, leaving only him behind. "Many left because they couldn’t manage their mindset properly," said Mr. He, a senior forex trader at a bank.

No Room for the Indecisive

Before entering this industry, everyone undergoes specialized training. "The training isn’t easy, but anyone with decent intelligence can learn it," He said. "However, not everyone who completes the training can 'survive' in the market competition."

The most crucial factor is whether one can strictly adhere to discipline.

A qualified trader determines the acceptable loss before executing any trade. Once the loss approaches the limit, they must act to cut it—provided the loss doesn’t affect their next trade. "Our profession is certainly not like Li Xiaofei’s flying daggers, hitting the target every time," He remarked.

But while discipline is rigid, humans are flexible. When reaching a stop-loss point, different traders may have different thoughts—some bullish, some bearish. "That’s why the hardest part is sticking to discipline. It requires a strong mindset," He said. "A good mindset means being decisive at critical moments—acting when it’s time to act. Those who are hesitant by nature are absolutely unfit for forex trading."

Growing Trading Capital

After six years of experience, He rose from an assistant trader to a senior trader, with his capital management authority increasing from $10 million to $50 million. "Is your promotion speed considered fast?" the reporter asked. "Normal," He replied.

Bank promotions are generally based on seniority, with promotions occurring every three years or so. Traders are ranked in four levels: assistant, intermediate, senior, and chief trader—each with different capital limits, starting at $10 million and going up to $50 million or more. "The most formidable traders are those managing national funds. They deal with enormous sums, even surpassing the scale of international fund giants like Soros."

Rapid Growth Through Market Immersion

In recent years, more and more bank executives have emerged from trading backgrounds, including the most famous example, Wang Xuebing, former president of China Construction Bank. Peers say Wang was a world-class gold trader. Another example is Liu Jinbao, former CEO of Bank of China (Hong Kong), who was once one of China’s youngest forex and gold traders with an impressive track record. However, without proper checks and balances and strict risk controls within banks, things can easily go to the opposite extreme—Wang Xuebing and Liu Jinbao serve as cautionary tales.

Commenting on this phenomenon, He, as a fellow trader, believes that forex trading operates in a highly market-driven environment. Those long immersed in this market develop a strong market-oriented mindset, aligning well with current financial reforms. As banking reforms deepen, it remains uncertain how many "ambitious" forex traders will rise to become bankers. But one thing is certain: forex traders will play an increasingly vital role.