The thing about being a female trader is that you must be prepared to accept your position as an outsider – a woman in a man’s world. This is not to say that this world is not fantastically lucrative, thrilling and rewarding for those women who dare to enter. But it will not be straightforward and it will not be easy. It is a vocation that only rewards the brave.

Ever since I released my book, Confessions of a City Girl, which relays my experiences as a derivatives trader, I have been besieged by requests by young women on how they can get into lucrative roles, escape middle office, become traders, and otherwise, play a “man’s game.” It seems many young women are afraid of the perceived “laddishness” of trading floors, and this fear keeps women out of the most lucrative banking roles.

But this is fear is without foundation in many respects. It’s time that more women became traders. Contrary to popular belief, the banter that occurs on the trading floor between women and male traders is never malicious, only playful in nature. As female traders gradually become “one of the guys,” they can do so without losing their femininity or developing the mouth of a sailor. The excitement of trading is highly contagious, but the poor manners of colleagues are less so. Trading is also a refreshing change to the catty nature of more female-dominated professions.

Moreover, it is a well-known stereotype that females take less risk, and are more cautious, than their male counterparts. My ex-risk manager validates this, admitting that when female traders had the grit to make it in proprietary trading, they oftentimes were some of the best performers, not least because they take more precautions before entering into trades. Females are not nearly as prone to be overcome by ego, greed, ambition and illusions of unlimited power that go along with high-octane careers. A lot of men have a bit more hubris, and humility is very important in being a good investor.

“It’s not that women are more risk averse,” as one high-profile City Girl noted. “It’s that they are more risk-aware.”

Women can get into trading through a variety of routes. There are the more traditional graduate schemes at the big investment banks, or alternatively, women can join smaller houses such as Amplify Trading – a dynamic financial futures trading company run by highly experienced, successful traders.

As a new trader you will undertake a minimum period of four months intensive one-on-one training from a professional mentor, with at least seven years of professional trading experience. As you progress through a comprehensive programme of development you will receive expert feedback on your trades in real time.

After an initial period on the simulator package, trainees will then be able to trade with company funds, yet assume none of the liability for any losses incurred. Amplify Trading covers all margin requirements for each trainee.

But ultimately, trading is not about numbers, but psychology. Most traders desire to be right, more so than they desire to be profitable. If this were not the case, they would spend a lot more time focusing on the money management aspect of their trading. But “risk management” is not the sexy side of our field.

Trading is not about intellectual triumphs. It’s not, as my risk manager warned, a “glitzy and glamorous” role. It is about creating a reasonable, objective expectation for success over time. Trading thrives under caution, thoroughness, and the ability to admit you’re wrong. Trading is ideal for a woman.