The End of a Trading Career

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"How about Nokia? Ericsson? Alcatel? Where's Glaxo? Anything featured? Anything going on?"

Why should this day be anything different from any other day? That is how every weekday has started for me for the last 15 years, checking overseas, looking for something to do. I used to do it myself. Sometimes from home before I came in. Then I just kept coming in earlier and earlier. Later on I had traders do it for me. But I always asked. So, it is natural that today, my last day at Cramer Berkowitz, I ask again.

Next week, I won't be asking. Next week I am going to report to Tom Clarke, the CEO at TheStreet.com (TSCM:Nasdaq - news - boards), to see how I can help bring out value at my new favorite company. And I can't wait.

You see a funny thing happened on the way to asking about Nokia and Alcatel or Eregli and Arcelik, the Turkish Whirlpool, or about Mannesman and KredietBank or, in another era, Fuji Heavy and Sumitomo warrants. I stopped caring.

Oh, I could get fired up on occasion. But I admit I wanted to do bigger things, more meaningful things, different things. Any things. Anything but asking about Nokia and Glaxo. To do this job well you must never think that way. You must accept it as your fate and you must enjoy it, thrive on it, and want those quotes and think about what to do with them harder and faster and better than anyone else. Todd Harrison now asks for those quotes with me. He is the one who is fired up and thriving and ready. He is me, on the trading desk, 15 years ago, ready to rip 'em.

After today, he will be your eyes and ears on the big-time trading desk. I will devote more time to family, friends and, of course, TheStreet.com.

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James J. Cramer is manager of a hedge fund and co-founder of TheStreet.com. At time of publication, his fund was long TheStreet.com. Cramer was also personally long TheStreet.com. His fund often buys and sells securities that are the subject of his columns, both before and after the columns are published, and the positions that his fund takes may change at any time. Under no circumstances does the information in this column represent a recommendation to buy or sell stocks. Cramer's writings provide insights into the dynamics of money management and are not a solicitation for transactions. While he cannot provide investment advice or recommendations, he invites you to comment on his column at [e-mail].