Gold Magazine September - October 2013, Issue 30 | Seite 72

forex

Second
Year Starts
{money}

FX CAREERS TRAINING SCHOOL CELEBRATES FIRST ANNIVERSARY

I

n 2012,
Donna
Stephenson and
John
Lewis, directors of FX Careers,
decided to set up a
Katy Parks
school in Cyprus where
experts would provide
students with both practical
and theoretical knowledge about the Forex
and Binary Options industries. In this way,
talent would be developed which would
subsequently fulfil the staffing needs of the
increasing number of Forex and Binary
Options brokers in Cyprus. Katy Parks,
Manager of FX Careers, spoke to Gold
about how the school has evolved over its
first year and how she views its future.
Gold: This month, FX Careers celebrates
a year since it ran its first FX course.
What are the highlights and challenges
you have faced so far?
Katy Parks: In terms of highlights, everyone has their own story and we are proud
of what the school has achieved in a short
period of time. One of our students was an
unemployed Cypriot who had recently relocated to Cyprus. He came to FX Careers
and, after completing the course, he not
only joined a Forex company but within a
few months won an award for his customer
service skills. Another student was employed by a Binary Options firm and, after
a few months, was promoted to Sales Manager. Our main challenge is to ensure that
the content of the course remains attractive
to both the student and the Forex/Binary
Options employer. By including modules
appropriate to other departments such as
Compliance and Back Office, we maintain

its diverse appeal and cover a broad range
of skills.
Gold: Why do people take the course?
K.P.: Many of our applicants approach us
because they can see that employment opportunities in the FX sector are on the rise
and they want to learn more before they
take the next step in their career. One in
three jobs filled in 2012 by our sister company GRS Recruitment was in the Forex
and Binary sectors which have seen 190%
growth in the number of people being
hired compared to 2011. Most applicants
say they just want to learn more about the
sector. Many are curious about whether
they can start a career, expand their skillset
and/or apply this new knowledge to their
current employment.
Gold: What does the course material
cover and what are your teaching methods?
K.P.: The course covers the foundations
of Forex and Binary Options including
theoretical and practical training on the

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KNOWLEDGE
most popular trading platforms
such as MT4. In addition, modules
are provided for Compliance, Marketing and Back Office processes. Due to the
rise in sales and customer service vacancies amongst Forex and Binary Options
companies, the course also has a practical

Sales module. We use role play as part of
the learning process, especially in the Sales
training. There is also a written exam. All
of our lecturers are industry professionals
with established careers in the sector. They
provide students with valuable insights into
the industry as well as offering first-hand
knowledge and experience.
Gold: Do all students go on to work in
Forex/Binary Options?
K.P.: No. Not everyone seeks employment in the sector upon completion of the
course. If an applicant is not an EU citizen,
a work permit needs to be obtained by the
employer and this is not always possible.
Regarding those who decide to apply for a
job in the industry, employers are searching
for candidates with the best communication skills, especially for Sales/Customer
Service roles. Employers are also looking for
multilingual applicants. The main languages desired at present are Arabic, Spanish,
French, Italian, German, Russian, Chinese
and Hindi (Indian). The demand for these
languages tends to vary, depending on each
company and the regions it is targeting.
Gold: What does a potential student
need to take the FX course?
K.P.: We are open to candidates from all
employment, educational and ethnic backgrounds. Our main requirement is that the
applicant be fluent in English. The course
is very intense and a strong command of
the English language is essential. FX Careers is currently accepting applications
for its autumn courses and we welcome
applications from anyone who meets this
criterion. We are searching for motivated
individuals who share a drive for success
and a thirst for knowledge. We can teach
them the rest.