Why ex-forces personnel are trading the military for derivatives
Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are OSTC; a world-leading derivatives trading and education business with 11 offices in five countries, and over 450 people on our payroll.
Our physical presence might not be as wide as the military, but our ambition knows no bounds. We believe that anyone, anywhere should have the opportunity to learn and trade. We don’t believe it’s a given right to the chosen few, we open our doors to everyone.
This belief has turned into our mission and we’re now teaching individuals and business across the globe how to succeed on the world’s biggest markets.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Teaching for your future
Our education offering isn’t just about teaching people how to trade. It spans hundreds of financial services training courses, from entry level to expert level. Whether it’s a graduate just starting out, a global organisation honing their skills or an individual looking to transition their career.
But not only do we provide true success for those we teach, we also find, train and mentor the very best there is to work within our organisation. That’s why it may not surprise you to read that OSTC is a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant.
Shared values and behaviours
Our company values and behaviours are a genuine fit with the military community, and the two disciplines are built on very similar traits. In fact, we have already employed many military veterans and reservists across the organisation, with roles on the Board, ExCo, OSTC Markets and ZISHI. And we’ve recently hired a military spouse as part of our Trading Futures programme, which strives to diversify our cohort of traders.
To give you one example, our Chief Strategy Officer, Corey Smalley, had a military career spanning 27 years, until 2013 when he retired as a Lieutenant Colonel and Commander of 3rd Regiment The Royal Logistics Corps.
A career based on experience
Here’s what the move meant to him, “OSTC is underpinned by an entrepreneurial spirit and the expectation that each employee has the ability and willingness to ‘step out of lane’, in order to realise results for the company. This philosophy utterly plays to the strengths of the military community, who possess attributes which are highly desirable at OSTC – leadership, teamwork, flexibility, communication and problem-solving, to name but a few.
“Attractive transferable skills and a passion for lifelong learning are particular standout qualities of military veterans, which allow them to continually evolve, in order to keep pace with change.
“We attract and train those that believe in a values-based organisation, that are bonded by an esprit de corps, which is centred around a purpose of ‘potential unbound’.”
Building a Plan B
As well as the military, OSTC also has strong relationships with professional athletes, including Olympians and professional footballers; helping them to put a Plan B in place for when their sporting careers come to an end.
If you’re interested in exploring any of the roles available at OSTC, you can find them on our website. If there’s not a direct opportunity right now, any one of our training courses could be a first step to starting a new career in the financial services sector. If you have the willingness to succeed, we can help you realise your potential.
To find out more about opportunities within OSTC, visit: www.ostc.com
