Career Overlap Transition record Edition 1 · ESCO v1.2.1
Table 1Transition record

futures tradertocommodity trader

A futures trader already meets 77% of what the commodity trader role asks for. The move turns on 3 required skills not yet in the profile.

From futures trader
77%
Overlap1
To commodity trader
21 Skills carried over
3 Required, not held
22.8 Difficulty2
adjacent 0–30
moderate 30–55
substantial 55–75
career change 75–100
this move, 22.8

This move: 22.8 of 100 · adjacent

1 Share of the commodity trader role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the futures trader profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 21 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A commodity trader role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a futures trader background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held operate financial instruments management skills
  • already held international trade business, administration and law
  • already held forecast economic trends information skills
  • already held analyse economic trends information skills
  • already held commercial law business, administration and law
  • already held negotiate sale of commodities communication, collaboration and creativity

All 21 carried skills, including the 10 the commodity trader role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 6 missing skills fall into 4 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier
01 communication, collaboration and creativity 1 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held negotiate with stakeholders required
  • optional, not held negotiate buying conditions optional
  • optional, not held negotiate price optional
02 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required
  • required, not held trading software required
03 management skills 1 required
  • required, not held handle financial transactions required
04 business, administration and law 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held international business optional
Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a commodity trader role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 21 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held analyse economic trends skill
  • already held analyse financial risk skill
  • already held analyse market financial trends skill
  • already held commercial law knowledge
  • already held economics knowledge
  • already held financial jurisdiction knowledge
  • already held financial markets knowledge
  • already held international trade knowledge
  • already held negotiate sale of commodities skill
  • already held perform financial risk management in international trade skill
  • already held actuarial science knowledge
  • already held banking activities knowledge
  • already held financial forecasting knowledge
  • already held financial products knowledge
  • already held forecast economic trends skill
  • already held international commercial transactions rules knowledge
  • already held maintain records of financial transactions skill
  • already held negotiate sales contracts skill
  • already held operate financial instruments skill
  • already held statistics knowledge
  • already held trace financial transactions skill
3 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held international business optional
  • optional, not held negotiate buying conditions optional
  • optional, not held negotiate price optional
4 held skills the commodity trader role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role international law knowledge
  • not needed by the target role securities knowledge
  • not needed by the target role trade future commodities skill
  • not needed by the target role trade securities skill
2 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier
  • required, not held trading software required
  • optional, not held international business optional
Index
Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.