Some dealing candidates look strong on paper, but struggle once the interview goes beyond their CV.
Marios C. Kyriakou, Head of FX Dealer Academy, has interviewed and hired dealers across junior, mid-level and senior roles. He has seen what candidates get right, where their knowledge falls short and what makes someone worth progressing to the next stage.
We asked him what actually separates the candidates who look ready from those who only look ready on paper.
A strong CV does not always survive the interview
One of the biggest gaps Marios encountered was between the experience candidates listed and what they could actually demonstrate.
Some arrived with several years of dealing experience, recognised broker names on their CV and relevant certifications. But once the interview moved beyond definitions and into application, the difference became clear.
Candidates struggled with questions around basic P&L calculations, corporate actions, CFD broker revenue and the difference between underlying markets and the products offered by CFD brokers. Others could describe concepts such as toxic flow or hedging, but struggled when asked to apply them to a practical scenario.
For Marios, hypothetical situations were particularly useful. Rather than asking only for a definition, he would change variables or present an ambiguous market situation and ask the candidate to explain what they would check, what risk they saw and what they would do next.
Strong candidates did not necessarily reach the perfect answer immediately. They could explain how they were thinking.
“A CV shows you what someone was exposed to. It doesn't show you whether they actually understood it or could apply it under a bit of pressure.”
That distinction matters whether someone has six months of experience or several years.
Limited dealing experience does not mean there is nothing to demonstrate
For professionals trying to move into dealing from another brokerage function, the job title itself is only part of the story.
Marios says brokerage operations can translate particularly well because of exposure to the trade lifecycle, settlement and corporate actions. Client support can also provide useful experience through direct exposure to client behaviour, while technical support and administrative roles can build familiarity with the systems behind the brokerage.
What matters is whether the candidate understands the reason behind the work they have already been doing.
Someone preparing reports, investigating trade issues or supporting trading platforms should be able to explain how that work connects to risk, client behaviour or the wider dealing function.
For someone entering dealing for the first time, Marios does not expect experience making live risk decisions or managing real client flow. He does expect candidates to have done the groundwork themselves. That includes understanding core market concepts, knowing how a CFD broker operates, developing hands-on familiarity with trading platforms and researching the broker's business model and regulatory environment.
The interview is not only about answering questions
Preparation also shows in what the candidate asks.
When Marios invited candidates to ask questions of their own, the strongest ones focused on how the dealing function actually operated.
Questions he considers valuable include:
- How does the brokerage classify and manage toxic flow?
- How are A-Book and B-Book decisions made, and is any part of that process automated?
- What is the escalation process when a dealer is unsure about a high-risk decision?
- How does the desk manage execution and client reactions during volatile market conditions?
These questions show more than interest in securing the position. They suggest the candidate has started thinking about what it would mean to actually sit in the role.
Progression requires more than doing the current job well
The same principle applies to dealers trying to move into more senior positions.
Marios has been on both sides of the process, progressing from junior to senior dealing roles before later interviewing and hiring candidates himself.
His view of progression is straightforward:
“What separates dealers ready to progress is the shift from executing decisions to owning them.”
A junior dealer may monitor positions, prepare reports and work within limits established by senior colleagues.
As responsibility grows, the expectation changes. Senior dealers are increasingly expected to understand the reasoning behind those limits, take initiative, make judgements around risk and hedging, and explain those decisions clearly.
At Head of Dealing or Head of Trading level, responsibility extends beyond individual decisions to the overall performance of the desk, its people, risk processes and communication with management.
Technical ability remains important, but progression also requires ownership.
Preparing for the next role
Whether the objective is entering dealing or moving into a more senior position, experience alone cannot prove readiness.
The ability to connect platform knowledge, execution, liquidity, risk, regulation and brokerage operations, and then apply that knowledge clearly, is what gives experience meaning.
The FX Dealer Academy Online Course brings these areas together through structured, practitioner-led training, practical assignments and hands-on brokerage technology experience. It also includes a dedicated How to Build a Career in Dealing module focused on preparing for entry and progression within the profession.
Build the knowledge. Prove readiness for the next role.
Explore the FXDA Online Course and enrol: https://bit.ly/4hcr1hX