At Genius Sports, our part-time and service provider roles provide a great pathway to new development opportunities.
Our Sports Traders are great examples of how individuals, whether students or those looking to supplement their income, can start building their careers, without needing any prior experience.
The role is ideal for sports enthusiasts who are interested in working with data and nurturing their problem-solving skills, who also have an eye on discovering longer term career opportunities too. This is demonstrated by Oliver Roo, who works at our state-of-the-art trading hub in Tallinn, Estonia. In this article, Oliver shares his Genius experience to date.
How did you ‘Discover your Genius’?
“I started in February 2021 as a Sports Trader, in a contractor role, during the peak of Covid.”
Oliver found out about the position – via a friend – at a time when his academic career appeared to be going in a different direction than he had envisioned.
“After finishing my A-Levels and then some international study, Covid hit and things didn’t quite work out. That’s when I took a look at the Sports Trader role at Genius.”
Like many others, Oliver was able to juggle a second job alongside his Sports Trader role.
“I did a second job for over a year while also working as a contractor. Then, Genius offered me a full-time position, which I’ve been doing for over a year now.”
What attracted you to the Sports Trader role?
“The job itself is pretty unique. I’d never worked in trading before but I had basic knowledge of sports markets and was interested to learn more.”
Common benefits for people who join as contractors like Oliver, are the flexibility of working hours, the ability to grow their skills, working relationships and interest in different sports and of course, discover new career opportunities.
“The flexible hours are a real positive, especially if you have another job. It also helps if you like the sports you cover. For me, that’s US sports like basketball and American Football. I also really like the friendly team I have around me.”
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How did you go from having no prior experience to being able to trade on real-life games?
All new Sports Traders receive in-depth training before starting properly in the role. No prior experience is required as Genius ensures you have the knowledge and skills to succeed in the job, as Oliver explains.
“I was straight into training when I joined, which was a great stepping stone into the actual role. Once complete, I was able to start trading on some real-life games! My job entails setting odds before games even begin and then monitoring how the odds change while matches are being played, based on scores and game time.”
Oliver feels he has learned many transferable skills while working as a Sports Trader.
“As well as trading itself, some of the main skills I’ve developed in my time at Genius are attention to detail, quick decision making and problem solving.”
What do you love most about working for Genius in Tallinn?
All our Sports Trader roles are office-based in the centre of Tallinn, which is a great place to collaborate and develop working relationships.
“Normally, our shift begins 30 minutes before the start of a game, so you have plenty of time to set up and get prepared. There’s always time for breaks to chat with your colleagues too, which makes it fun.”
The environment and positive energy are big factors in Oliver’s commitment to invest in his career at Genius.
“I really like working here. Genius take care of their employees and even though it’s a pretty big company, they see you as an individual and not a cog in a machine.”
If you want to try something new or pursue your passion in sports trading, data monitoring and management, then head to our Sports Trader application page to find out more and ‘Discover your Genius’.
