Investment banking - Middle office Associate role

[DSD80]

Hi gents,

I'm new here, so please be gentle!

I have been offered a middle office business partnering role for a bulge bracket bank. Does anyone here have any advice about working in middle office operations?

I am not vying for front office. Simply just want to establish myself in an industry. I have foudn myself becoming very very unchallenged in my current role - hence the job move...

My background is 28 years of age, CIMA qualified and I have a wealth of finance manager experience. To date my experience has strictly been exposure to the month end cycle and commercial projects. Naturally my next move would have been a move upto Finacial Controller.

Is this career suicide? Like i mentioned beforehand, I have no aspirations for front office, it seems to be a fact that a lot of people seem to think if you don't get into front office then your life is over etc etc...

I'm happy with my lot so far...just need some guidance..

Cheers

Edited by DSD80 on Monday 16th April 12:15

[cheadle hulme]

London or somewhere else?

[DSD80]

cheadle hulme said:

London or somewhere else?

Not London...

[matt3001]

If not in London, it sounds like you could be stuck in that role some time.

Only take the job if that is what you want to do, and not because you want to get in with a JP in Bournemouth for example in a bid to get a front end job in London.

[DSD80]

matt3001 said:

If not in London, it sounds like you could be stuck in that role some time.

Only take the job if that is what you want to do, and not because you want to get in with a JP in Bournemouth for example in a bid to get a front end job in London.

Aye, I understand. Well i took the offer and accepted...

Thanks again

[Chilli]

If you want to stay within the Finance/Treasury function within a bank, then it's an essential move. Having done all this myself, I'd suggest a move there for 18 months or so, then try to move to an adjacent department like Back Office or Treasury Finance. It'll give you the required experience to move up the ladder in Finance, Treasury, Internal Audit, Risk and a few other places.

Good luck with it, but remember not to sit there and stagnate for years!