Would you go for BO or FO role?
New user here and recently stumbled on this website. The forum is a treasure trove and I have gained valuable insight from reading the posts here.
It is kind of a retard question to asked, but I'm caught in a fix. I managed to get a role and has started working in a BB credit ops recently. It isn't my ideal role but was thinking of using the opportunity to network inside the bank. However, this afternoon I received an offer from a foreign bank (Top 3 banks back in their country, but not so much at country) to be part of the loan syndication team. From my understand, this is a sales role. This role also allows me to interact and network with bankers from other banks.
Would you choose to work in a BB bank as a back office role or would you choose a front office position and gain some years of experience before trying to break into BB?
Is it hard to transit from a small bank to a BB? What are the challenges?
First off, your English is kind of "retard" and second from your understanding this is a sales role? Did you not think to learn about the position during the interview process? Regardless I would suggest the FO role 10 times out of 10.
I tried to learn as much as possible from the interviewers, but it feels like they are withholding certain information. The bank are also reluctant to send me a job description of the role.
These are what I gathered from the interview. 1) I will be writing credit proposals for new application.
2) Required to attend events and roadshows. 3) Treasury function for trade financing
It isn't exactly what loan syndication does. Clearly there is an overlapping of multiple roles here.
Pretty sketchy they won't give you details to be honest. Sometimes boutiques don't have formal job descriptions so maybe that's it? Regardless it sounds more promising than any BO role.
Agreed with above. Being able to talk about real experiences is invaluable
At early stages in your career, front office in mid-market or second tier bank will serve you much better than back office at the bulgiest of bulge brackets.
I agree that experience is much more important. But what about transiting to a BB coming from a second tier bank?
I've seen more people move from second tier FO to BB FO than from BO to FO. And I've seen more people move from BO (the more "middle office" parts of BO if you like to use "middle office") from trading roles than into IB FO.
You'll end up dealing with people from other banks much, much more in a second tier FO role than is likely in a BB BO role. And you'll understand what FO involves, develop FO skills etc.
One of the skills you can pick up more at a (good) second tier is scrappiness. If you're not a BB, then the work doesn't come to you by sheer force of gravity, meaning you can end up doing more tricky/weird/bespoke products in stranger areas of finance, where you can learn more from one strange deal then some BB banker will learn on 10 vanilla, by-the-numbers deals.
You can also come into contact with up-and-coming clients who can't get the attention of the BB biggest they are not yet big enough. The favours/goodwill you can build by banking them can pay you dividends through your career.
These skills and contacts can make you a better banker (and attractive hire) later in life.
I'm assuming IB FO is your ultimate goal. If you're unsure, you need to be considering @DickFuld's comment.
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