FO intern in Paris → MO Exotic Trading Support in Poland → then VIE in FO? Smart plan or risky detour?

Hi everyone,

I’m facing a career decision and would really appreciate some outside perspectives – especially from people in trading or who've worked in middle office roles.

I'm French, currently doing a front office internship in FX Derivatives Sales & Structuring at Convera in Paris.

My role involves:

• Structuring FX hedging strategies for corporate clients
• Using vanilla option pricers
• Writing macro reports
• Working with front, middle & back office
• Automating tasks with Excel/VBA

This internship has confirmed my strong interest in trading, and ideally I’d like to pursue a career in front office roles long term.

The current opportunity:
I have an upcoming interview for a middle office Exotic Trading Support role in Poland, at a major international bank.

It’s not FO, but the role includes:

• Supporting exotic/vanilla derivatives traders
• Monitoring trade flows and booking
• PnL checks and trade modeling
• Working closely with the trading desk

My thinking:
I’m considering accepting this role for 1 year, to gain more exposure to trading desks and technical products (especially exotics), and then apply for a VIE in front office.

For context, the VIE (Volontariat International en Entreprise) is a French program that lets young professionals (under 28) (im 26 years old) work abroad for up to 2 years. Many banks offer FO roles through this path, and it’s well-recognized in France.

My questions:

• Does this plan make sense? → 1 year in MO Exotic Support to get closer to the action, then pivot to FO via a VIE at another firm?
• Or am I setting myself up to be “stuck” in MO or back office paths long-term?
• Has anyone successfully used MO as a stepping stone to FO?

I’d love to hear any feedback, experiences, or advice.
Would really appreciate if anyone has gone through a similar situation or seen colleagues make this kind of move.

Thanks so much in advance – happy to clarify if needed!