jump from back office to front office
 

Hi everyone I am currently inside ops (credit doc analyst) side of an investment bank and am thinking to make a switch out as I feel I have gained enough experience in this area. I have front office side like investment or wealth management in mind. I am currently 27 and have been inside my role for 1year. I have heard about how difficult it is to switch from back to front. My question is should I try to make a break out from my role (is it good to stay for long?)? If so what is a viable route I should take to get to somewhere with better career prospects? All feedbacks are welcome. tnx!

usually very hard to jump from back to front

1 year experience and you have gained enough experience? I am 4 years in my role and I learn new things everyday. You should have started with front office role instead if that is what you want. A lot of people just want to get into a bank. Think about what you really want to do because making any moves.

Haha 1 year in BO and you are dreaming of moving to FO? LOL, not going to happen dude. If you think BO is not what you want, time to move on to other industries instead of day dreaming.

Hi thank you for your comments! I am very new in the industry hence i am seeking advice on my future career moves..its true that I have little experience in my role, but I am worried of staying too long in my role as the job scope seems quite limited without potential for growth, hence i am making plans now. I want to take on more important roles in the bank like portfolio analysis or M&A where I can learn more. Are there any paths for me to take to get into these roles? Are there any prospects in my current role? Thank you so much!

You see that's the problem. Ask yourself why you take up this role in the first place. Do you mean that other bank functions are not important? Everyone wants to do the glam side of work. Do you know what is M&A?

i thought everyone has to start someone and BO seems to be the most common ones.. seems like I make a mistake then? any advice?:)

Move from back to front office is tough. You want advice? Well, start by thinking about which front office role you want to pursue. Front office isn't one department, but comprises various - investment banking (product/coverage), capital markets (DCM,DCM), sales/trading etc.

You can't realistically hone your skill set if you have no clue what you are preparing for. And you can't really prepare for everything either since the requirements are different.

A more realistic aim is do get into a good business school and try to jump into front office from there. And I am referring to a proper US/European business school. Not any of the local NUS/SMU/NTU bullsh*t. If you are going to spend all that money and time, may as well make it worth while.

Hi thank you for that advice. I am looking at investment banking and am trying to get there. I actually already have a master degree in finance from the #1 university in Australia
However I got this degree right after I graduated from my bachelors so I do not have any full time working experience.

The investment banking market in Singapore isn't doing so great at the moment. Deal activity is low, and there have been massive lay-offs. Rather than competing against experienced hires, you may have a better shot positioning for an undergrad role. You will not be considered an experienced hire since, well, your back office experience will be (fully) discounted.

Network extensively within the bank to see if there are any openings. I've seen product controllers move to sales/trading or trading from BO if the trader likes you, but I have never seen a direct move from back office to investment banking (not unless you go via the MBA route). Obviously happy to be corrected here.

The fact that you have a Master's degree from Australia, and only being able to land a back office role on the outset, may point to the fact that your competitors (other grads) have more impressive resumes and/or relevant experience. I still wouldn't rule out going for a top MBA programme, since they tend to be regarded more highly.

Happy for others to chime in here, but I don't like your chances given your current position (i.e. no top MBA) and I doubt accumulating more experience in back office will help. Maybe you can consider a corporate banking role which still pays better than back office.