Front office, middle office, back office, what does this all mean??

**gingerjedi** · 26 March 2010, 08:10

AFAIK the front office is the most customer facing but cerebrally light, the back is where the brains are but by default they have no social skills, the middle office is where the normal people live.

**HairyArsedBloke** · 26 March 2010, 08:16

Originally posted by memyselfandi View Post

All financial positions (especially investment banking positions) talk about front office, middle office and back office experience.

Can someone give a brief description of what each of these is?

Don't worry about it. If you don't already know then there is absolutely no chance of you ever being considered for the job.

**malvolio** · 26 March 2010, 08:18

The important bit is the chinese wall between Front (trading) and Back (bill paying). The golden rule is workers in one can't use the systems in the other. That's what Liam Neeson was able to do and look where it got Barings...

Middle Office is meaningless management speak for the support teams that work in both.

**Gonzo** · 26 March 2010, 08:30

Originally posted by malvolio View Post

That's what Liam Neeson was able to do and look where it got Barings...

Liam Neeson brought down Barings?

I thought his acting in Schindler's list was a bit iffy but I didn't think it was so bad that it would take out a bank at the same time.

**memyselfandi** · 26 March 2010, 08:43

Originally posted by HairyArsedBloke View Post

Don't worry about it. If you don't already know then there is absolutely no chance of you ever being considered for the job.

The job states middle/back office experience preferred, but not essential. I have been offered a telephone on the back of my CV alone, and it does not mention financial experience.

That is why I was asking for a brief description.

**Gonzo** · 26 March 2010, 08:57

Originally posted by memyselfandi View Post

The job states middle/back office experience preferred, but not essential. I have been offered a telephone on the back of my CV alone, and it does not mention financial experience.

That is why I was asking for a brief description.

It is all about the users that you would have to work with.

In the front office the users are the privately educated children of the landed gentry, people with phds, and east-end wide-boys that have been lucky.

In the middle office the users are red-brick university educated, middle class people.

In the back office the users are cheeky folk from Kent or Essex. The sort of people that if they lived anywhere else in the country would be stores people in car-parts distributors or removal men.

hth

**51st State** · 26 March 2010, 08:58

I could quite easily flame you for being too lazy to do 10 seconds of searching on t'interweb (but won't):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Back_office

There're links for the Front and Middle Offices there as well.

**moorfield** · 26 March 2010, 09:25

Originally posted by Gonzo View Post

It is all about the users that you would have to work with.

Front Office IT = You will be some barrow boy's bitch.

Middle Office IT = You will be some top totty's bitch.

Back Office IT = You will be cleaning up the mess that Bob has deposited on your shoes, again.

**malvolio** · 26 March 2010, 09:52

Originally posted by Gonzo View Post

Liam Neeson brought down Barings?

I thought his acting in Schindler's list was a bit iffy but I didn't think it was so bad that it would take out a bank at the same time.

Oops...

I meant Nick Leeson, didn't I?

Front office, middle office, back office, what does this all mean??