Brazil or Mexico for IB
Hey guys, need some advice/opinions regarding future career prospects and, being a long time creeper, I trust your judgment!
I am from LatAM but about to finish my Master in Finance at a top 3 School in Europe and I am considering moving to either Mexico or Brazil to pursue a career in IB (want to do M&A).
I am aware of the current macro situation in both countries and that most economists are more bullish on Mex than Brazil for the mid/long term (Inflation, slow growth, capital controls, etc), but, although it may not be politically correct to admit it, I just care about the present and which one can offer me better learning and professional opportunities NOW (Market Size, Deal volume and size, BB & MM) and which one would put me in a better position to jump to London or NY in the next 2-3 years.
A bit about me:
-I am elegible to work in Brazil but not Mexico.
-I don't speak portuguese but plan to eventually move and do an intense course for a month/month and a half before I start looking for jobs.
-Went to a Top 2 Uni at my Home country (Economics Degree).
-CFA Level I Candidate (This Sat).
-6 months experience Equity Research
-Master in Finance at a Top 3 European Business School
Since my strategy would be to pick one and move there to look for a job and not doing it from a distance, I want to know what other monkey´s think, what job opportunities will I find in each of them and how prepared I am in comparison to other candidates.
Thanks and please don´t doubt to ask me for any more relevant info if I forgot to post something!
Which country is better in the following categories:
M&A Deal Volume/Size: Brazil Social Life: Brazil (Relative) Safety: Brazil Chicks: Brazil International Exposure: Brazil
Brazil is also hosting the WC and the Olympics. Brazil is definitely the place to be for professionals in their 20s. Before I forget, be warned that if you're not fluent (I mean 100% fluent) in Portuguese, forget about Brazil. They can pay a local analyst who is fluent and understands the culture instead of a foreigner who somewhat comprehends Portuguese and has no local ties.
What spanish speaking country are you from exactly? Don't get me wrong, Mexico offers great opportunities. I'm just answering your question. I honestly think Mexico fits you better though. Don't underestimate the language barrier.
Thanks for the post and the recommendations fez, I am actually Argentinian. I really get your point in terms of language barrier, that is actually my biggest fear, but I have also heard that being a spanish and french speaker you could grasp it really fast, is that true from your experience? Also although I agree that firms can probably pay to a local who is fluent in portuguese, I would expect a Master in Finance to pay off or make up a little bit for it? It is a honest question cause I really don't know what level of preparation they have in the Brazilian mkt, don't mean to offend.
Being fluent in Spanish is very helpful. It'll make learning Portuguese easier, but you need to familiarize yourself with the corporate finance language. What if the MD asks you to take notes during an important conference call? Would you feel comfortable enough to summarize and verbalize everything to your group?
About your MSF.. it definitely has value, but to an extent. You'll still be an analyst and end up doing the same work as someone with an undergrad degree. Banks need someone good enough to do the job. There aren't many analyst positions in Brazil to begin with. Those that manage to break-in either studied abroad or went to top-tier Brazilian school. Analyst positions are therefore filled by bright brazilians (not doubting your intellectual capacity).
It may seem like I'm discouraging you from going to Brazil. That is not my intention. Instead, I want you to realize that Brazil may just be an uphill battle for you. I still recommend Brazil if you can make it work.
Brazil is safer than Mexico? Are you sure......
Ummm... pretty sure...
Mexico City native here.
Poster above is spot-on. Take Brasil.
Jamie,
Como has dicho otros usuarios, la oportunidad (por ahora) es más grande en Brasil. Esto no será el case permanentemente. México está a punto de llegar a la cima del mundo financiero, pero esto tomara unos 3 o 5 cinco años. Tengo familiares que están trabajando en el mundo de investment banking en la Ciudad de México, y me han dicho que los bancos Americanos (Goldman, Citi, HSBC, etc.) han estando creciendo sus filas en anticipación de una explosión de actividad económica. Siendo hijo de padre Portugués y madre Española, hablo los dos idiomas (y el Ingles también) razonablemente bien. Como ha dicho un usuario aquí, la barrera de lenguaje no es algo que se puede tumbar con pocos meses de estudio. Por esa razón, yo te recomendaría México por tu conocimiento de la lengua Española. Pero como la economía no llegara a niveles Brasileños por unos 3-5 años, Brasil sería una mejor oportunidad en plazo-corto. Si tienes cualquier otra pregunta, por favor no dudes en preguntarme. Ciao.
Brazil. Middle class is up and coming, most people are starting to enter into this class due to a higher economic status of the country as a whole, leading to higher civilian pay, thus more disposable income. Fields like healthcare are specifically having the most action. Brazil never had advanced healthcare, and now that the citizens have more disposable income, they are searching for dental work, checkups, surgeries, procedures etc. you name it. M&A activity (especially in the healthcare space) has been crazy lately, because most international pharma or hospice companies want their hand in latin America, and brazil is the best option because of what I listed above. Mexico is following this trend too believe it or not, but not as fast as brazil.
Being able to read financial statements is one thing, but you may be expected to interview in Portuguese if you want to work in Brazil. On the job, I would have to imagine that you would require good enough Portuguese to prepare a pitch book as well.
Brazil or Mexico for IB - Need some advice/opinions (Originally Posted: 05/29/2013)
Hey guys, need some advice/opinions regarding future career prospects and, being a long time creeper, I trust your judgment!
I am from LatAM but about to finish my Master in Finance at a top 3 School in Europe and I am considering moving to either Mexico or Brazil to pursue a career in IB (want to do M&A). I am aware of the current macro situation in both countries and that most economists are more bullish on Mex than Brazil for the mid/long term (Inflation, slow growth, capital controls, etc), but, although it may not be politically correct to admit it, I just care about the present and which one can offer me better learning and professional opportunities NOW (Market Size, Deal volume and size, BB & MM) and which one would put me in a better position to jump to London or NY in the next 2-3 years.
A bit about me:
-I am elegible to work in Brazil but not Mexico.
-I don't speak portuguese but plan to eventually move and do an intense course for a month/month and a half before I start looking for jobs.
-Went to a Top 2 Uni at my Home country (Economics Degree).
-CFA Level I Candidate (This Sat).
-6 months experience Equity Research
-Master in Finance at a Top 3 European Business School
Since my strategy would be to pick one and move there to look for a job and not doing it from a distance, I want to know what other monkey´s think, what job opportunities will I find in each of them and how prepared I am in comparison to other candidates.
Thanks and please don´t doubt to ask me for any more relevant info if I forgot to post something!
getting an IB job in Brazil was already hard when the economy was booming (mostly due to the tiny size of most banks), I don't think it's a realistic prospect in this climate given you are not fluent in Portuguese. I know next to nothing about Mexico finance scene, but the country is indeed booming. Quite of few of my bschool classmates from other latam countries ended up there (most of them at MBB though).
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