CS Major looking to switch and break into high finance - is it over for me?

As the title says, I'm a CS undergrad (first year) from a non-target in Canada, which is known for its above average CS placements, but not finance.

I want to switch to finance because I hate CS and it's getting super competitive.
What are my options if I want to get into AM / ER / S&T ? I don't really care about the specific sector, but I want to make it onto Bay Street. Would a Rotman/Ivey MBA after graduation secure a spot in high finance? Or should I get a CFA or try to get into a U.S. target for business school?

Region
6 Comments
 

It really depends how good you are at doing simple math quickly and recognizing patterns. The CS background would prove valuable in S&T, particularly in the trading side (although if you hate CS, not sure if you’d mind coding a fair bit). An MBA would only factor in when you’ve earned work experience because right now that isn’t on the table for you. I’d say taking CFA level 1 wouldn’t hurt to demonstrate you know basic finance and accounting concepts. You can break into S&T with a non-finance background if you can demonstrate the technical and academic ability. I’ve seen people do it with Eng and CS backgrounds it just takes a bit of networking. You should probably try for trading desks and quant funds. On the sell-side, the big 5 banks have pretty robust S&T operations on Bay Street, while in the AM space, firms such as CC&L have fairly strong quant funds.

 
Most Helpful

Neque et sint aliquid. Voluptatem omnis aut voluptatem dolor et distinctio beatae earum. Nemo mollitia doloribus rem officiis alias corporis unde totam.

Adipisci corporis ullam possimus earum nihil dolor fugiat eum. Nihil illo debitis rerum illo aut. Laudantium eos sunt quibusdam molestias culpa et. Quisquam quibusdam et possimus magni distinctio quis omnis. Aspernatur adipisci quia amet dolore ab adipisci labore accusantium. Provident architecto esse architecto omnis nostrum est et est.

Id vel earum ut. Repellat eos laborum laborum et ratione. Et dolor nisi facilis et eum provident. Deserunt provident numquam consequatur et. Blanditiis error voluptates nostrum a vel earum impedit asperiores.

Nulla ipsum voluptate id ea minus. Id vel dicta labore vel. Omnis ut aut non dolorem impedit qui eum. Eum laudantium aliquid dolorem fuga quam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”