FT Recruiting - Canadian to UK?

Hi all,

I am a rising senior currently trying to recruit for full time 2026. My experience isn't great to be honest, (LMM M&A) but I think good enough to talk about and have some hands on experience. I currently go to a a good school (Ivey/Queens), but think top US banks are pretty much out of the question. 

Looking into some Canadian banks but honestly mostly thinking about trying for UK FT.  What do time lines look like and how does it differ from Canada/US (typically interviews & offers in August/September is my understanding)? Would it even be possible to break into a top bank in the UK or equally difficult as US?

Any advice for the process would be appreciated, thanks!

2 Comments
 

Would imagine it would be just as hard if not harder. There's a tried-and-true path from Ivey/QComm to top US banks. The same can't really be said for UK banks. Just because its London and not NYC doesn't mean it's easy; you'll still be competing with a bunch of kids from top UK schools who have returns from other good London banks but are looking to upgrade. FT recruiting is hard.

Looked at your posts an atp my advice would be to taper your expectations more. Focus on just breaking into any reputable bank at all and then go from there. Stop fixating on top bank, better geography, etc. Just target MMs in Canada since those would be most realistic for you, and you can always lateral later down the line. Sure, you can go for some stuff in the UK but I wouldn't spend too much time trying to network with GS London. 

 

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