SA2026 - Canada Timeline (recruiting - networking)
Currently a Canadian sophomore recruiting for Bay Street SA 2026 - have a question about networking timelines
I've had a good amount of solid chats with big 5 bankers ranging from late August to just before this exam season (have kept in contact w/ a few of them) and I'll be in Toronto this winter doing an off-cycle at a PE firm. Regarding a second chat, I definitely want to meet up in person (always way easier to connect and talk)
Would the best time to set up those in person chats be after big 5 applications drop - (meet up in person, etc, ask for reference, maybe send an email to follow up for confirmation)?
OR
Would meeting up in person in mid-January/Feb (right after I get to TO) and then just emailing them when apps drop for a reference/resume push be better (meet up for a 2nd chat, it goes well, email for reference/push later when apps are released)
I feel like 3 chats is a bit much, but I definitely want to set up in person chats with the bankers - just curious overall if doing those in person chats before or after apps release is better
Any insight would be great!
Following
Hey, I`m a junior with experience in boutique ib, private credit and an upcoming role at a bay street pe shop. Feel free to dm, happy to coffee chat if interested. Rest of this post is subjective but my take on recruting on bay. If solid gpa from ivey queens rotman aim for ib at big 5, they are honestly very hardo for the non nepo interns so I would consider boutique shops like cormark, agentis etc (some even pay better than big 5 but are very specialized ex agentis.) If you dont meet that criteria I would recommend a solid group at a mm bank then lateral/ an adjacent group like commercial banking at big 5 etc. Best of luck with recruiting.
First off, thanks for the insight, definitely some good advice -- but my question was more on the side of networking timelines - not sure if you fully read my post, but some feedback on that would be great if you have the time (my q in my post above)
Hey, I never recruited for big 5 and when I replied this post had no responses so was just trying to marginally helpful with what I did know about Bay Street recruiting. I don’t know timelines for big 5. Best of luck
Have your chats Jan-Feb and then send an email letting them know you’ve applied. Most of the Big 5 (excluding RBC) posted their jobs like a couple weeks before interviews came out, so trying to network in that short period isn’t ideal
Timeline's probably moved up but I'd say postings (non diversity) should come out ~May. Each big 5 also has a recruiting captain if you're at least a semi target. Probably come to Toronto Jan/Feb, meet them in person and ask directly about recruiting timeline when postings go up. If they're not the recruiting captain they'll direct you to that person or if they are they'll tell you timeline and next course of action you should take (send them resume/follow up after you applied/etc). Definitely don't wait until apps drops because by then their inboxes will be bombarded.
May? More like march this cycle
Lol kinda funny this post is made by a guy named bulge bracket
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