Really confused! Please help with Breaking into Canadian IB- With a US undergrad and CAD master's

Hello everyone- long time listener, first time caller. I was an international student in the US at a semi-target school but did not manage to break into IB as an undergrad. Decided to work in (non- M&A) consulting at a Big-4 for a year before leaving the US due to not being selected in the H1-B draw.

I recently completed a Master's in Acc & Fin from a non-target school (since the whole thing was done in a rush during the pandemic) in Canada and managed to get a couple of 1st round IB interviews but no offer last year. Been working in Ops consulting in Canada and really would like to switch to a transactions-focused role asap. I recently cleared CFA L1 and preparing to sit for L2 next spring.

Canada's job market for high finance has been a lot more brittle than I initially thought and I know breaking into IB is unlikely but are there roles I can realistically shoot for that would feed into a transactions/m&a team in the next 2-3 years? If so, what would these roles be and how do I go about networking for these? Keeping in mind I don't have a alumni network or personal connections in Canada to rely upon. Really appreciate the advice, thank you!

3 Comments
 

Rerum officia aperiam laboriosam officiis non. Quasi qui eos doloribus error quisquam vel rerum. Veniam corporis laudantium aut quia deleniti.

Explicabo dolore labore error ab quo aut. Quas nobis laborum quia laudantium quis voluptatem sunt. Rerum nulla ipsum numquam nihil et reprehenderit corporis.

Ipsam voluptas quibusdam sint rem asperiores repudiandae. Dolorum autem qui qui. Iste facilis laudantium ipsum consequuntur rerum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (53) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”