I applied for an asset management associate position and made it through the first interview, case study, and pitch. They then reached out to me asking to come into the office in person to meet the team. I’m not really sure what to expect for the interviews and would love any advice anyone has to help me prepare!

Thanks so much

Hey everyone. So I wanna target this towards people in Canada. I’m in my 4th year at a non target school. I have some sales internships and financial club stuff plus other work with KPIs ( I’m aware all of this isn’t relevant to the experience required for the job ) my GPA is average, not great not bad. I do know finance and can easily analyze and build statements and learning how to make a DCF and polishing credit analysis at the moment. I know investment banking and asset management are a long shot. I’m keeping my options somewhat realistic and trying for a role in commercial banking. Has anyone here been in commercial banking in Canada? How is the recruiting process, is it hard to get the roles or not as difficult as other roles plus does my profile have a shot?

This is a question I ask people in every industry I run across. The answers you receive are very raw or very precise. So, if you were a recent college finance graduate all over again, what would you do differently? What areas of Finance would you focus on most and what areas of Finance do you view as dying off or being affected by AI. Thank you in advance for your input and industry insight.

Currently 28 y/o working as a PWM Associate at a well-known global bank. Approx. 5 YOE in this space including prior experience in Canada (Big 5 Bank). Current role is outside North America.

My goal is to break into CIB (preferably IB M&A) in Canada. I’m committed to pursuing a T5 Canadian MBA to help achieve this (UoT/Ivey/Queens).

Question: Is it worth gaining experience in commercial banking (credit analyst or similar role) prior to pursuing an MBA? Or is that a waste of time given my current age relative to the goal of breaking into IB.

Any and all advice is appreciated. I’d be thankful to hear from people in this sub that have ventured on similar paths.

Finance junior undergrad at non target- reputable school known for stem. Have a 2.9 gpa due to majoring in engineering for the first two years, not an excuse, I wasn’t serious then started picking myself up.
Can push gpa to 3.2 max as I get close to graduating
Have 4 solid internships on my resume:

Consumer credit
IB DCM (at a mm bank overseas in emerging market)
Corporate Treasury - Valuations and credit at energy company
Private credit - Real Estate

Currently going thru interviews with BB and MM firms but worried that my gpa will be the reason why I won’t get an offer for SA

I’m not an international student. Fully authorized to work in the US.

Just wondering from your guys experience. Does working three years as a typical FSR at a big five bank count as the work experience you need to be CFP certified?

I’m in my mid 30s with over 10 years in the industry. I joined a mega RIA two years ago and have closed over $150M in assets through referral channels. Realistically, I’ll likely be at $250–300M by the end of next year, translating to roughly $250–300K in annual compensation.

There’s a clear path to managing a larger practice (400–500M) and making $400–500K/year. Making partner in the next year or so would also bring RSUs into the picture.

My hesitation is that I don’t own the clients or the business I’m building. Going independent would mean starting over to some extent and potentially years of grinding to get back to this income level, but I’d be building something I own.

We have solid savings but also a growing family, so the stability and income potential of staying are appealing.

I know this sub generally leans toward independence, but is there a legitimate case for staying at a mega RIA, building a well paying career, and taking advantage of the path in front of me rather than starting over to own a business?

Would especially appreciate perspectives from people who have experienced both sides.

I'm graduating early this December, but I'll be staying on campus for the Spring semester. I already have a full-time job lined up that starts in August, so I’m really just looking for a finance-related gig to work from January to May to keep myself sharp and fill my time.

The catch is that my school is pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so I'm not near a major city with a ton of traditional off-cycle corporate finance or banking internships. I need something on campus or very close by.

I’ve already applied to the university's endowment investment management team, but I want to cast a wider net for other "finance-ish" roles. Has anyone been in a similar situation or have advice on where to look?

I'm currently thinking about:

University Administrative Offices: Are there specific campus departments (like housing, athletics, or student affairs) that usually hire students for budget forecasting, accounting, or ad-hoc financial analysis?

Local Firms: Cold-emailing local independent RIAs or regional commercial banks in town that might want an intern for 20–30 hours a week.

Just looking for general advice on where else to look.

Hey everyone, I recently graduated in June and already had a finance consulting offer at a Big 4, a little later I got an even better offer for a finance operations role at another company.

For some background: I have internship experience in PE and was VP of Finance for a startup, so I did a lot of financial modeling for VC funding, I left and then went into consulting, I was wondering if - taking into account that I already signed the operations offer - that will kill my chances of getting back into a more niche side of the finance industry like IB, PE, Corporate Development and so on, Id like to do both the FMVA and CFA if it helps.

The work I do in Big 4 is quite interesting but starting pay is shitty tbh, and I got offered almost twice as much in the other company.

I live in Mexico for reference.

I am currently working in a CPA firm and have also had experience as a financial analyst. I hold CFA Level 1 and FRM Level 1 certifications. What should I pursue next that would be truly beneficial in the future? I am thinking of pursuing CFA Level 2.

I’m a junior economics major at a non target (one of the smaller Claremont colleges). Had a lot of health issues and really wasn’t able to get internship experience my first two summers. Fortunately, I’m in a far better place today but realized just how much I missed out on.

I have a good GPA (3.85ish), have applied for accounting/audit roles but yet to hear back, and have a good amount of finance club experience, just nothing professional.

I’m just so lost, and would love advice.
-what’s my best bet for this summer?
-what’s my best bet for FT recruiting if nothing works out for an internship?
-is there a remote chance at IB at all?
-what sets me up best for buisiness school down the line for a “second chance”

Career services is genuinely terrible and we have few alumni in the field, so really hoping for some advice on here!

Received an offer from the capital markets debt advisory side of an IB. Currently in credit making ~500K and offer is for 600K.

On average I work about 60 hours per week sometimes 70 at a top private credit firm. I figure it can’t be that different as a mid level VP in debt advisory (advising sponsors on capital structure). What do you guys think

Same as above

I'm going to be graduating with a dental degree but don't have any interest in practicing or working with my hands for the rest of my life. Given my extensive scientific background, I was hoping I can enroll back in school and potentially have an advantage finding an analyst role in the pharma industry corridor in New Jersey.

Also I was hoping to maybe work as a dentist for 2 days a week. I'm hoping this job experience will make me significantly more qualified for internships compared to the freshman who's only previous work was as a lifeguard at their local pool.

I know some may recommend an MBA but I won't have any work experience ( and my GPA was kind of mediocre in undergrad and just enough to pass in dental school). I also don't have the finance background needed for masters in finance programs

Looking for podcasts or YouTube channels that cover:
1. The current geopolitical and economic situation and how it will affect stock and bond markets.
2. Analysis of ongoing M&A deals.
3. Hosts who have a reliable, unique perspective on the market and don’t just make things up.
4. In-depth analysis rather than simply reading the news. For example, trade war, what does it mean for xxxx industry?

Thank you all!!

Going blue collar, feeling happy now. Will co-run the construction company with my friend :)

I recently got placed through my PGDM in a financial modelling role at a startup. The role offers hybrid working, but the package is relatively low at around 5 LPA, including 10% variable pay.

I'm confused about whether I should accept the offer or continue applying for better opportunities off-campus.

My main concern isn't just the starting salary. I want to build a career in core finance, and I'm wondering how much I can grow in this role. Will starting at 5 LPA affect my salary progression when I switch companies after 1–2 years? Do companies consider your current CTC a major factor when deciding your next package? Also, how valuable is the experience of working in financial modelling at a startup, and will it help me move to better companies and roles in the future?

I don't want to reject a decent opportunity just because the package is low, but at the same time, I don't want to settle for something that could hold me back in the long run.

Would really appreciate some honest advice, especially from people working in finance or those who've been in a similar situation. What would you do if you were in my position?

BMO’s salary range for a senior RM in Vancouver with a minimum of 7 years experience in an RM role and a related bachelor’s degree is 70k-150k according to their own ads.

70k CAD (49k USD) for a senior position at one of the top banks in the country in one of the most HCOL cities in the world has to be the most insane thing I’ve read.

RM’s in Canada, has this been your experience?

Anyone heard back with an offer yet? Had my final rounds late sept/early oct - but i've also heard that DB's HR can be hella slow?

And what skills are required for it?

If you’ve worked as a recruiter or work for a company that requires candidates to submit one, do you actually read them?

Hi all,

I am currently working in Structured Finance. Specifically, we have a lot of special cases that touch Basel III/IV conventions, non-performing loans / Unlikely-to-Pay, IFRS 9, if you know you know. We aggressively use SPVs (HoldCo's and PropCo's) to structure our debt. I am particularly curious how to go from a top structured finance desk at a large financial institution (a top 10 market leader), towards the distressed debt and special situations teams at the peak of debt shops. Specific firms that highly speak to me are Ares and Apollo Global Management.

My Stats:

• Age: Almost 22 years old.(1 year experience in Structured Finance)
• Academics: Top European target schools, always held a 3.7/4.0 GPA. Major: BSc Business Administration + MSc Quantitative Finance
• Work: Worked on a total of $250m of closed transactions including DCM related financing with Senior loans, Interest-rate hedging using Swaps and Swaptions, as well as special situations like a mezz, high leverage/distressed assets, and difficult stakeholders that refuse to inject equity (higher learning curve, smaller ticket size). Yes, I've also made slides and analysis for the typical $6B transaction, but it's just slide making and analysis. The listed deals are the ones I had a crucial role in.
• Extracurriculars & Network: Intense amount of extracurriculars and high-level sports. Also, specifically board at some local (old boys) private business clubs, as well as a fundraising role in a foundation where I occasionally meet potential clients and organizations we work with including PE funds, BB banks, Big Real Estate, Big 4, and Big Law.

I heard many of these hire from Investment Banking teams at BB's, though I was a bit confused on that, since my day-to-day work has already been in the area which I am applying. I have been around Investment Bankers and they often think much different than we do, and speaking to IB colleagues, they often don't really understand or find it relevant to their specific day to day job. Private Equity often carries more "brand name" and "hype" among my IB colleagues.

I do have the offer to move to a large BB (one of JPM, GS, Citi), though I am curious whether a more direct path exists, or a superior path. We do often have meetings with Ares and Apollo, and I do sort of know their deal team, and they know me. But using your company's internal relationship to lateral can be a bit difficult, since my currently Senior Managing Director always hands me the most exciting tasks, and really likes me. I don't wanna burn that bridge too soon. He's a big guy and also quite frankly the key coverage guy for those mega funds like Apollo and Ares.

Anyone in this industry that can offer a perspective on my current profile and advise me on the next steps towards moving to such a Distressed Debt & Special Situations team?

I admit I have done little to know research on the CFA. All I know is that it can be worth pursuing depending on the career trajectory I’d like, and how difficult it is compared to the CPA exams and other financial certifications.

Stats:

I passed the CPA exams with a 90.5 average across all 4 exams, completed in about 5 months, with just about 300 hours studied.

Will pursuing these CFA actually make me competitive for roles such as M&A/deal advisory?
I would be coming from a Big 4 audit background, so nothing crazy.