Finance in Canada, Part 2: Investment Banking to Pension Funds and Everything in Between

So where were we again?

Oh yeah, just how different it is working in finance in Canada and how it can be much harder to break into the industry.

If you haven’t already read Part 1 of this interview and learned how our interviewee broke in against all odds – coming from a culinary background – you should get over there and read his story right now.

We’re going to pick up with Part 2 today and you’re going to learn all about what it’s like on the job - from the industries you cover to the most common deal types to the hours and yes, even the pay (with exact numbers).

And then we’ll move into the exit opportunities - a strange world where traditional private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds are less prominent and where pension funds are a more common destination.

NOTE: THIS INTERVIEW APPLIES MORE TO QUEBEC THAN CANADA AS A WHOLE.

So please keep that in mind as you read through it. Yes, things are different in other places. Some of the points here do apply elsewhere, while others are Quebec-specific (i.e. comments on French, some of the figures below, and so on).

Got Resolutions? (That You Can Actually Keep?)

Well, it’s that time of year again. The time of year where New Year’s Eve indiscretions are now just obscure memories for reflection, as hopeful New Year’s resolutions are being scribbled down on napkins and Post-It notes.

But too often those promising resolutions suffer a fate similar to that age-old agreement between male and female friends to try and be “friends with benefits.” Sure, it sounds like a great idea, and heck, it even works well for the first couple of months.

But sooner or later, reality sets in: you can’t keep coming into the dealership every weekend to test drive the Maserati. Eventually, that sales representative is going to give you a long look in the eyes and politely ask you: “Are you going to @#$%** buy this car or what?”

So how do you turn your New Year’s resolutions into a 2011 metallic colored Maserati Gran Turismo with red coral interior?

Or better yet, how can you make New Year’s resolutions that you can actually keep – even when you’re working 80+ hours per week in finance?

From M&A Boutique Bank to Distressed Hedge Fund: How to Make the Leap, Part 1

Hedge funds: the dream of every aspiring financier (or at least, most of them).

And when the market tanks and companies start failing left and right, distressed hedge funds become even shinier and more attractive than plain vanilla hedge funds.

But since they’re so secretive, it’s also hard to find much information on breaking in, what you do day-to-day, and the pay and exit opportunities.

That changes today with part 1 of an interview from a reader who started out at a boutique investment bank, and then made the switch to distressed hedge fund.

Here’s what you’ll learn, and how you can make that same leap:

• How to get network your way into hedge funds and impress headhunters.
• How to prepare for interviews and the key questions you’ll have to answer.
• What types of people hedge funds are looking for – Ex-bankers? CFA Charterholders? Former strippers?
• How to spin yourself into sounding relevant even when you have no experience investing using the same strategies.

Storytelling