From Non-Target School to Sales & Trading to Commodities Banking in Western Canada: How to Break In and Survive as a Female in Finance

Ladies, have you ever wondered what it’s like to work in investment banking as a female?

And guys, don’t leave us just yet – you’ll be pretty interested to learn how you can transition from a non-target school to sales & trading to commodities investment banking… and how another region of Canada differs from the previous cities we’ve covered.

In this interview, we’ll speak with a female Commodities IB Analyst who works in Western Canada for one of the “Big Five” Canadian banks.

Here’s the play-by-play:

• How to break into IB in Canada, even if you come from a non-target school – the application process as well as the interviewee’s experience at 3 different banks
• Why online applications (might?) actually be more effective in Canada, or at least not disappear into a black hole quite as quickly
• What it’s like working in commodities IB in Western Canada for a “Big 5” – the tasks, hours, and culture, and why working in a “regional office” has its advantages
• Working in IB as a female – everything from how many females actually work in the industry to the personalities of female bankers – and yes, even how to dress and how banking will impact your personal life

A Unique Background

From the NFL to a Billion-Dollar Portfolio: Can You Throw a Football Far Enough to Become a Managing Director?

It’s no secret that I’m borderline obsessed with football.

If you’re across the pond, below the Equator, or “down-under,” I’m not talking about the sport where you dribble around on the pitch; I’m referring to American football.

Don’t get me wrong, I try to stay current on the news in La Liga and the Barclays Premier League (Major League Soccer is slowly being worked into the rotation – albeit begrudgingly)…

But there’s only one sport that I when I watch, I ask any chatty family or friends to keep any non-football related commentary to a minimum or to go play in traffic – cue the NFL on Fox theme music…

Given my quasi-religious devotion to American football, it should come as no surprise that I’m a fantasy football addict. I developed the habit 4 years ago and I have absolutely no intent to seek out professional help to “get clean”.

Hardcore fantasy football players know that the months of July and August are all about crafting draft strategy – which means conducting your due diligence on training camp injuries, drafted and undrafted rookies, and current team composition (trust me – it’s more fun than it sounds).

Last week, as I was face-deep in fantasy draft analysis, I had an epiphany.

Somewhere between playing a Tim Tebow drinking game with ESPN Radio and reading post-market close commentary on a couple of energy stocks, I thought to myself, “What if some of the most well-known NFL players were actually finance professionals?

And if they were, what positions would they hold and what firms would they be at?

Got Crystal Meth? The Breaking Bad Guide to Success in the World of Finance

If you want to break in and move up the ladder in finance, two of the most important skills will be killing people and selling crystal meth.

Dissolving your enemies’ corpses with hydrofluoric acid might be a close #3.

And the best place to learn all these skills is not from interview guides or training programs, but from watching Breaking Bad – the best-written (and most entertaining) TV drama currently on TV.

Here’s why you need to pay attention, and what you can learn by watching: