<p>How hard would it be to go to a Wallstreet firm comming from a Canadian MBA program. In addition, it there money to be made in the Canadian IB scene?</p>
<p>What is your current educational background? (i.e. which college, what program, grades, ECs, etc) that will play a factor on where you get jobs. Plus, you shouldn't be interested in I-banking for the money just like you shouldn't for any other jobs, you should actually enjoy the strenuous and long-hours of work the men and women of I-banking do. So I think the second quesiton is irrelevant.</p>
<p>The answer depends on the strength of your Canadian MBA program. Obviously, certain Canadian MBA programs are far more respected than others. For example, the U of Western Ontario/Richard Ivey program, the Queen's School of Business, the U of Toronto, and several others offer high profile Canadian MBA progams.</p>
<p>However, I would have to say that as far as Ibanking goes, the best Canadian MBA programs are still not as strong as the best US MBA programs. If you want Ibanking, it's still better to go to Harvard, Wharton, MIT-Sloan, or Stanford, than it is to go to those Canadian MBA programs, as strong as those Canadian MBA programs are.</p>
<p>Now is there money to be made in the Canadian IB scene. Of course there is. A lot. Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal have lively Ibanking scenes. Montreal might be especially attractive if you are fluent in both English and French. </p>
<p>Yet the center of Ibanking in North America, if not the world, is New York City, hands down. That is where the bulk of the action is, that is where much of the big money is made. </p>
<p>Finally, I would say that if there is one profession in the world that people do 'just for the money', Ibanking would be it. That's not to say that there isn't any professional enjoyment in the field, because there is. However, Ibanking is arguably the industry where the connection to pay is the most clearcut. </p>
<p>Let me present the following quote from a guy who's getting his MBA at Chicago and who just completed a summer internship in Ibanking.</p>
<p>"Doctors and lawyers can pretend that they are doing their job out of compassion and for justice. Bankers do it for the money. Money is the good part of banking and I saw plenty of it around me. You might be telling yourself that you really like banking work and that money is secondary. Remember that when you are in the office staring at a copy machine on a Saturday night. Sure, some people really love the job. But most of us would probably quit working obscene hours without equally obscene bonus checks. If any would-be consultant or lawyer tells you that their pay is comparable, tell them to shove it. It's not even close."</p>
<p>I would also point to much of the literature, both pop and serious, about the Wall Street lifestyle. Go read books like Liar's Poker, Monkey Business, FIASCO, and other books, and the connection between people who take jobs on Wall Street and the money they can potentially make there is clearcut. </p>
<p>Just to be clear, there are a lot of things to enjoy about Ibanking. So I'm not saying that you should go in just for the pay However, it is very much a pay-oriented industry, and you shouldn't delude yourself into thinking otherwise.</p>