Montréal MBB Recruiting for European Candidates – Are Early-Career Lateral Hire considered (Finance → Consulting)?

Question

Hi everyone,

I’m considering a potential pivot to MBB in Montréal in the medium term and wanted to get a sense of how offices there view early-career lateral candidates.

Very briefly: I have ~1.5 years of experience at a bulge-bracket investment bank (based in EMEA) and a 2-year master’s from a European target school. I also speak fluent French.

Would someone with this background typically be considered by the Montréal office, and if so, how are they usually levelled? Is there an intermediate level between Associate Consultant/Business Analyst and Consultant for lateral hires, or are profiles like this generally treated as entry-level?

Any insight on how Montréal offices think about this would be really appreciated!

Answer 1

Hi there,

Yes, Montréal MBB offices do consider early-career lateral hires, including candidates coming from finance, and your profile is actually quite well aligned for that office.

A few points to set expectations:

Eligibility / openness

Montréal offices are generally more open to non-traditional and international profiles than some larger US offices.
Fluent French is a big plus and, in practice, close to a requirement for many client teams.
A bulge-bracket IB background is viewed positively, especially for analytical rigor and work ethic.

Levelling

With ~1.5 years of IB experience, you would most commonly be considered at the entry-level consulting role:
- Business Analyst (McKinsey)
- Associate (BCG/Bain)
There is typically no true “in-between” level for candidates at this tenure.
In some cases, very strong lateral hires may be fast-tracked internally, but they usually still enter at the junior level.

What matters most

Clear motivation for consulting (not just “leaving banking”)
A convincing Montréal / Québec story (language, long-term interest, willingness to be based there)
Strong case performance, especially on structured thinking and synthesis (finance skills alone won’t carry you)
Your background would be taken seriously by Montréal MBB offices, and entry-level placement would not be seen as a downgrade but as a normal reset when switching industries early. If your long-term goal is consulting, this is a very reasonable and realistic path.

Best,

Evelina