It’s a little bit confusing when it comes to which models I need to learn for my intended career. I am not interested in investment banking or investment management careers, and most modeling courses are geared toward these careers(BIWS, etc). My question is which type of models or skills are important for someone who wants to work as a financial analyst in a F-500 company?
Thanks in advance comrade!!!
I’m not in the field so take my advice with a grain of salt. From what I’ve read across different sites, the typical answer I saw was that modeling is overkill for corp fin. You’re better off focusing on the DCF and excel formulas/shortcuts. Once again, take it with a grain of salt.
Not my field, but I’d focus on learning the general “language” of excel. While people don’t refer to excel as programming, it is a unique language that can be applied in lots of different ways. Making sure that you can do what I’d requested is likely more important than learning a very specific type of model (like an LBO or something)
huh?? what you described, “IRR, NPV, project decision analysis, budgeting/forecasting, FSA” is investment analysis. Reading 10k and other filings prepared by accountants and able to digest them is the job of investment or equity or fixed income analysts. Doing forecasting ie proforma is the job of investment and equity and fixed income analysts. The only “mathy” or “financy” part is DCF, which is very very simliar to that of NPV - finding the wacc or discount rate whether using comparable un-levered and leveraging back or just generic rate…
You do this for 2 years on either buyside or sellside and you graduate into more of qualitative stuff such as interviewing or interacting with mgmt of the company, board, researching outside vendors etc etc etc.
If you’re working in an F-500 company or not, financial modeling skills you will need include
ADVICE
If you haven’t learned these skills through university, start taking online training programs.