interview question - modeling exp?
What kinds of things you should talk about when an interview asks you about your modeling experience?
Trending Content
Career Resources
WSO Free Modeling Series - Now Open Through
April 30, 2024
9 Free Financial Modeling Lessons
Get instant access to lessons taught by experienced private equity pros and bulge bracket investment bankers including financial statement modeling, DCF, M&A, LBO, Comps and Excel Modeling.
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
+Bonus: Get 27 financial modeling templates in swipe file
Tell the truth. Unless you have had a previous banking internship or valuation-related classes or technical training (such as Training the Street), you need to truthfully indicate that you don't have any modeling experience. Of course also express your interest in modeling by saying that you look forward to learning financial modeling and that you are confident in quickly picking up the skill based on your technical strengths / passion for finance.
Don't try to be insecure and exaggerate your "modeling experience" if you don't have any. If you miscommunicate / misrepresent, you may get grilled further and look really bad.
Do not lie. I once had the following conversation with a large fund over the PHONE (fortunately i was not too interested in the position):
Guy: So you're pretty good at excel, huh? (per some nonsense on my resume at the time im sure, or maybe a cover letter).
Me: Yeah....(pee dripping now)
Guy: So if I were to ask how you do an "if...is error"...why don't you give me the syntax for that...just tell me what you would type...you can make up the cell numbers.
That's the last thing I remember before waking up in an abandoned house with a needle in my arm and a baby bonnet on.
Suffice to say, I was not that good at excel, at all...did not even know what an IFISERROR was at the time, much less what you would type...and our conversation ended fairly soon after that.
Fortunately I really didn't want the position, but it sucks really bad to get caught in an embellishment/outright lie about your skill set.
OP, just be honest. In one of my interviews with the group I'm with currently, a guy asked if I had done any modeling at my banking internship with a rinky-dink boutique. I got nervous at first because at the time, I thought it was expected that interns were supposed to have pretty in-depth modeling experience. All I had to my name was an operating model and an IPO valuation for a tiny company. I talked about that and I sold hard how much I know from BIWS and that I practice with it frequently.
I guess you are still a little shaky with Excel... =IFERROR
There's also =if(iserror( brah
care to try again?
Voluptatem nemo cupiditate corrupti magnam doloribus illo ad. Cupiditate esse eveniet nostrum mollitia ex tempora qui aliquam. Adipisci sit non at in consequuntur delectus. Perferendis quasi voluptatum qui excepturi nam voluptatibus assumenda.
See All Comments - 100% Free
WSO depends on everyone being able to pitch in when they know something. Unlock with your email and get bonus: 6 financial modeling lessons free ($199 value)
or Unlock with your social account...