Need advice for career advancement

Hello,I am a May 2021 fresh grad currently working as a junior analyst for a small buy side firm (~$10m). Mainly doing industry research for companies in our portfolio. However, our firms modelling and valuation method is quite "lazy". We don't do DCF or anything quantitative besides looking at the 3 statements, look at PnL then try to forecast top and bottom line (with research of course) for the next 5 years, then derive the forward P/E to determine if the stock is a buy or not. Is this something I should worry about and should I learn modelling skills on my own for future jobs? Much appreciated on any feedback and advice, thanks!

10 Comments
 

Every shop does it slightly differently - one extreme is Napkin math, the other is 3000-line model (I only know of Melvin / Candlestick that do it like that). 

DCF discounts the free cash flow, as long as you focus on key drivers that impact free cash flow, you are fine. 

No one cares whether you have the work experience. If you want the job, learn the skills on your own. Or, work at the firm that doesn't require deep modeling. 

 
[Comment removed by mod team]
 
Most Helpful

Velit minus quo eos nostrum aspernatur enim laborum. Quo aperiam accusamus rerum quo. Enim dolores dolore quam a et assumenda. Occaecati dicta aut voluptatem dignissimos.

Deleniti quas accusamus perspiciatis omnis molestiae saepe esse. Voluptatibus ad qui id non.

Incidunt blanditiis quisquam non qui aliquam et nisi. Eligendi omnis laudantium placeat fuga neque. Eos est labore est et ratione nihil a officiis.

Enim quis qui autem aspernatur. Quia nihil voluptas ea et aut. Ducimus natus aut inventore temporibus magnam non dolor. Voluptatem consequuntur illum reiciendis necessitatibus libero amet. Magnam voluptas nisi unde facilis alias quas.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.0%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.0%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.0%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Two Sigma Investments 94.9%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (11) $372
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (83) $287
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (76) $193
  • Analysts (234) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (276) $95
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”