Anyone not know how to model after their analyst stint?

I did 2+ years in banking and got good reviews, I have been on 2 closed deals and several pitches and other mandates. Tbh I never learned how to model. I did a lot of PPT bullshit, comps, some rollforwards here and there on some simple stuff but I've never built a grounds up model / really worked on any type of operating model, etc. Now I'm interviewing to GTFO banking and I don't have a lot to show for my 'advanced excel modeling' skills. 

14 Comments
 

Was banking worth it overall? And do you wish you were at a more boutique bank like EB or even just a regular boutique? 

 

You’re honestly very lucky you haven’t been exposed yet - my advice would be to teach yourself how to model as soon as possible

 

be above 6 foot, striking features, sub 10 body fat, take some headshots and go to casting calls

 
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My experience has been that there is a lot of modeling in the sense of running LBOs, putting together DCFs, and doing some accretion-dilution analyses, but you’re usually modifying existing templates rather than building something from a blank excel sheet, and you’re rarely making three-statement models from scratch.

This brings knowledge of how models work conceptually, and puts you in a place where, if you had to build any of these from scratch as an interview, you’d probably be able to do so with 10-20 hours of Breaking Into Wall Street preparation. That’s *far* from “not knowing how to model” at all, and, in my view, this is entirely normal.

The thing I will concede, though, is that, given the above, I’m not usually speed-tested on my excel shortcut skills. I have to be deliberate about incorporating them into my routine, as it’s “too easy” to just … not use them, given how rarely I’m doing formatting entirely from scratch.

Personally, I would not put “advanced excel skills” on my résumé, as I wouldn’t say I have “advanced” excel skills. I would feel comfortable saying I understand financial models, though, as I believe that, conceptually, you learn them inside and out on this job.

 

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