Boutique IBD

If you were to spend a summer at a boutique firm without a training program, how would you learn how to do financial modeling and a proper valuation? Are you just thrown into the fire and learning on the job? Or are you taught by your coworkers? Just curious.

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I'm in that scenario.

I've been working through it on my own (I did some research before I started). There is no formal training program, you kind of have to just learn as your going through it.

But a good website just to get going with modeling is: www.macabacus.com

It shows you the basics, best practices, etc.

Theres a merger model you can create/follow along. Hope that helps.

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Why not talk to past interns at the boutique? Or talk with the analyst, who you'll probably be working with for most of the internship. Boutique experience can definitely set you up well for BB IBD if you are proactive and show that you're hungry to learn. IME, I did CapIQ research, company & industry research to create pitchbooks, worked with Excel and PP, got staffed on a live deal, attended meetings and got to converse with CEOs and CFOs (client corporations), and also went out for lunch with the CEO of the boutique several times. And since a boutique is a smaller more intimate environment, choose the firm that you liked better based on the people, and which one liked YOU better. Also, the analyst I worked with is my friend to this day and is my mentor, so the people/culture is 80% of it.

 
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