Did your degree prepare you for IB?
Monkeys, as we all know, IB requires a certain skill set, including Excel wizardry, a healthy understanding of GAAP/IFRS and utter resistance to fatigue. So in light of this, do you feel that your degree sufficiently prepared you for your job? Did you have Excel modeling courses or something similar in school? Or did you mostly learn it on the job? What did your degree program lack? And if you could go back, what would you change about your curriculum on campus? Let´s hear it.
Bump
I don't work in IB, but a similar role where I use the same skill sets (at a junior level.) I studied accounting and it prepared me for the nuances of FS and how it impacts a company's earning.
I had to learn modeling (mechanics, ability to use reasonable assumptions, etc.) on my own through you tube and also the soft skills (interacting with execs) as my school (non-target) does not have a good resources/programs to build those skills.
I would add more of an emphasis on practical applications and soft skills if I could change it.
FYI, I DON'T work at a Big4!
Cool, so your uni was more theoretical? How did it compare in terms of accounting, was that sufficient?
All the finance classes were theoretical. The accounting was a mix, but my unis accounting program is top 10 in the world. I think just acctg by itself with some self-learning would have been enough.
Hard skills? Not really.
But overall, my economics degree shaped my perception of a) business and b) value, so in that sense it prepared my mindset.
I wish I have done a minor in graphic design back in school
Also, perhaps an honors project that involves loads of desktop research appendices that nobody reads
The responses to question will be probably range from no to somewhat helpful.
Given that I did focus on finance and accounting, I would say it helped to an extent in terms of reading financial statements and valuation theory (even though Most MMs along with BBs and EBs have training programs for analyst for 2-3 weeks before they getting to their desks).
But there was so much nuance to the job that a degree cannot really prepare you for. From interpersonal dynamics to really being a wiz at Excel and PowerPoint to effectively managing projects with competing deadlines, there was a good amount you could only learn on the job (hence the 6-9 month learning curve).
In hindsight, I would not go back and change anything my curriculum (only because I took most of the finance and accounting courses offered). I would say my degrees were a great starting point when entering into IB.
Thanks, I share the same sentiment. Funny enough, all that shitposting paid off when it got to desktop research, since some intel on a private company is far easier to find than a good argument against gnostic salvation theology lol
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