Engineering to A&M Associate: Navigating Finance Challenges and Seeking Guidance

Hey WSO,

I recently kicked off my journey as an associate at Alvarez and Marsal Restructuring, transitioning from an engineering background through a master's in general management and a stint in Big4 strategy.

While I feel incredibly fortunate to have landed this role, I'm consistently encountering challenges when it comes to grasping finance and accounting concepts. Senior associates effortlessly navigate tasks like liquidity tables, financial restatements, and working capital impacts, leaving me feeling a bit overwhelmed about reaching that level of proficiency.

In the short term, I'm actively cataloguing new concepts, creating an online flashcard folder, compiling reference docs, attending training sessions, and delving into books focused on conceptual understanding of finance.

I have two questions for the more seasoned people out here:
1. Any short-term strategies to help me efficiently engage with these financial concepts and be less of a burden to senior associates?
2. Can anyone share their perspective on the situation I'm in? Along with short-term tips, I'm hoping for insights to make my work a bit less stressful.

Grateful for any advice you can offer! Thank you!