Just a quick question for current Analysts and Associates.
Do you guys mostly use Excel, or does a point ever come that the data you are dealing with gets so huge that you have to get into using Access as well?
What about M.S. Project? Ever ended up using that?
Appreciate the response....
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I don't know of any bankers that use Access, its generally all Excel. I work in PE now and can't think of when I'd ever use Access, though I did use it a fair amount (used SPSS too) in management consulting - since at times you're dealing with massive fucking data dumps.
Hey Smuggy97,
did you make a transition straight from Management Consulting to PE? or did you go through the proper route i.e. DCM-> M&A -> PE
Cuz I was told by someone that a lot of PE shops prefer people with Management consulting experience.
Always excel, never access.
It's been about 90% excel, 10% access. I consider that a shame, though - it's much easier to manage large data sets and turn data into information when using Access, because if you're competent enough understanding SQL and writing queries (and VB scripts occasionally), it makes life much easier.
Professional-grade data management requires a database imho. Using excel is winging it. It'll work for most cases but end up costing you time and effectiveness in the long run.
Is most of the time as an analyst /associate spent in due dilligence i.e. understanding the business and looking at statements, or do you guys get a chance to go for marketing the sceurities or getting the clients as well.
Access is a crappy database to begin with, if you were going to use a database, you'd want to use something else. Excel has a ton of functionality, especially when you learn VBA. Most people don't even scratch the surface on what Excel can do.
Excel. Never used Access in last 3 years
Excel is what I use for financial modelling.
Access really isn't applicable for doing DCF/financial statement type analysis.
If you are in university try to model questions from your corporate finance book on excel. It will help you become familiar with using it. (note: this is not the same thing as the models you will build at work).
Thing I dislike alot about university problem solving is that when practicing corp finance book questions on the computer in Excel or a spreadsheet package of choice(read: OpenOffice). The experience you get is hardly of any use on the exam/test, where you are pretty much stuck with pen,paper&calculator.
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