How long does it take until a first-year analyst at an EB or M&A BB/MM group is given real financial modeling work to do? How important is it to know how to create a 3-statement model/DCF/LBO from scratch coming into your first year? I've heard the first 6 months are just shadowing with no real responsibilities usually?
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Can't speak for IB, but in ER you are expected to at least know how to create DCF and EVA models from scratch. What I did, in the beginning, from the modeling perspective, is just updating the existing DCF models (just move the financial reports to the model and then update the model itself and annualize properly etc., also look if you want to update the assumptions), then, after couple months when the seniors see that you can do your shit, you will create the models from scratch aka just reuse the old templates and post your shit there and build the assumptions. It is not that difficult, after all, and comes with practice. The real stuff is happening on the actual research side when you are reading hundreds of pages about the industry the company is operating in, its competitors, etc, etc, to build your assumptions.
TLDR: Don't worry about the modeling that much, it will come when it will come.
recommend you shadow someone and rebuild one on your own time. you are here to learn. if you are not learning what are you doing? grabbing coffee with the boys? don't be that guy.
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