How to build real modeling skills?..because my shop sucks.
I graduated from undergrad and went straight to PE after doing a couple summers interning in IB. Unfortunately, the fund I am with does a shit job of teaching us how to model or giving the appropriate number of reps to figure it out. I'm trying to do what I can to teach myself but am unsure exactly where to turn. I have tried a few of the online training courses (WSO, AMT, WSP) but don't feel like they give me a REALLY GOOD foundation. I would like to have a strong skillset that allows me to make sense of and combat weird nuances between different companies. Is there anything anyone recommends? Better ways to self-learn? Are there superior courses anyone has taken?
// To be clear, would like to learn and be able to sufficiently build typical DCF or operating models (as I may look to pivot to HF / VC) as well as LBO models (given current PE track).
Start with ASimpleModel.com
Then move to Macabacus.
Even though I did almost 3 years in restructuring banking, I came in laterally so didn’t get any proper training and really bad training from my associate. Ended up completely teaching myself from the resources above and has served me well. The three dollars a month to a simple model is worth it in my opinion. 
I just recently saw some posts regarding asimplemodel, thanks for the confirmation that it is worth using. I'll give that a go next.
W.r.t. Macabcus, looks like their modeling tutorial is all text based (no video instruction), correct? Just wanting to make sure I am looking at the right thing.
Correct, but the model they provide is one of the most encompassing models I’ve seen.
the above is good and multiple expansion is also a great free one
I personally didn’t like macabus it was really hard to follow and doesn’t guide you through anything but I can see why others like it as it’s really detailed.
I think the best thing is to learn accounting, once you fully understand the accounting then you can start to build operating models so I would start with accounting before moving to modelling. hopefully someone can post some useful accounting links for you.
Obviously it helps to know accounting. But I think simply learning how to model is, by far, the most time efficient way to learn to model. Any further than T accounts and debits/ credit and what assets/ liabilities do to cash, "learning accounting" is much more time intensive than learning to model and can easily become a rabbit hole.
OP - just start with the simple modeling exercises. Hell, I built a few operating models based on the ASM framework. That will get you a solid foundation. From there, reference Macabacus for more detailed scenarios. Remember that while working, efficiency is key.
You should have access to models prepared by banks / other funds - just start recreating those and dig into why things were done the way they were (e.g. choice of formula, layout, etc.). This gives you some training wheels as in you'll always have a few templates for modeling out specific things like debt, returns analysis, etc. All of this, in addition to the sources mentioned above, should be pretty sufficient imo in terms of getting some knowledge and confidence on the modeling side.
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