Sell-Side Advisory Analyst - How To Prepare?

I understand, if you work for rather smaller regional boutique/middle market IB firms, you are likely to be involved in a lot of sell-side advisory work and little-to-zero buy-side (pls corret me if I'm wrong).

My question is, if you are to work for a firm majority of whose work is sell-side advisory, how can you prepare yourself for the job?

All the financial/valuation modeling prep programs out there (WSP, TTS, AE etc), I'd think they are heavily geared to buy-side advisory work.. Am I correct?

I would love to hear from current/ex analysts who are/were heavily involved in sell-side advisory work - what they did/do each day (Im pretty sure one day is greatly different from the next day, but I just like to get some rough idea) and most importantly, what one can do before starting work, in order to hit the ground running right away.

Thanks everyone.

3 Comments
 

Its all the same shit...you will be putting together pitch books and doing comp spreads just as you would on buy-side advisory. You will pick most of the same skill set:

Comp company analysis, precendent transaction comps, DCFs, financial statement analysis, research, etc.

All of the prep programs are applicable to both as again the skill set is the same

Think about what you are doing sell-side you are valuing the company and preparing it for sale buyside you are valuing the company and advising your client on the purchase

 

Thank you junkbondswap.

I have a follow-up question though.

After winning the mandate, do analysts dive in valuing their client (comp company analysis?), figuring out who could be prospective buyers and running precedent transaction comps for their client with each prospective buyers?

or do they wait until they receive signed confidentiality agreements from some of prospective buyers, then start the process?

Please excuse my ignorance and thanks again.

 

Excepturi ducimus reprehenderit expedita adipisci sapiente officia excepturi. Vero maiores eum quam sed cumque aliquid dolore aut. Fugit aut et animi aliquid et porro.

Tempora rerum in reprehenderit maiores qui. Rerum corporis nulla vero delectus totam. Iure aliquam voluptatem et omnis et sit et. Sunt voluptates impedit animi quo temporibus. Quasi qui cum harum adipisci qui. Praesentium blanditiis voluptates modi quo voluptas repudiandae. Esse nesciunt dolorem fugit accusantium omnis facere.

-- Support WSO.com and visit these links! Financial Modeling Training Guide to Finance Interviews

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.9%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (56) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (28) $184
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”