ARGUS Student Training Software - Is it worth it?

My school is offering the opportunity to take a two-day training course in ARGUS. I am currently signed up, however they also offer the ability to purchase a 6 month student version of the software to download on your own computer for $100. Is it worth it to get the software also? Otherwise they provide software for the training session.

Background info: I'm a Senior with a Real Estate major. I will be looking for a job as a financial analyst in commercial real estate over the next couple of months. The training course is at the end of February.

10 Comments
 

The more exposure to Argus the better. If you have the extra cash and time do it. Most Argus trainings are at or above this price (CCIM).

The two day course will be great to put the resume regardless because it shows you've had some exposure.

 

The more exposure to Argus the better. If you have the extra cash and time do it. Most Argus trainings are at or above this price (CCIM).

The two day course will be great to put the resume regardless because it shows you've had some exposure.

 

And yes buy the student program for 100 dollars. The bad part is it doesn't translate to DCF 15 or 16 so you can't send your analysis to people that don't have the student software. Its a great tool to practice with because with Argus, "doing it" is far more important than "reading about it". You'll get my point upon completion of the program. Again, its something to mention during an interview. Not only are you certified but you have the program on your home computer.

 

Awesome, thanks for the advice! They also offer the ability to pay $500 and get a full certification in the software (Comes with lesson modules, pre-certification material, and the certification exam that must be taken within 90 days). This is the only huge investment i'm unsure about. Would having this certification put me above and beyond other applicants for the position as an analyst?

You eat what you kill.
 
Best Response

True story-- I'm Argus certified and I did not buy any material other than the Software (also took a brief tutorial by 3rd party--about 10 hours total). I failed the first test (absurdly specific questions that has nothing to do with your Argus skill level) and passed the re-take. I did not use Argus when I was initially interested in the software and was just intrigued by it from an analytics standpoint.

I've been in my new position for about a year and use Argus on a weekly basis (no one really uses it everyday--at least in my opinion). The more you fiddle around with the program the more you'll pick up. The issue with the certification is that Argus wants you to know how to model debt within the program itself-- I've never met a single analyst or associate who doesn't model debt outside of the program and within the exported excel cash flow that is spit out by Argus.

My answer is no, don't buy the whole bucket unless you can get someone to pay for it for you. Argus certified is nice to have on the resume and you can pass it without the material if you're clever enough. The certification is a conversation starter (might land you an interview that you might not have gotten if you didn't have it). However, my guess is that you'll most likely have to show your competency first hand if you are to land an analyst gig within CRE (at least in my experiences).

 

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