Should you include modeling experience on your resume?
Hey guys:
How much modeling / valuation experience do you think should be included on an ibanking resume? Mine has 3 bullets on it that talk about modeling / valuation experience, and I'm not sure if these are things I should omit or if I should mention them directly on the resume.
Thanks for any help.
- Nick
If you're a college student you should include them as it shows you've been developing a skill set geared towards banking.
If you're already a banking analyst, your experience should convey that you know all this stuff without having designated bullets that say you know how to spread comps and do a DCF.
If you're a BO/MO type guy trying to transition over, it would probably help that you have the necessary skill set.
Regardless of which case you fall into, but especially for the 2nd and 3rd, you should know your shit cold and inside out if you're putting it down on your resume. The last think you want is for someone to ask you in an interview how you calculated WACC or which method requires a control premium and which doesn't... and you stumble.
Marcus:
Thanks for your response. I'm still a college student so I will keep that stuff on my resume... do you think it's possible to 'overdo' it or put too much about those kinds of things on a resume?
what about a college student who did a banking internship and DID get to do modeling during his/her time there? should he/she include it or will bankers just brush it off as most assume summer analysts don't get to do "real" work or modeling anyway... thanks
Dude, use some common sense.
Include your modeling experience, but don't overdo it. In other words, if you worked on deals, cite it, if you performed a decent amount of DCF, M&A, LBO, comps, etc modeling, then highlight it, but don't use 5 bullet points to highlight. 1 bullet point per deal, and 1 bullet point per task.
For example, if you did a bunch of modeling but not for any 1 particular deal, then highlight the bunch of modeling on deals in these sectors using 1 bullet point to convey the message.
I'm in the same position. I had an internship where I had exposure to modeling, but I didn't work on anything really intense. For example, the LBO models I worked on did not have multiple tranches of debt. Also, I wouldn't know how to answer Marcus' question about the control premium (transaction comps?).
Would it look like I'm trying to weasel out of being responsible for knowing this if i put "Analyzed basic DCF and basic LBO models"? Or would that sell me too short and make it look like I just plugged in numbers and read the outputs? For the record, I did have to build these models from the ground up.
FYI, I'm a rising junior Thanks
be careful with any modeling experience you put on the resume. if you put it on, you better be able to explain everything about that model
ex: talking about how to get to equity value and EV value from DCF, what happens if it's mid year period, what happens if the transaction ends on the third quarter as oppose to the very beginning.
As you can imagine, LBO and M&A model becomes more complex. The place where I am now has the tendency to ask very technical questions for first rounds.
So be careful if you put on anything because you WILL be asked.
Modeling Experience in Resume (Originally Posted: 08/18/2012)
Interned at a bb this summer and got to work on some interesting stuff, including this deal where I helped the analyst build a dcf. Question is, how do I present this on my resume? Basically the analyst gave me instructions in building the dcf where I would then go off and do. There were a few challenging bits in terms of getting everything dynamic where she'd jump in and show me how to make sure everything was dynamic.
Kinda feel like if i wrote "Built DCF" on my resume it'd be less than honest, but I'm not sure how else to write a bullet that's not ridiculously granular. Appreciate any advice!
You could go into the detail about the portion of the model you were responsible for actually building. For example, if you put a lot of time into the bottom up revenue projection and expense portion, you could go into depth there. Or alternatively (not sure if you saved a copy of the final model), you can study up the model you helped build and just say you worked on the whole thing, and come interview time, be prepared to answer very detail-oriented questions pertaining to it. Also, consult the mergers and inquisitions site regarding the resume template thing.
Anyone else have any other advice? Feel free to correct me if i'm wrong.
I think the modeling experience is more impressive if you are female vs. male. It will get you a lot of interviews.
SirTradesaLot: why do you think there's a difference depending on female vs. male? Does this exist at all levels of recruiting?
lulzbanker: really appreciate the reply. Unfortunately there wasn't a way for me to get a copy of the model tho I remember it pretty well. When you say be prepped for detailed q's about it, what types of details are you referring to? (Like if x assumption were changed, how would it flow or something like that?)
Lol, if you haven't noticed already, SirTradesaLot is just fuckin with you. What you're referring to sounds like sensitivity analysis so yes, that might be something you could keep in mind too i.e. what are the most sensitive drivers that affect the valuation (price of unit sold? capex? margins? etc). Know things like what the revenue & expense drivers are, rough valuation multiples and key financials, comparable peers, etc. Essentially you'll want to know as much as you can about the company and its industry. You could easily be asked to walk the interviewer through every line item on the income statement. You don't need to know exact numbers, especially if the interviewers never heard of the company, but you'll need to know roughly how much revenue, op expenses, margins, etc, Hope this is helpful. Do a search on the board, this should be a pretty common topic.
Very helpful, thanks!
My advice would be to not put TOO much. The important thing is that when they read that bullet point(s), you are able to talk intelligently about what exactly you did.
Resume- modeling experience or not (Originally Posted: 11/08/2012)
Background-
Go to a LAC so have no real financial background. Worked at a PE shop this summer and had a 3 day TTS modeling course (learned basics 3 statement build up and start of lbo model). Rest of internship was very much research oriented and putting together presentations based on financials with limited assistance in building the models.
Does including the TTS course on my resume open the flood gates to specific modeling questions that I (being from a LAC) would not get otherwise. I'm by know means an expert, and am not sure if it is worth including. Talked to a few alums at various BB's and they kind of warned me about it.
Anyways, looking for your guys' thoughts.
I don't think it hurts to have it on there in the skills section. Something like "completed three-day Training the Street Modeling course." Just brush up on your modeling and basic accounting. Whether that's on there or not, you'll still get questions asking about how the three statements link together.
i.e.) What happens to the three statements if a company buys new equipment - or some such shit.
yeah, back when i was at Williams in 2002 we could get away with not knowing much of any finance, but I think nowadays, would definitely make you more competitive if you knew most technicals just in case. Either way, may sure you have the answers to the behavioral questions polished.
Good luck unless you're from Amherst (....joking).
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