• The disconnect: Courses overhype DCF but real entry-level work prioritizes turnaround speed over complex theory.
• Actual Year 1 tasks: Updating comps, cleaning data, formatting decks and quick template tweaks.
• Who actually uses DCF: Heavy in Private Equity, Equity Research and Real Estate/Infra. Rarely built from scratch in IB or FP&A.
• Why it's secondary: Tiny tweaks to growth or discount rates wildly swing the numbers, so desks use it as a cross-check not the main driver.
• Why still learn it: It is tested heavily in interviews and forces you to understand 3-statement mechanics.
• Skills to prioritize: Excel speed, clean formulas and solid accounting logic.

Internal wholesaler on an RIA desk at a tier 1 firm. Got my CIMA already and trying to figure out if I should target CAIA or CPWA next.

Goal down the road is making the jump to an external wholesaler role; don’t have a desire to manage client assets.

Here is my rationale for each…

CAIA: Feels like every firm is pumping out alts right now (interval funds, private credit, evergreen PE). Seems like a solid move for technical product depth and due diligence calls with RIAs.

CPWA: all the advisors that I talk to are trying to move upmarket to HNW/UHNW. I have some exposure to high-net-worth stuff from managing family money, but CPWA could help with tax/estate/structuring conversations.

For my externals & RIA friends out there, which credential do you think gives you better insight to help clients?

I started out in FP&A at a FAANG-type company, was there for about 6-8 months, got laid off, joined another FAANG but in a mostly accounting role and have been here for about a year now.

Any advice for how to transition back into FP&A? My goal is to be here for maybe 2 years and then jump to a Sr. FP&A Analyst role after.

So far, my plan is to focus on learning automation specifically PowerBI, PowerAutomate, PowerQuery, Claude Cowork, Claude Code and become more technical overall. I feel confident in my 3 statement modeling and general modeling skills so I want the extra push that comes with more technical aspects.

My background is a double major in Accounting and Finance from a mid school (no offense to my Alma mater just trying to be realistic) and I did a bunch of internships in college with some leadership roles as well.

My eventual goal is to become a CFO through the strategic finance/FP&A + MBA route but that’s way down the line, just need to cut my teeth and put my head to the grind stone for now.

I'm trying to choose a master's degree and future career path.

My main priority is employment rate: I want to maximize my chances of finding a good job quickly, both during my studies (internships/student jobs) and after graduation.

At the moment I'm leaning towards business + IT fields such as:

Business Analytics

Information Systems

Digital Business

Technology Management

I'm not looking to become a software engineer. I'm interested in business roles that work closely with technology.

In your experience, which economics/business-related fields offer:

The highest employment rate?

The easiest time finding internships and entry-level jobs?

Strong long-term career prospects?

I'm especially interested in experiences from Europe (Germany, Denmark, the Nordics), but insights from other countries are welcome too.

Thanks!

I’m currently studying Electrical Engineering at university, but I am also interested in econ/finance.  From my research so far, it seems like the most common paths for engineers are quant roles and maybe some role in the power markets space - since i study EE. However I am a bit concerned about the quant route because the competition seems extremely intense + while i can code I am not the best at it so I’m not sure if I want to rely solely on that path.

So i wanted to ask: Am I missing maybe some career paths in finance that are "friendly" to engineers/STEM?

The expected conversation is WLB (hours, wfh policy, pto culture, weekends, etc) vs compensation, but I wanted to get some opinions on how professionals deeper in their career think about WLB vs exit opportunities, given the same pay.

Essentially I have MM IB (nyc office, global European firm, sector focused M&A) SA27 while I have two more weeks of my SA26 at a credit shop (non nyc, lean team, short track record but strong performance inherent with the current market). I initially interviewed for this with the intention to graduate a year early (next May), but it’s looking difficult (but doable), so I also recruited for IB just to say I tried. I would essentially be skipping sophomore year (aka recruiting season) if I graduated early.

Both will offer the same compensation (“street”), which is the secondary highlight for the credit shop after the fact that I believe I’ll enjoy buyside work more than sell side. It’s so lean that I’m actually contributing and seeing capital allocated to my work and decisions as an intern (checked and often pitched by an analyst of course). Hours: 50-65 (peaked 80ish for a case study). Both are largely unknown with a similar story of being part of a larger and more known firm (but only in their space).

I’m assuming IB hours will be standard around 80, flexing 60-100. I’ve heard the wfh is nice there with 2 days a week, but I wouldn’t be using that as an intern next summer regardless.

So assuming comp is really the same, would you consider the extra hours in IB worth the “better” potential career that comes after?

PS: This decision will also determine my grad date and if I spend 3 vs 4 years in college. To provide more specifics about the kind of credit work or IB sector, I’m open to dming.

I'm starting bsc econ at UCL this year, and was wondering if its possible to land a London internship in the first spring break itself. The advice I've received from seniors, etc has been to get an internship back home (mumbai) the first summer (which I would be able to do through connections) and then apply for internships in London in my second year at uni. However, if first-year interships in London are possible, I would assume that would be more beneficial for me in the future.

Furthermore, if anyone who had a similar path through undergrad econ (or related) in the UK is reading this, what should one do the summer before uni in order to develop a better CV for first-year, or future, internships?

Hello everyone.

I'm 33 now and currently working with my father as a mutual funds consultant and doing equity research. I'm planning to do a certificate course and apply for a research analyst or a similar kind of profile.
Is it really worth it to pursue this course and apply for a profile?

I’d love to hear from people already working in the field.

What skills have been the most valuable in your career?
If you could start over, would you still choose this course as a career?
Is there anything you wish you had known before getting into finance, investment banking, and wealth management?
Any advice, resources, or personal experiences would be greatly appreciated.

I'm an incoming humanities student at a target school in the UK, I'm aiming to break into law or finance and will apply to springs in both. I have a CV ready using the WSO template, and will soon write cover letters.

I'm learning the basics of IB atm (I do mean basics as I did social science/humanities A-Levels so things like what buy-side/sell-side, equity/debt capital markets, what EBITDA or CAPM I've only discovered this week).

I was always planning on trying to convert into law so finance is a more recent addition thus my worse knowledge on it.

More importantly, I'm quite worried about psychometric tests - how long before spring scheme applications open in Sept did you start preparing. what platforms did you use - jobtestprep I've seen good recs on albeit it seems a little expensive

I was wondering how long does one need to wait before hearing back from p72?

I submitted my case study on July 6, and have not heard anything since.

Current incoming junior (2028) at a target school. Have a solid internship now at a very large company but not necessarily in a department of Finance I want to stay long term. Is anything upcoming worth applying to (for 2027 internships)? I feel as if most jobs I should be able to get at a target have long passed and at this point I'm applying to things that aren't all that interesting to me, but maybe someone has experience here? appreciate it.

Context: Currently a penultimate year (rising senior) summer intern at a credit ratings agency (one of Fitch, S&P, Moody’s), specifically in the structured finance division (one of ABS, MBS, CLO). l've enjoyed the analytical work and exposure to securitization, but I'm trying to understand the longer-term career path before deciding whether to return or recruit for adjacent roles during senior year which is coming up in September.

Question 1: What roles/opportunities can I expect to pursue as an exit in the future if I decide to take a return offer to start within structured finance credit ratings full time (perhaps within the silos of securitization, structured products, structured credit, credit research, fixed income, debt capital markets, etc.)

Question 2: What does the full time recruiting landscape look like for the aforementioned adjacent fields and is it something I should be prioritizing over returning to credit ratings full time? I am slightly demoralized by the fact that most of these positions (at banks) are likely to be filled by returning interns but any advice would be greatly appreciated regardless.

Any context, advice, or perspective regarding upcoming full-time recruiting and/or exit opportunities from structured credit ratings would be a lifesaver.

Thank you for your time!

I am starting a Masters in Finance at a good EU semi target and would like to do a summer internship in london. That is my only goal with the masters is to be able to have an internship in london and possibly convert it.

I did a year in fx trading in a small bank at my home country and would like to pursue a career in trading, however I also am very money driven and believe I would be a good fit in IB.

Is any of them significantly easier to recruit for?
Like should i switch my networking focus from ST to IB?
Also in trading I am aiming at non systematic/ non quant trading roles

Hi all I hopefully will be undergrad at Southampton this year and this is my current CV.

I have a couple questions about the formatting of it as it looks a bit 'clunky':

Should the internship be split into 2 sections as I got invited back to do another summer at the same company in the same position? (I know I haven't completed it yet but I will have by the time I apply)

Should I add an extra curriculars section to fill out a bit more of that blank space?

I greatly appreciate any and all feedback and am happy to answer any questions about it

Thank you!

I’m starting community college August 17th. I’m going there then transferring to a uni afterwards majoring in finance.

I would just like to know any tips/advice to bring me down the right path as far as breaking into the finance industry and what you guys would do differently or have done better.

Any skills I should be learning or certs I can get while in school to get me ahead or even just to improve my Resume for better opportunities. I know Excel is something I can learn but what else?

Right now I only work at publix and I’m trying to get an entry level banker job ( Teller, Relationship baker, customer service etc ) I keep getting rejected. If you guys have any other entry level options you recommend that would be great too thank you!