🎯 Core Metrics
🏆 Weekly Habits
Accounting
- Outcome:
- Read and interpret financial statements.
- Understand how the three statements connect.
Corporate Finance
- Topics: TVM, Risk & Return, CAPM, Beta, WACC, Cost of Equity, Capital Structure, Dividend Policy
- Outcome:
- Understand the why behind finance.
Valuation
- Topics: DCF, Relative Valuation, Multiples, Terminal Value, Growth, Discount Rates
- Outcome:
- Understand how companies are valued.
Advanced Excel
9+ SGPA — Non-negotiable
Join Finance/Investment Society
Accounting Fundamentals
Financial Modeling Basics
Financial Statement Analysis
Research or Startup Finance
DCF Valuation (Damodaran)
CFA Research Challenge
Cold Outreach — IB Analysts
Comp. Companies + Precedent Tx
CFA Level I Prep Begins
Deloitte — Deal Advisory / TAS
LBO Modeling
M&A / Merger Modeling
Complete Valuation Portfolio
EY Finance Internship → Convert
Apply to IB Boutiques
MBA/MFin Applications
Year 1: The Basics
Year 2: Core Valuation
Year 3: Deal Modeling
Foundation: Startup or Research
Target: Summer Year 1. It doesn't have to be a big brand. You just need proof that you can handle numbers, data, and work in a professional environment to put on your Year 2 resume.
Leverage Referrals: Big 4 Advisory
Target: Summer Year 2 / Sem 5. Cash in the Deloitte & EY referrals. You must target Deal Advisory, Valuations, or TAS (Transaction Advisory Services). Audit won't cut it for IB.
The Target: IB Boutique Off-Cycle
Target: Year 3 / Graduation. Armed with a Big 4 TAS brand, a 9.0 GPA, and a solid modeling portfolio, you bypass the target-school resume drop and network your way into an off-cycle analyst role.
Active Pipeline Tracker
| Company | Role | Stage | Date / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Planning | |||
| Referral Needed | |||
| Referral Needed |
Yale: Financial Markets
Foundational knowledge and a strong early signal on your LinkedIn profile that you are serious about finance before college even starts.
CFI: FMVA (Select Modules)
Don't pay for the whole thing unless you want to. Use the free courses for Accounting Fundamentals, Excel Crash Course, and basic 3-Statement modeling.
CFA Level 1
The gold standard for Indian non-target students trying to break into finance. Shows immense quantitative rigor and commitment. Requires ~300 hours.
⚠ Critical OS Warnings
- Do not sacrifice GPA for Certifications. A 9.0+ SGPA with zero certs is better than an 8.0 SGPA with CFA Level 1.
- Do not apply through portals. Non-target resumes die in ATS systems. You must use cold emails and your Big 4 referrals.
- Avoid "Trading" as a talking point. Investment banking interviews are about corporate finance and valuation, not day-trading or crypto.
📚 Learning Links
📘Coursera Base Course
Valuation & DCF Masterclass
Accounting & 3-Statement
LBO & Private Equity Models
📂 Master Portfolio
Link your models here. Share these links in your networking emails.