Due to my keen interest in developing my skills in the field of financial modelling and valuation I was on the lookout for an institute which imparted training more from a real world / professional perspective, taught by industry experts turned professional tutors, where the learning methodology followed was more practical and less theoretical in nature. After comparing many institutes I found CFI meeting all my requirements to the closest, hence I chose CFI..
It has definitely helped me a lot, have been able to add newer skills to my resume and take up projects which I was reluctant to take up earlier. Despite being well versed with excel after working with companies where excel was extensively used I still do feel the courses on excel have been very useful and have been able to learn newer tricks which has helped me immensely. As I went for the complete package, I think that was the right decision as it gave me a complete picture and thereby I could see how things move from a beginner to an advanced level in the area of financial and business modeling.
There are many things I enjoyed with CFI. Be the quality of videos where I liked the content, the pace at which it was taught and how topics were explained in the best possible manner. The various types of financial models which was taught and also could be downloaded later is indeed very useful. I also enjoyed how completion of a section / module was followed by exercises and more focus was laid on the key areas due to which the courses are relevant and interesting at all times. Overall in terms of satisfaction, user experience and value for money I would give it a 10 out of 10!!
It is a tough one to answer considering I went for the full package and all the courses were very unique and exciting. But if I have to pick one I would pick the dashboard and visualization course and then the course on M&A. I liked the dashboard course most because it taught me how to present all the information and data to the concerned parties in the most professional manner. I think that is very important because all the hard work put in to prepare a model will go in vain if we are unable to effectively present it. The M&A course was really good because it provided the variety when it comes to learning various types of financial models and more importantly it was more challenging to learn when compared to the industry / basic financial models. Courses on VBA and excel were also very helpful and the ones on business valuation, financial models should be a ‘must do’
If anyone is seriously interested to learn financial modelling look for an institute where the course content is industry focused which would mean it would be updated as per current market trends and where the trainers have worked in those areas and hence have the expertise to make you job ready which would mean you would have an competitive advantage over the others. I strongly recommend CFI as all the knowledge imparted is truly indispensable which comes with a very pragmatic style of learning well synthesized to the learner’s needs. I would also suggest students to opt for the full package so that they are able to go through all the courses and please avoid skipping anything even it seems very easy.
Listen to the insights provided by the online tutor, seek professional help and definitely try to follow all the tips and tricks provided by CFI for being a very successful financial analyst. Ensure you are studying regularly so that the course(s) are completed without much delay. Avoid long gaps in your studies, try practising building financial models from scratch as much as you can, understand the concepts – avoid memorizing, review videos multiple times wherever the need arises and be efficient when it comes to learning newer things. At the end of everything, make best use of CFI by referring to all the wonderful information they have on their websites, try to refer to all that is posted or shared as it will help a lot in your pursuit of being a successful finance professional.
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