How to self-study for finance interviews without a formal background?

Hey! It's fantastic that you're making such a proactive pivot from engineering into finance, and even more so that you're tackling Wall Street Prep and Investment Banking by Rosenbaum on your own – that truly shows incredible initiative! For FP&A and corporate development roles, you're on the right track, and you absolutely can bridge that gap.

For essential interview topics, you'll want to deeply understand the three financial statements (Income Statement, Balance Sheet, Cash Flow Statement) and how they link. Beyond just definitions, really focus on how changes in one impact the others. Also, grasp financial modeling basics, including forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis. Knowing common valuation methods like DCF and comparable company analysis will be very helpful for corporate development. Lastly, brush up on key financial metrics and ratios relevant to analyzing a company's performance, and be ready for behavioral questions that assess your problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills.

To signal your interest and preparedness on your CV or in cover letters, definitely highlight your self-study efforts. On your resume, consider a "Relevant Coursework" or "Skills" section where you can list programs like Wall Street Prep and specific modeling proficiencies. In your cover letter, this is where you tell your story: explain why you're making the transition from engineering, emphasizing how your analytical and quantitative skills are transferable. You can also mention specific projects where you applied problem-solving or data analysis, linking them to finance concepts. Show your passion for the industry and the specific role, and how your unique engineering background can actually be an asset, bringing a different perspective to financial analysis.