Best Part-Time Financial Modeling Bootcamps

In a part-time financial modeling bootcamp, you’ll get all the same training you’d receive in a full-time bootcamp on an expanded timeline that allows for more flexibility. Instead of learning financial modeling as quickly as possible, you’ll have the chance to explore each skill over a longer period. Thanks to a wider selection of scheduling options, you won’t be limited to weekday classes and may even be able to participate in weekend or night classes. Despite their lengthier timeline, part-time financial modeling classes offer high-quality training that rivals the efficacy of full-time training. 

Why Learn Financial Modeling Part-Time?

Full-time bootcamps are often celebrated for their immersive quality as well as how rapidly they can prepare you for a career. However, part-time financial modeling bootcamps offer an equally enticing list of benefits. If work, parenting, or other time-consuming responsibilities fill most of your schedule, the flexibility of part-time classes can help you avoid burnout and enjoy learning more. For similar reasons, a slower training pace can also be a great option if you live with a disability or health condition. 

Because part-time bootcamps cover the same content as their full-time counterparts, you don’t need to worry about loss of quality when choosing part-time. You’ll even have access to the same types of career benefits, from portfolio workshopping to one-on-one mentorship. Thanks to the expanded timeline of part-time training, you’ll have more downtime outside of class to utilize these benefits. 

If you’re an aspiring finance professional who’s interested in developing a more advanced skill set, choosing part-time training is a great way to free up time to take more than one class at once. This strategy is more likely to speak to you if you want to ensure that you stand out from other entry-level job candidates when you graduate. Pitted against candidates who have also mastered Excel financial modeling and corporate finance, you’ll be more unique if you’ve also taken a bootcamp covering skills like Tableau, SQL, or Python. 

Part-time financial modeling training is also an ideal option for amateurs interested in learning financial modeling to support personal projects. If you’re like most people, a slower pace will mean less stress and more time to explore your interests without outside pressure.

Drawbacks to Learning Financial Modeling Part-Time

Notwithstanding the many benefits of part-time financial modeling training, it’s still possible that another training format might fit your needs better. More specifically, the pace of part-time training may be too slow if you need to master financial modeling by an impending deadline. Because part-time training is spread out over a longer timeline, choosing this format also means deferring your career launch to a later date. 

Although part-time bootcamps include the same course content as their full-time equivalents, you won’t spend as much time daily immersed in financial modeling. With classes and deadlines spread out over a wider period, you might find it difficult to maintain momentum, particularly if you’re motivated by pressure. 

Is a Part-Time Financial Modeling Bootcamp Right for You?

Taking on a financial modeling bootcamp or certificate can be a worthwhile endeavor whether for personal development or professional. That said, whether you’re better suited for part-time or full-time training will depend on your availability, learning style, and accessibility needs. If you’re already managing a 40-hour work week, part-time training can help you acquire skills and experience without spreading yourself too thin. Part-time training also retains enough flexibility for managing an irregular schedule, taking care of little ones, and recuperating from chronic illness. 

Your temperament and learning style are also important determinants of whether part-time training is a good match for you. If you learn better at a drawn-out pace that allows more time to absorb new information, a part-time financial modeling course will work well for you. Similarly, if you’re someone who prefers less frequent deadlines, part-time training is a good option. 

Ways to Make Learning Financial Modeling Part-Time Easier

Although most bootcamps are beginner-friendly, financial modeling is one of the most difficult finance skills you can learn. Regardless, you can simplify your learning journey with the time-proven strategies below: 

Keep Your Goals at The Forefront

With your learning goals in mind, habitually check up on the headway you’ve made. When choosing a bootcamp, carefully compare course descriptions, benefits packages, and curriculums to your goals. Sign up only when you’re sure you’ve found the class that most closely aligns with your needs. 

Evaluate Your Experience Beforehand

Before signing up for a class, ensure that it’s appropriate for your skill level. If you have no Excel or financial modeling experience, you’ll only make things harder for yourself by choosing a class aimed at intermediate or advanced learners. 

Keep A Study Routine

Maintaining good study habits is the best recipe for success in a class that’s spread out over several weeks or months. Your routine should be unique to you and may be as basic as reviewing concepts you’ve recently learned before or after each class. If it makes more sense for your schedule, you can also lump your studying into a single session at the start or end of the week. No matter what, an effective study routine should include hands-on practice, review of previously learned concepts, and preparation for future classes. 

Take Advantage of Class Resources

As an expert in the finance industry, your instructor is one of your most important resources. Though it can be uncomfortable, asking questions in class can increase your growth exponentially. If you’re nervous, just remember that more often than not, someone else in the class likely has the same question. Writing down questions that come up as you study is a reliable way to ensure you remember them come class time. If they’re included with your bootcamp, one-on-one instructor meetings also provide invaluable opportunities to ask questions, workshop your portfolio, and plan your career. 

Take Advantage of Free Resources

During your at-home study sessions, free financial modeling resources offer a convenient means of supplementing your in-class training. You can also use free resources to prepare for your first day of class, making it less likely you’ll fall behind. Reliable study materials are available for free through vocational training schools like Noble Desktop. Through this school, you can access free online finance seminars and short courses covering topics like Stock Market Fundamentals. Noble Desktop also publishes plenty of video tutorials on its Financial Modeling Blog.

Choosing the Best Part Time Financial Modeling Classes or Bootcamp

Finding the perfect financial modeling class is a matter of identifying a program that aligns with your learning style, skill level, budget, and goals. As you research available options, be prepared to do some soul-searching and even plan in advance if necessary. Need an easy way to find and compare programs side by side? Check out Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me tool. 

Factors that you may wish to consider in your pros and cons list include the following:

Your Learning Style 

In addition to identifying whether you’re a visual, audio, or kinesthetic learner, there are other elements you should also factor into your learning style. For instance, you may learn more effectively in certain types of social environments (online versus in-person; group versus solo). You may also find that you become easily distracted when learning at home. Additionally, think about how you like to receive feedback (written, spoken, face-to-face, or anonymous). 

Accessibility Features

Learning can be more challenging with a disability or health condition, particularly if you choose a class that doesn’t offer the right accommodations. Likewise, you may have additional accessibility needs if you’re a parent navigating childcare. While many different class features could be considered accessibility accommodations, several of the most utilized include access to recorded classes when you need to miss an online class. 

Your Availability

Ensuring that you’re available to participate in your class more often than not will mean getting more out of it. However, don’t simply stop at deciding you don’t have the time to attend a full-time bootcamp. Also, consider whether you prefer classes offered at a certain time. The most common options include weekdays, weekends, and evenings.

Budget and Financing Options

How much is learning financial modeling worth to you? Depending on your current circumstances, you may need to plan your training far in advance while you save money for your ideal course. If you select in-person training, don’t forget to factor commuting expenses into your budget.

Most financial modeling bootcamps cost between $5,000 and $10,000, but can often be financed in multiple ways. Many programs offer scholarships as well as flexible payment plans and the option for an employer to sponsor your training.

Travel

Determining whether you can and want to commute will narrow your options, making it easier to find a bootcamp or certificate that is compatible with your needs. If you decide that you’re open to commuting, consider how far you’re willing to travel on a given day to attend class. 

Curriculum Preferences

What skills do you need to learn to accomplish your goals? Selecting a bootcamp that doesn’t cover the right information at the right depth will ultimately mean you need to come back for more training later. Remember that bootcamps that share a name may not cover the same skills. Most bootcamps offer a list of skills included in their curriculum on their online course page. 

Career Benefits

Every bootcamp is a bit different in terms of professional benefits, and some might not offer what you hope for. Before selecting a course, make a list of benefits you consider “must-haves” and a list of “nice-to-haves.” Your list may clarify your decision if it does not help you compromise.