[mindslight]

One of the responses, fourth from the bottom:

> Not sure if either of you guys are still looking for a lackey to build models and fetch coffee, but this kid could be worth a conversation

Does "build models" mean what I think it does - actually coming up with the mathematical method that projects risk, return, etc ? And if so, is the author being sarcastic, or do they really consider this to be unimportant work best passed off to an intern ?

[wting]

No, the models are already built. However they need someone to comb through a company's financial records and plug the appropriate numbers into an Excel spreadsheet.

It's a glorified data entry position, but interns will gain knowledge and experience.

[waylandsmithers]

Usually doing some sort of number crunching to figure out which deals might make sense, eg. Company A and Company B should merge because of X, Y and Z. Then pass that information to the higher ups (rain makers, big swinging dicks, and what have you) who have the contacts and experience to bring the business in and get the deal done.