Photo by: Megan Westervelt
Upon graduating from DU in 2009, JJ Lane found himself competing with some of the most financially astute students from the nation’s top business schools. Lane was applying for a Goldman Sachs internship and failed to beat out the other students.
The individual preparation was just not enough. His competitors had gained financial savvy through extra-curricular group training.
Investment Banking and Capital Markets Club (IBCMC) was founded last April with the help of Aaron Moore, the current graduate president of the club, Ryan Schultz, the undergraduate president of the club and Criswell Fiordalis, the executive vice president of finance.
In two months IBCMC was able to host several events. The crown jewel of IBCMC’s events was bringing Training the Street to DU. Training the Street is a top Wall Street training firm that provides preparation to the top 20 business schools and many finance firms.
The firm helps students learn what Wall Street bankers do on a daily basis, as well as make students comfortable with financial jargon and tools used in the financial banking world. The sold-out event was done in less than one month.
While working with schools, this is the shortest amount of time Training the Street has ever seen, said Lane.
IBCMC raised $4,000 from various sources to subsidize the event and reduce the attendance price and there are 55 active members according to the club.
The club is planning on sponsoring a service event where students can become mentors of at-risk youth. As mentors, they will help these youth go to college and instill a sense of social responsibility.
“We are a vehicle of change,” said Lane.
The event will involve other students, faculty, and Denver businesses including Leaders Challenge, Denver Active 20/30 and Young Americans Bank.
The reason for creating the club is to ensure that business students are a valuable and easily employable commodity come graduation, said Lane.
The main goals of the club are to educate its members in the field of investment banking, develop its members’ financial skills and teach interviewing techniques that will place its members at leading financial institutions.
More activities available through the Investment Banking Club are workshops to boost résumé skills, guest speakers and on-campus recruiting fairs.
The club hopes to prove that the opportunity it provides ensures that more DU graduates will be getting higher paying jobs from better companies, Lane said.
For more information about visit www.DUibclub.com.
