Interviews/Letters/NYC Trip

This morning I had an interview with the Capital Markets group of an IB in Denver. It went very well. The two guys that interviewed me were friendly and professional. I enjoyed it and, like the Janus interview, I wasn't nervous. This interview taught me that I need to prep some more for each interview. Particularly, I need to have someone ask me the usual generic questions and have me answer them in a way that is focused to the firm with which I am interviewing. My main goal for next time needs to be to make my answers more concise and to the point. I felt that my answers in this interview were vague and lacked focus. I know I can do better and I will next time.

I did not get card from my interviewers because they do not have them yet (the CMG is just starting up). However, I did email a thank you letter that also reinforced several points I made during the interview. Now's the waiting game to see when I get contact from them.

Tomorrow, I have what DU calls a "mock interview." This is a process that brings in real recruiters and HR types and they actually interview you for a job. At the end of the process, you are then critiqued on your performance. I am excited about the opportunity to receive immediate feedback on my performance, but I will be ticked if they aren't brutally honest.

Earlier this week I was forwarded a job posting for a rather well known IB and Equity Research group in NYC. I sent in a cover letter and resume on Tuesday night. As of yet, I have heard nothing. Within the posting itself, it stated that the Analysts under whom I would be working travel very often. I therefore plan to call the firm on Monday if I do not hear from them prior to then.

I spoke with another professor earlier this week and was able to get another handful of DU contacts in NYC. I just finished drafting emails to all of them and will reread them later this evening prior to sending them off.

I am tentatively planning a trip to NYC on February 15th through the 17th. As soon as I have an interview lined up for then, I am buying the tickets.

FMI Internship

FMI wants me for their project. I went in to speak with a Senior Associate today, and was thrown into the midst of a meeting among three high ups in the firm. They were discussing their need to vet a database of clients. I have decided that I will take the internship.

This will be using a program called Capital IQ which is widely used in IB, at least in my understanding. I will be able to use this opportunity to learn a hell of a lot about the construction industry as well. The guy I will be working under just came from a very large firm and will be a good mentor for me. Lastly, the nature of the database is such that I will need to make it accessible for the needs of FMI specifically. To do this, I will need to learn a significant amount about their business.

It all sound like a winner to me. Plus it pays well.

Dividend Capital

The person I was referred to at Dividend Capital made several notable points in an email I recieved from them today:

-My educational pursuits match quite well with what they generally look for in interns.
-They currently are not looking to add any more immediately.
-They are working with the Head of Real Estate Department at DU to formalize an intern program

Janus Round 3, FMI Round 1

I got a call yesterday from the HR woman at Janus. She said that I had "left an excellent impression" on the Senior Director. I am psyched. So she set me up with a face to face interview at the Janus office here in Denver on Tuesday. I will be meeting with two guys from the group I would work in, so I can hopefully find out what the hell this job will be doing. I don't think I am ready to take a full-time job on top of being a full-time student, so I am going to see if I can make it a part-time job, if they really want me.

I finally heard back from FMI today and will be meeting with a Senior Associate in the Investment Banking Division. We'll see how it goes. This is for a paid internship, which is more appealing to me than the full-time Janus job.

Janus Phone Interview, Round 2

I just had my second phone interview with the Senior Director of Portfolio Analytics for Small to Mid-Cap funds. I think it went well. First, he went down my resume and asked specific questions about jobs on the resume. Next, he asked me about myself and how I got to where I am today, as well as where I want to go with my career. He asked me about any securities I follow. I talked to him about Chattem (CHTT), what I observed and where I thought it was going. He seemed rather unimpressed and wanted to know what kind of modeling I had done for the stock. I tried to spin something out of what I had done, but in the end I felt I had answered his question inadequately.

Then he asked me what questions I had and I kinda ripped into him and asked a ton of questions about the position and the firm. I don't know if this was good or bad.

He made the position sound like it is more of an IB type of analyst and said that there is little direction from the group for what this position will entail. He also made it sound like they would want me to start in January. I am a little uneasy about a full-time job on top of being a full-time student. I am sure I can make it work though. But hey, this is the first round of interviews I have had so I think that if this is as far as I get, I've done alright.

Purpose of this blog

I am currently busting my ass trying to get a job in NYC working investment banking. Most likely, I will be working as an analyst. My education background is an undergraduate degree (BSBA) from the University of Denver in Real Estate Finance and I am currently completing a Master of Science in Finance also at the University of Denver Daniels College of Business. Getting a job with a high end firm is hard coming from Denver. I am posting my progress on this blog to hopefully help others and to get some help myself!

In addition to getting a job in NYC, I am also trying to get an internship, starting ASAP, with a reputable firm in Denver.

My job search has opened my mind to additional possibilities, and I am considering several other locations for work.

• Chicago
• London
• Dublin
• Luxembourg
• Frankfurt
• Tokyo

Another area in which I have a growing interest is emerging markets. The opportunity to work in one of these markets would, in my opinion, open many doors down the road. Emerging markets would likely entail working somewhere around the world I have never even considered. I am open to that.

This search is in order to begin my working life off on the right foot. ANY HELP AND/OR LEADS WILL BE MUCH APPRECIATED.