The Finance Club at the David Eccles School of Business held its seventh annual Finance Career Conference this past weekend. The conference featured outstanding professionals from firms including Goldman Sachs, Sorenson Capital, Zion’s Bank, Rio Tinto, and Celtic Bank.

Students gathered early Saturday morning for breakfast and networking with alumni and professionals before heading to a panel consisting of three recent graduates who have secured fantastic positions with reputable companies. Kelly Barton, Jamison Manwaring, and Robbie Tanner shared their advice on building a standout resume, effective interviewing skills, and the importance of internships. Students were able to ask questions and learn how to prepare and find the right job in the finance industry from these students who recently went through the same process.

After the panel discussion, other alumni and professionals offered their expertise and insight into various financial fields. The first three workshops included:

  • Asset Management (Nate Rhees, Alta Capital)
  • Consulting (Ruchi Watson, Bain)
  • Private Equity (Matt Marsh, Sorenson Capital)

Students broke into groups to attend these workshops according to their interests. Each presenter offered firsthand accounts of what it’s really like in the different fields of finance and gave students the opportunity to better explore where they might choose to pursue a career. Each gathering allowed for Q&A sessions and the students took full advantage by asking the questions that can’t always be answered in a textbook.

After short breaks, conference attendees chose two more sessions of workshops to attend including:

  • Corporate Finance (Garrett Atwood, Rio Tinto)
  • Equity Research (Cameron Hansen & Chase Jardine, Goldman Sachs)
  • Investment Banking (Lee McClure, BMO Capital), (Geoff Loos, D.A. Davidson)
  • Trading (Rick Schwartz, Zions Bank), (Mike Von Lunen, HRP Distributing)
  • Start-up Lending (Daniel Godfrey, Celtic Bank)

The conference built momentum throughout the workshop sessions and culminated in a lunch and keynote address from Key Bank District President, Jill Taylor. In her address, Jill spoke about leadership, work-family balance, and the effect of technology on the banking industry. Her address left attendees motivated to become successful financial professionals and more effective leaders as they enter their careers.