Finance Newsletter – Spring/Summer 2024

Finance Area Mock Interview

The Finance Mock Interview, co-hosted by the JSOM Career Management Center (CMC) and the Finance Area on Feb. 24, marked a significant milestone as it shifted back to an in-person format after having to transition to a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic. This event provided an invaluable experience for our finance students, fostering real-world practice and direct interaction with industry professionals, which is essential for the students’ career development.

Nine industry professionals from seven finance organizations participated in the event, dedicating their time and expertise to provide tailored advice to the students. These professionals represented a diverse range of areas within the finance industry, including investment banking, banking services, risk management and corporate finance. Their involvement underscored the strong connections that JSOM maintains with the finance community to ensure our students receive relevant and up-to-date industry insights.

Forty finance students participated in the event. Each of them had the chance to engage in one-on-one interviews with industry professionals. The mock interview sessions simulated real-world job interviews as students were provided with constructive feedback on their interview performances. The tailored advice from industry professionals helped the students understand their strengths and areas for improvement so that they were able to refine their techniques for future real-world interviews. Undoubtedly, the students appreciated the opportunity and felt the event was beneficial.

Pashmeena Kothari, a finance graduate student, participated the session and extend her heartfelt thanks to the JSOM Finance Area and Career Management Center for arranging the Finance Mock Interview session.

“The advice and support I received have been crucial to my professional development, and I am excited about applying these newly polished skills in my future career endeavors,” she said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to interview with Invitation Homes during the event, facilitated by Noah, also an MSF alumnus. His guidance and the chance to engage directly with the company were invaluable, offering a firsthand look at potential career paths within the organization. Thank you for this invaluable opportunity.”

Nakshatraa Kurmude, a finance junior, was thankful for the opportunity.

“I was able to interview with Charles Schwab, and it was a very insightful interview,” she said. “The interviewer gave me helpful feedback, which I can work on to perfect my skills. Secondly, the entire event was seamlessly managed from the email communication, check-in, and post-interview. As this was my first time doing this mock interview, I was looking forward to the experience.”

Seyedreza Momeni, a finance graduate student, also was thankful.

“Talking to the Comerica Bank representative was valuable, and I appreciated the purely technical and statistics-focused nature of the interview,” he said. Clearly, the successful return to an in-person format of the Finance Mock Interview has set a positive tone for future engagements in JSOM. We look forward to organizing more such events, continually facilitating the bridge between academic preparation and professional development for our students’ success.

Jindal School Hosted CFA-IRC Texas Research challenges

The 2024 CFA-IRC North Texas/South Texas Research Challenge final was hosted in the Naveen Jindal School of Management. Held Feb. 24, this prestigious event brought together the top 10 teams from universities across Texas to compete in a rigorous financial case analysis and presentation challenge. The UTD CFA-IRC team was one of the finalists. The entire team — Disha Kapadia, Fatma Sardina, Kartik Jain, Seyedreza Momeni, and Tanay Sheth — was from the MSF program. The team worked incredibly hard to reach this stage.

Big congratulation to the UTD CFA-IRS team!

The winners of the 2024 CFA-IRC Texas Research challenges are: Texas Tech University (TX – North) and Rice University (TX – South). Read more details via Research Challenge – CFA Societies Texas (cfasociety.org).

Finalist Teams for Texas – North:

• Baylor University
• Texas Tech University
• University of North Texas
• University of Texas – Dallas
• West Texas A&M University

Finalist Teams for Texas – South:

• Rice University
• Southeastern Louisiana University
• Texas A&M University
• Texas State University
• University of Houston

JSOM Alumni Reunion

The Naveen Jindal School of Management held its first ever JSOM Alumni Reunion May 4. More than 700 alumni spanning the school’s 49-year history gathered in the Davidson-Gundy Alumni Center along with friends, family and JSOM faculty and staff to “Reminisce, Reconnect and Rediscover.” Nearly 50 finance alumni returned to join the reunion. This inaugural JSOM alumni event was a wonderful opportunity for the alumni to reconnect with their classmates, expand their professional network, and share their post-graduation experiences with each other.

Read more details about on Inside Jindal