Thanks to the involvement of a recently formed alumni group, current Neeley School of Business students are finding internships and full-time jobs at top firms and businesses around the country.

The Transaction and Investment Professionals (TIP) Board, created in fall 2013, is comprised of 18 alumni who work in the finance field.

The board aims to engage alumni working in top-tier investment banking firms in the process of successfully placing TCU students into positions within the securities industry.

“We provide a medium for top students looking for guidance to connect with successful TCU alumni who want TCU students to get jobs and internships historically filled by Ivy League graduates,” Erik Yohe, a 2005 TCU graduate, senior TIP Board member and the vice president at Hilltop Holdings, wrote in an email.

Thirty-five students are working with the TIP Board, with 20 already securing summer positions, Jessica Cates, associate director of the Alcon Career Center, said.

Some of the board’s primary activities include helping students prepare for initial internship interviews, and counseling students on various potential career paths.

“They encouraged me to take a step back and really look at all aspects of the job of my interest,” Austin Sandvik, a junior finance major, said.

Robert Connor, a junior finance and accounting double major, said working in finance in New York had always been his dream. Thanks to assistance from the TIP board, Connor is set to intern with Credit Suisse Group in New York City for 10 weeks this summer.

“I didn’t really believe that could happen until getting help from the TIP board,” he said.

Both board members and students said they were thrilled about the placements made, with students being offered opportunities in New York, Salt Lake City, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Florida.

“I am really excited about the progress and look forward to getting more students involved,” Jodi Settle, senior TIP Board member and analyst at Surveyor Capital, said.

The TIP Board plans to host an informational session later this semester.