What kind of bag/suitcase for a SA?

I think people would get a kick out of you bringing a suitcase into the office

I think he means for traveling...

This is a good question. I'm going to be an SA and I can see how a suitcase might be a little ridiculous. But what do people usually bring with them? You can't just bring yourself, you need some sort of bag. What did all you former SAs and current bankers bring with you to the office everyday?

Just show up. Bring a pen and a nice watch.

Attache of some sort is my fave. Would not go for a straight up briefcase, but something with a shoulder strap. Louis Vuitton ones would make you look like a major tool. I have a burberry black leather attache that worked well last summer.

thanks mcgyver.

Related question: do Summers (analysts or associates) ever travel?

Bring a trapper keeper.

I would wait to spend any money until you see what the norm in your office is. A lot of bankers use bags from their clients or from some conference. You don't want to walk in with a $500 briefcase when your MD carries a cheap conference handout.

As an SA, you won't travel, don't worry.

i had a soft leather attache. i wouldn't get anything too fancy to be honest

how important is a good watch? I'm quite pleased with my £5 watch...it keeps me grounded..

I heard that Seiko is apparently a good choice for Summer analysts because it's not too flashy like Rado, Tag, Rolex etc. But then again, you could wear a timex or casio and I'm sure not many people would care. If your 5 pound (just realized my keyboard doesn't have a pound key!) watch looks nice and isn't like a big platic/rubber G-shock, I'm pretty sure it would be fine.

i still wear my seiko from high school graduation. that $300 has gone along way, all the way through college to the sell-side and now to the buy-side. been happy with it all the way, and i think all the discussions about having a nice watch here are blown out of proportion. as an analyst, nobody cares what kind of watch you wear if you can't do your job and do it well.

(edit: maybe the seiko isn't the best watch to go with bespoke suits, but it's never broken my luck so i have no reason to stop wearing it)

on another note, i personally think messenger bags are fine...tumi makes a number of pretty high-quality synthetic bags. of course they have nice leather bags too but you can definitely get a decent synthetic messenger bag for $100-150 that should hold up for a long time. in fact, compared to a few years ago, you actually see a ton of these on wall street, even among some of the more senior folks, simply because the bags look sleek, are easy to care for, and are durable.

It's unlikely that you will travel as a summer analyst but not impossible (<10% chance). If you're worried about luggage, just keep a very basic hand-carry bag around -- probably one with wheels (if you travel, you will have to carry all the documents). Don't spend any money on this, this is the sort of thing almost everyone's parents keep stored in the garage.

As for day to day, just use whatever free duffle/messenger the firm gives you during training. It's likely that you will not even need a bag because there really isn't anything to carry.

To be on the safe side, I would hold off on buying one until after you start. Your bank will likely give you one. Surprisingly, some of the freebies are actually good quality and stylish enough for summer use. Many summers will use this as their bag during the internship.

this is going to sound even dumber, but what do you need to be carrying around from work-home as a SA?

Possibly gym clothes, depending on your preferences. Some people leave extra sets in their lockers and some gyms even provide clothes (e.g. the Manhattan Athletic Club that many of the JP Morgan kids use).

Other than gym clothes, you probably won't have to carry anything to work as an SA. Even if you have a laptop you probably won't bring it home.