What to say to Head of Research?
Have a networking call with the head of research at a medium size ER firm (Cowen/Evercore/Stifel) and I'm looking for any advice about what to ask about- what type of questions would the head of research be able to answer or speak more intelligently to as opposed to an analyst?
Also, I'm currently graduating and there is a basically entry-level associate position at his firm that I'm interested in. Should I bring this up at the end of the conversation, or since he thinks that this is a purely informational call should I follow up with him later instead? Not sure if relevant, but I go to a non-target.
(tl;dr) what questions would be best to ask someone with his position/experience and how can I best position myself?
I wouldn't inquire about the open position, he knows you're looking for a job you don't want to come across as smarmy. Do your best to convey passion about the markets and have an idea of the firm's culture.
As for your tl;dr, maybe just ask him how you can best position yourself to be a competitive candidate for ER positions?
try to convey why you are a fit for an equity research position. Here are some things that might be useful to mention; -you have a preisposition towards creative thinking (idea generation appeals to you) -you are a detail oriented person who wants to develop a deep level of knowledge of a specific industry rather than a broader, more generalist, level of knowledge across markets -A role in research in which I could indulge my inclination to drill down and really learn the intricacies of how specific companies operate and understand the dynamics of specific sectors would really appeal to me, as well as suiting my own strengths and skill set. -talk of personal skills, in research you own a client base and frequent interaction with management in occurs -The prospect of working within a research team which develops, publishes and defends its own ideas is exciting
Good questions to ask could be about the structural changes or the ER world, where he sees it going etc
Ask questions that might provide insight into the types of things his company looks for in their hires. (Do this without being transparent.)
This will help give you a leg up in interviews as you can name drop him and your conversation insights with recruiters. I used this tactic when interviewing for a Big 4 job from a no-name undergraduate school. I had the opportunity to talk to a senior partner in the office I wanted to work in.
During my interview I mentioned a conversation I had with him and how his advice proved to be valuable to my approach to accounting study, etc.
They ended up calling him to tell him I named dropped him and he personally recommended me to be hired.
YMMV.
"hey, what's your best idea? Pitch me!"
Thanks for all the advice- much appreciated
Anything unique I could ask him about his experience as head of research as opposed to regular analyst? tbh, I'm not exactly sure what the head of research does- manage analysts? what does that entail? (I don't want to sound too clueless on the phone)
Is it more helpful reaching out to the Head of Research of a bank or the Research Analyst himself, assuming you know which Analyst is hiring?
Depends on size of team. IF its big, reach out to an analyst, not the head of research.
Has anyone found a more effective approach with contacting analysts/research directors?
If you want to sound really smart, ask him what his thoughts are about some of the regulatory issues coming up in Europe that might force clients to start paying for research, whether that's likely to come over to the US, and what impact that might have on the industry. It's a big deal that could really change the way EQR works, esp. for the middle sized EQR departments.
More info here: http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-rules-poised-to-reshape-analyst-researc…
Edit: just noticed this was a year old post... regardless, would be a good question to ask for people going into their interviews
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