Advice for research SA

here's what i've done, or will attempt to do. take my advice with a grain of salt due to the fact i am in the same position as you, and i welcome further comments.

1) figure out what you are actually interested in. Whether it's cars, vegas/gambling/hotels, the military, real estate/construction, etc.

You want to be covering an industry that interests you.

2) check the ii rankings on the analysts in your firm. all other things being equal, it will be better to work for a top ranked analyst.

i identified three analysts at my firm that I would LOVE to work for and who cover industries that interest me.

3) do everything possible to set yourself up to impress those analysts/groups when you interview for placements.

i am taking three courses that are directly related to my summer job, and have chosen to model a big hardware company, and a software firm for two of those classes. I am hoping that it will a) be a solid learning experience about those industries and b) convey enthusiasm and sincerity to the analysts who will ultimately place me.

4) be prepared to scratch everything once you interview for placements with the coverage groups.

if you hit it off with the analysts/associates in a particular group, it may ultimately be a better experience.

i would not advise chasing "hot" sectors, since these always seem to change. saying that, green/clean/solar energy gets lots of airtime, as does cloud computing.

competition this year for placements into top groups will be high, and honestly i am just eager to get some experience under my belt. if that means covering machinery, so be it.

fwiw, that is my plan. i'm a notorious long term planner, meyers briggs INTJ, so i'd welcome other recommendations from industry vets. good luck.