Does initial sector matter?

Hey WallStreetOasis,

I hope you're doing well! I was wondering whether the sector that you're in for your first equity research job matters long term. For example, if I start out as an Equity Researcher for Aerospace & Defense would I be pigeonholed into that sector for the remainder of my career? Or, could I pivot to say a healthcare HF with relative "ease"?


Thanks

 

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A&D to Healthcare with "ease" is very unlikely, although possible. A more likely change would be to any other industrial sector or overlapping either in terms of product (up and down the supply chain) or business model. So sector does matter, but I wouldn't say you will be completely pigeonholed, especially initially (first 2-4 years).  

 
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Tech, Healthcare and Consumers are the popular and "hot" sectors. If you start in healthcare likely to stay in healthcare (insurance could shift to financials, but biotech etc... is unique and unlikely to translate as easily to any other sectors), Consumers could reasonably shift to TMT/industrials and tech would likely stay in tech, (M&T of TMT likely could shift into industrials/consumers). In general, first 2-4 years most switches are possible as you are still learning the fundamentals, once you hit VP and up unlikely to shift all that significantly (lots of sub-vertical switches to start coverage, but unlikely to see big industry swaps).

 

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