Equity Research - Jefferies/William Blair/Guggenheim

I would agree...Guggenheim apparently is pulling some senior bankers but that should have no impact on your research, unless you want to be known as the guy who does banking business...which isn't necessarily a good thing.

I know a few good guys at Jefferies - it has a nice research platform, however, ultimately I would base my decision on who your analyst is. If you're green (aka noob), then try to go with someone who can show you the ropes because ultimately, that would be the biggest impact on your career. You don't want to go into a role (even if it is a top notch shop) and get thrown to the wolves with no experience. Trust me when I say this, you want someone who can be your mentor, boss, and friend at the same time. It's a healthier relationship overall, and the perks are you'll probably get a lot of exposure like that too rather than being a glorified secretary that calls him/herself a research associate, when all you're probably doing is monkey work along with making sure phone calls are never left unanswered.

That's my 2cents, and I believe it has worked out well for people who go down that path where a mentor is your first boss; you can always branch off afterwards...trust me, HH and other firms always look for lateral hires as it makes for an easier transition for the team that's hiring, rather than hiring someone completely green.

Hope this helps.