Switching from Endowment Analyst to sell side ER

Hey everyone,

I am currently an Analyst at an Endowment office (not super well known) and I know I do not want to be there long term. Being in manager selection does offer great exposure to the overall investment universe, so I am grateful for that. However, it does not provide direct side exposure, which really intrigues me. The job also does not offer many transferable skills to Equity Research, which is what I see myself aiming for in the near future. I've been at my job for about a year and plan to sit for CFA level 2 in June. I am wondering, outside of passing level two and writing research reports, what else can I do to increase my chances of making the switch to the sell side? I plan to go for an entry-level position by the end of year two (one year from now) considering my lack of modeling or general ER work experience. Are my chances slim to none or decent if I pass level 2 and write decent reports on my own for a year? Should I consider trying to go to the buy side right away instead if that is my long-term goal? I went to a top public university (think Michigan, UVA, UNC, Berkley) and graduated with a 3.5 in Economics if that offers any help.