Sell side sector selection

I'm about to start in a top 5 sell side research BB out of college and we have a bit of input into our sector coverage. What sector/qualities of team should I look for when joining a team to have the best chance to make a transition to the buyside in a few years? For example, go for highest II rankings, or most complex sector, etc?

For background, I come from a state school (finance major) which is generally considered non target, but has gotten better the past few years.

9 Comments
 

thank you everyone for your help, really appreciate it.

@TheFamousTrader: could you please elaborate on what you like about autos? curious to hear your opinion!

 
Best Response
paolo.p

thank you everyone for your help, really appreciate it.

@TheFamousTrader: could you please elaborate on what you like about autos? curious to hear your opinion!

As funny as it may sound, it's an industry PMs like talking about just because it's sexy. Everyone will always want to hear something about autos even if it means just a passive interest being expressed by various PMs, you still get exposure and many like to listen about the industry. Some may say it's in decline and all, but it doesn't matter as much on the sell-side if there is still interest. As you know research is not directly linked with revenues, so your sector doesn't even need to generate THAT much trading volume.

I personally just like it because it is a down to Earth sector, which greatly overlaps with basic materials and at the same time it is consumer-orientated. To me it's a very nice mix between the different categories of stocks/sectors that allows you to get a feel for many different things. Would go as far as saying it prevents you from pigeonholing yourself soon.

 

I will go against the other advice here and say go with the sector you have passion for. Provided the analysts aren't ranked wildly differently, I'd go with your preference. All you will read, write and think about for the next X years is that sector. If you choose the one you're most interested in, it could make the difference between your work being fulfilling and motivating vs being a grind.

 

Possimus error et ut quaerat itaque quis voluptatem. Voluptate velit veniam autem hic sed quos accusamus quia. Molestias quia cumque ullam omnis ad aperiam.

Nemo culpa perspiciatis exercitationem voluptas nihil. Iste eum eveniet dolor non sit. Aut et ad voluptatibus ipsam qui consequatur dolores possimus. Hic placeat nobis laborum quaerat. Veritatis aut reiciendis ut autem et atque quam.

Sed officiis eum dicta est eos aut. Harum explicabo voluptate deleniti ad voluptas. Ut voluptatum sit similique nobis porro quaerat officiis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 97.1%
  • AQR Capital Management 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Millennium Partners 95.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (86) $288
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (77) $191
  • Analysts (242) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (282) $96
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”