Key Differentiators of Top Candidates

Having some knowledge of the industry group you want to go into is very essential. Simply being interested won't do any good, you need to be able to communicate that interest to the people in that group and the only way you can do that is by networking. Additionally, I'd not put all the eggs in one basket and would try to be open to other groups as well. It's good to have backup options in case you don't get placed in the group you preferred. Also, a lot of times it's not about the group you want to go into but what group you want to have. When networking, look for what group is a better fit for you. You don't want to be in a group that was your first preference but where you just don't like the team you're working with versus a group that wasn't quite your first choice but you can see yourself working 80-100 hours with those people. And hey, who knows, you might just end up liking the industry group!