Advice on Breaking into Equity Research

Hi Monkeys,

I studied Sociology at a non-target university and graduated in 2014. Since graduation, I've been working as a recruitment consultant, but I've become sick of the sales nature and I've realised I would like to utilise my research skills which I feel are my strongest asset. I was looking at potential careers which I thought would be appealing and Equity Research really does sound like something that does tickle my fancy. I'm aware that finance is probably one of the most competitive fields to find a job in, but I wanted to explore how difficult/realistic it would be for someone who has no finance experience to break into equity research. I had a conversation with an MD at a BB who said it was "virtually impossible" for someone like me to land a job in equity research. I imagine there's a lot of truth in what he said, but is there anything I can do which could potentially help improve my chances or at least make me more appealing to prospective employers?

Any insight/advice would be deeply appreciated.