r/SellSideCareers

I've been talking to people interested in equity research, and one thing I keep noticing is that many spend most of their time memorizing accounting formulas or technical definitions. Those topics matter, but interviewers often care more about how you think than whether you can recite a textbook.

A few areas that seem worth prioritizing:

• Be able to explain a company as if you were pitching it to a portfolio manager in 2–3 minutes.
• Understand how the company makes money, its competitive advantages, and the biggest risks to the business.
• Know the basics of reading financial statements and how they connect.
• Have an opinion on a stock or industry backed by evidence, even if your conclusion is wrong.
• Stay current with major market news and be ready to discuss why it matters.

If you're applying for internships or entry-level analyst roles, building a simple one- or two-page stock pitch can help you stand out more than just listing finance courses on your résumé. It demonstrates that you've actually practiced analyzing a business.

For those already working in equity research or hiring analysts:

• What skills separate strong candidates from average ones?
• Is technical knowledge still the biggest differentiator, or do communication and investment judgment matter more during interviews?

I'd love to hear what has made the biggest difference in your experience.

If you're interested in finance, learning Excel is one of the best investments you can make. Pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, and keyboard shortcuts can save hours of work. So yeahh, EXCEL IS A MUST.