BECOMING A MARKET RESEARCHER

Ever wondered how new products are developed? Or why customers choose one brand over another? Or what makes the government decide upon a particular policy?

The answer normally involves market research. Market research informs nearly all levels of economic, social and political decision-making and is a booming industry in the UK, worth over 1 billion a year.

A career in market research is fast-moving, intellectually-challenging and diverse, allowing you to get involved in the key decision-making processes of a wide variety of companies and industries, from global corporations to local authorities, from your first day at work.

Starting out

Market research is a graduate-led industry. As such, the majority of applicants for research executive positions will be expected to hold a degree, although the particular degree subject is of less importance. The majority of market research graduates are drawn from degree disciplines that require strong communication or analytical skills, such as languages, English literature, maths, psychology, geography, history, politics, science and IT. However, graduates with degrees as contrasting as zoology and theatre studies are also welcomed by the industry.

Key qualities In addition to your education, there are a number of qualities which are essential if you are to become a successful market researcher. They are: Strong interpersonal skills market research is a people-focused industry and it is essential for you to be able to communicate well with others Commercial awareness Interest in people and their behavior Analytical ability Numeracy Good organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines Problem solving skills Ability to work as part of a team

Think that you fulfill these criteria? Then now you have to decide the type of environment in which you would like to work.

Agency vs. Client-side

Most graduates begin their careers either in an agency or within a client organization. Which one you opt for depends largely on the type of working environment you think you would most enjoy and what you are looking for from your career.

Agencies

There are hundreds of market research agencies in the UK, from large international companies to smaller consultancies. The largest market research agencies now commonly take on graduates every year, some have yearround recruitment procedures, but places are much sought-after so you have to make sure you are right for the job.

As a researcher in an agency, you will oversee a number of client accounts, working on a variety of projects in, quite possibly, a range of different industries. Most people in the agency will be pursuing the same career path as you and you may have the opportunity to move between different researches sectors, giving you a broad experience of research techniques.

Client-side

Virtually every company in the UK uses market research. As a result, many of these companies, particularly the larger ones, will employ their own researchers, usually one or two. In this role, you will be expected to keep the company in touch with its customers and informed of its investment and marketing decisions. You will commission researchers in external agencies to work on behalf of your company, as well as organizing internal research among staff and customers. You will gain a close knowledge of your companys overall way of working and play a key role in shaping its future development.

Quantitative vs. Qualitative

Your decision-making process does not stop here though. There are two key types of market research Quantitative and Qualitative and it is usual for a researcher to specialize in one or the other, although opportunities can exist to do both. Which one you opt for depends on the sort of work you like to do, and the way in which your brain works. Quantitative

Think of the times you have picked up a newspaper and read 54% of Brits to vote Labor at the next election or 37% of Londoners prefer to travel by bus than tube. These are the results of quantitative research, where a poll has been taken amongst a certain group of people and the results are given in statistical form. Quantitative research is very useful for providing clients with quick results on how they are doing - for example, how many customers would be interested in buying a new product.

If you are interested in knowing the percentage of people who do/like/use something, then this is the choice for you. You will need particularly strong numeracy skills and to enjoy analyzing figures and using statistical packages to produce spreadsheets.

Quantitative projects tend to be fast-paced with most clients expecting speedy delivery of the results. Certain specialist areas of quantitative research, such as political opinion polls, deliver statistics almost as soon as the research is conducted and are regularly used by the media.

Qualitative Research

Are you the type of person who likes to analyze people? The type of person who is fascinated by the choices others make, or who wonders what opinions people hold on specific issues? If so, then qualitative research is probably more your thing.

Qual researchers (as they are known in the industry) explain the whys and wherefores behind the figures. For example, statistics may tell us that 42% of people prefer to visit Paris than London for a weekend break. Qualitative researchers will explain the reasons for this, revealing what makes Paris more attractive and advising on what London could do to raise its appeal.

There are many techniques qual researchers use to understand their respondents (the people being interviewed) but they all involve the same skills an ability to communicate well with people, get your message across clearly, and listen carefully to what the respondents tell you in order to make a clear assessment of the situation. Qualitative research has a far greater level of subjectivity that quantitative and it is important for qual researchers to be able to keep the respondents focused and identify the relevant information.

Qualitative projects can be lengthy, some even covering periods of years to assess trends. They may also deal with highly-sensitive topics, such as criminal behavior or health issues, and it is necessary for researchers to apply particular tact in these situations. If you know that you get on well with people and are able to make them communicate of their own free will, then you may be suited to this career.

Day-to-day role

If you still think that being a market researcher involves standing on street corners wielding a clip board then you couldnt be more wrong. Of course, some market research is conducted in this way, but as a graduate research executive you are unlikely to be involved in work of this kind.

The exact role of a Research Executive, which is the usual starting point in the profession, varies from agency to agency; however the general job description is the same for most and encompasses a wide variety of tasks. As a Research Executive you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day smooth running of specific projects, from the

commissioning stages right through to the final presentation to the Client. Your role is likely to include designing the best way to fulfill a clients need; managing the budget; advising on questionnaire design; briefing interviewers (the people who do hold the clipboards); monitoring the conduct of the research process; checking and analyzing the data; and writing a results and recommendation paper for your client, which you may also have to present to them. The type of research you are involved in will determine the specific tasks you undertake, but there is no doubt that your day will always be full and varied.

Additionally, market research is far from a desk-bound career. As you progress, you will be expected to have increasing levels of client contact, which will often entail visiting them at their offices. Depending on your client base, this could involve a fair amount of national and international travel. You will also have to make presentations to clients, meet interviewers and respondents, and visit appropriate research venues.

The hours

There is no such thing as a typical day for a market researcher and this is reflected in the hours you will work. Again, your daily routine will depend on the type of research you do, and your clients, but many researchers, particularly qualitative, may be expected to work weekday evenings or during the weekend, when it is possible to make easier contact with respondents. That said, you will generally be compensated for any anti-social hours with time off elsewhere (and its always a great feeling to still be lying in bed when you know everyone else is having to rush to work!).

Techniques

So, if its not just done by clipboards, how do market researchers get the information they need? There is now a wide variety of research techniques in practice, and these are growing all the time. A key part of a researchers job is selecting the most suitable technique to gain the required information. This could range from telephone interviews, to one-on-one chats, to group discussions (the oft-quoted and much maligned focus group), to observational studies, to and this is becoming increasingly common these days contacting people via the internet. How a study is carried out is up to you, and the way that you consider best serves your clients needs. The key point here is that, while you may specialize in a specific type of research, the wide range of projects out there and the ways in which they are conducted guarantee that no two studies will ever be the same.
Career Path

Career progression in market research can be very rapid (more so than in many careers). As a general rule, you can

expect to be a Research Executive for 18 months, after which time you will become a Senior Research Executive. From then on, most companies' base promotion on merit and you can ascend as fast as the quality of your work and opportunities permit. It would not be unusual for you to be holding responsibility for accounts and managing a number of people by the time you are 30.

Once they have served their time and gained a range of experience, many market researchers make the brave move of going it alone and setting up their own agencies. This is a popular route in this industry and will allow you to pick and choose the projects you work on and the hours you put in. Something to bear in mind during the long months of summer!

Training

So how do you learn the skills necessary to be good at your job? For most market researchers, training is on-the-job, although many of the larger agencies do offer their own training programs. However, from October 2001, graduates entering the profession will be able to take advantage of the newly-developed Market Research Society (MRS) Professional Development Scheme.

The MRS Professional Development Scheme

So you have gained your degree, but like the thought of going on to gain a specific qualification in your chosen profession. The Professional Development Scheme has been developed by The Market Research Society in conjunction with some of the industrys leading agencies to provide graduates with a comprehensive introduction to the various skills they will need throughout their working life. The three-year scheme incorporates on-the-job training and assessment with two examinations, a project and self-managed learning. Best of all, as the scheme is run by participating agencies; there is no need for students to attend college or evening courses.

Of course, you may be wondering whether it is really worth the extra work. Definitely, says Katharine King, a Research Executive at BMRB, one of the UKs largest market research agencies and a leading proponent of the scheme, because you are completing the scheme while you are working, it does not involve hours of extra study in the way that many vocational courses do. It means that I can gain a recognized qualification and be sure that I am receiving the best training available, all while getting on with my job. I think its a great idea.

By the end of the course, if you are successful, you will have attained both The Certificate in Market and Social Research Practice as well as The Diploma of The Market Research Society, plus Full Professional Membership of The MRS. As The MRS is the only Government-approved Awarding Body for vocational qualifications in market research, it means that your qualification will be recognized industry- and world-wide. Not only should this assist you when it is time to move jobs, but it proves that you have reached the high standards of professional competence demanded by The MRS Code of Conduct. More to the point, it provides you with reassurance that your company has been accredited by The MRS to provide graduate training, and that the induction you receive meets stringent industry

standards all fairly important stuff when youre starting your career!

Its a scheme that really will make a difference, according to Ruth Martin, Director of Professional Development and Training at The Market Research Society, The Professional Development Scheme is an exciting initiative for The MRS and the market research industry as a whole. Market research can be an attractive career choice for graduates but, until now, there has been no cross-industry professional qualification scheme. First class, comprehensive workbased training can now be a reality for everyone through the provision of an industry-recognized training scheme that is available to all agencies. One of the next steps is to enable client-based researchers to access the scheme.

Keeping in touch

So youve landed the job of your dreams, and all is going well. But how can you be sure that you remain at the forefront of developments in your industry? Market research can be a very competitive marketplace and having knowledge of the latest research techniques can make the difference between winning and losing a client. This is where membership of The Market Research Society can prove so valuable. With over 8,000 members, The MRS is the UKs largest professional body for market researchers and an important forum for building contacts and discussing the latest thinking. The MRS also runs a comprehensive program of training courses every year, open to members and non-members alike, which help to develop your skills throughout your career.

To keep up with all thats going on in the industry, you may find Research, the trade magazine for market researchers, a useful source of news. It also advertises the latest jobs available. If you think that market research may be the career for you, then it is probably worth taking a look at the magazine now just to make sure youre fully prepared for those interviews! After all, as a market researcher youll be expected to be on the ball with whats happening in the industry you may as well make a start now!

Where to go from here With all thats on offer, finding the right agency/company for you is no easy task, but there are ways in which you can narrow the search. Every year, The MRS publishes the Research Buyers Guide, which lists the majority of market research agencies in the UK and outlines the size of each agency, together with its areas of specialization. The Guide also details other organizations which can offer advice on getting started in market research, both in the UK and internationally. You can check out the on-line version of the Guide for free at www.rbg.org.uk. Alternatively, if you fancy getting your own copy of the Research Buyers Guide, or finding out some of the finer points of working in market research, you need to take a look at The MRS website at www.mrs.org.uk.

The Market Research Society August 2001