Everything You Need To Know About Market Research

 

Market research wants to know what people would buy or how they act, behave and make their decisions. It’s usually commissioned by clients to collect and analyse data which the market researcher would then give recommendations based on the findings.

Types of work in market research - in market research, there are different fields of expertise:

• Market Research (Consumer Insight / Branding / Strategy/ Behavioural / Market Intelligence / Client Servicing)
• Project Management and Field Services
• Operations (Recruitment Team, Quality Control)
• Specialised (Business Development, Creative, Marketing)

 

There are also two types of market research approaches:

Quantitative – this type of research deals with numbers and statistics, while qualitative research deals with words and meanings. Quantitative methods allow you to systematically measure variables and test hypotheses.

Qualitative – collecting, analysing, and interpreting non-numerical data, such as language and emotion. Qualitative research can be used to understand how an individual subjectively perceives and gives meaning to their social reality.

 

What To Expect?

• You may be desk-based but some market researchers do travel nationally and internationally to visit client organisations, conduct fieldwork and to complete their research.
• Most opportunities with market research agencies are in London and the South East of England but there are some great agencies in the Midlands and North too.
• This can be a fast-paced, high-pressure role due to the tight deadlines, but it's also challenging, varied and rewarding.
• Competition for jobs is strong. Speculative approaches can be more successful than relying on advertised vacancies. Consider applying for market research assistant posts first if you are a recent graduate.

 

Skills & Qualifications

Common skills needed for market research job roles include:

• Attention to detail and good organisational skills
• Curiosity
• Ability to interpret the data
• Excellent communication
• Good interpersonal skills
• Storytelling and presentation skills

Most employers expect candidates to have a degree and look for skills in communication and analysis. If you want to get into quantitative research, the following subjects are useful: business or management, economics, mathematics, and statistics.

For qualitative research, it is helpful to have a degree in a subject such as anthropology, geography, psychology, social sciences, and sociology. Degrees in Marketing, English and languages are also useful but a variety of degrees are often accepted by employers.

 

Career Progression

Generally, career progression in market research can be relatively rapid, with many market researchers being given the opportunity to advance to a more senior post within two or three years of entry. Promotion is usually based on merit, professional qualifications gained, experience and specialism.

You'll often progress from and entry role to Research Executive, before moving onto senior researcher and finally advancing to the role of Director.

 

We are your recruitment specialists in qualitative and quantitative market research, branding, strategy, innovation, analytics, and operations/project management. From graduate to managing directors, we can help you secure your next successful move or hire talent!

If you’d like more advice or guidance get in touch with our team. Alternatively, if you’re still looking for your next big career opportunity, take a look at our jobs board where we have thousands of job vacancies ready to apply for.

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