A marketing research senior member or director will design a project to answer the question of what color bottle or what attributes of a product encourage the consumer to buy. A questionnaire is then developed very carefully and worded precisely so as not to skew the answers or render the data useless to their purposes. A statistician will identify the target demographics. Then survey researchers are sent out to ask these carefully worded questions intended to reveal what motivates a consumer to buy. The results are then correlated by researchers and analyzed for consumer trends. In this way the motivation right down to the colors that a consumer prefers is identified (if that was the target question).
Educational Requirements for Marketing Research Jobs
A bachelor degree in business administration or marketing is highly preferred as well as courses in psychology, social sciences and statistics. In addition there is a certificate called Professional Researcher’s Certification available through the Marketing Research Association which can enhance the jobseeker’s credentials. Advanced degrees such as a Master Degree are often required for job advancement and a PHD for professorial positions in Marketing Research. In this competitive job market the Bachelor Degree which is a minimum is entry level and an advanced degree holder with a specialization in market research will generally have preference.
Personal Skills Desired For Marketing Research Jobs
Communication skills are important for marketing research jobs, that are both effective listening and speaking. Math skills and statistical analysis are also highly desired and can contribute to an individual’s success in the field. Math ability, computer and internet ability are also required as many statistics are compiled or displayed using computer programs. Marketing research is a combination of the hard science of statistical analysis and the so called soft science of sociology, and psychology and the Marketing Researcher balances the two in order to understand and predict consumer trends.
Where to Find Marketing Researcher Jobs
The vast majority of marketing research jobs are with independent consulting firms which are hired by companies large and small to learn what the consumer buys and why and how to make their product more attractive to the consumer group which their product targets.
If a company finds their sales declining they may hire a marketing research firm in order to study what motivates the consumer to buy another brand and then adjust their product to meet the market. Marketing research jobs were most heavily populated in the management, scientific, and technical services. Marketing research jobs may include other components such as public opinion polling and statistical services. Companies such as Neilson are just one of the better known market research consulting companies and employ researchers in many capacities.
Marketing research jobs will generally be in larger more populated areas. Entry level market researchers will usually assist a senior researcher or surveyor. The candidate who lives in a populated area or is willing to relocate may find more marketing research jobs available.
The internet is an excellent means of locating a marketing research job. Specialized career sites attract employers who are interested in the skills and are actively searching for marketing researchers.
Applying to consulting firms in your area is another means of locating marketing researching jobs. Newspapers may not contain much in the way of these jobs in smaller cities. Professional recruitment sites may also be helpful in the job search.
Some very large corporations may also have their own marketing research departments. Going to their individual websites and contacting their recruitment department with your resume may yield results in the job search. Others may hire consulting firms who handle their marketing and product research for them.
In most cases persistence, a well written and professional resume and registering with career sites that specialize in marketing researcher jobs will yield a job worthy of your education and challenging your skills.
