Editor's note: Cameron Cramer is president of Marketing Intelligence Professionals (MIProfs), an Atlanta market research executive recruiting company. He can be reached at 404-254-0441 or at cam@miprofs.com. This article appeared in the October 25, 2011, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter. 

  

Finding a great market research job requires a combination of skill, experience, planning and luck. Fortunately, there is a lot you can do to improve your chances of landing a really wonderful position. Based on conversations with thousands of market research candidates and hiring managers, here are the top 10 things you can do to find a job that's right for you.

 

1. Stay objective

 

Just as with market research, objectivity is critical to the job search process and is perhaps the most important thing you can do when job-searching and career-planning. The process begins when you, in earnest, mull over and truly understand your past experience, skills and qualities you offer as an employee. Try to see yourself from a hiring manager's perspective and be aware of why someone should hire you over another candidate. Everyone has different experiences and assets that make them unique. It's up to you to demonstrate them. Enumerating and accentuating your strengths throughout the search, interview and job offer process is always a good idea.  

 

2. Compare and position

 

Comparing and positioning yourself against other potential candidates is an extension of the first step. It's rare for a hiring manager not to have at least a few finalists to compare and choose from so be aware of how you measure up. There are lots of great tools available for comparing and exploring skill sets and compensation within the industry. Quirk's has done vendor and corporate market research salary surveys that are good guideposts regarding average salaries based on certain criteria. There are other resources out there as well but if you want an accurate comparison, whatever source you use, please make sure you understand the salary survey methodology; who is represented in the survey; and what their relevant experience is.

 

3. Build your story

 

Everyone loves a great story with great real-life examples. Stories show past successes and also how you think, how you speak, how you dealt with past situations and how you'll likely deal with them in the future. Building a great story, with lots of interesting chapters, will give you engaging things to include in your résumé and help with the interview process. Stories about overcoming challenges that were technical, interpersonal or related to learning new things are the best kinds of stories for market researchers to tell. Don't make the mistake of believing your story is readily apparent in your résumé or implicit in your listed experiences. It's not. If two candidates are relatively equal, the one with the better story wins.

 

4. Build your résumé

 

Resumes are as unique as the people they represent and yours says a lot about you. There is a wealth of information available on the topic so here are my top three tips. First, be aware of exactly what you are saying and how it will be interpreted by the reader. Make every word count. Second, to echo a point above, far too many researchers assume their qualifications are obvious within various descriptions and titles so be absolutely sure the reader knows exactly why and how you are qualified. Third, your résumé should be reviewed by at least two other people any time changes are made. With good reason, being detail orientated is listed in virtually every market research job posting you will see; that's what your résumé should reflect.

 

5. Update your profiles

 

Once you've put together a great résumé you are proud of, make sure to update all of your public profiles as needed. Confidentiality is often important, especially if you are currently employed, so please use judgment and discretion when making updates because you never know who will see them. Once made public, information is hard to control.

 

6. Target your approach

 

In market research, sending out tons of résumés is generally not the best approach for finding a great job. Instead, recommendations from family/friends, colleagues and recruiters (internal or external) yield better results. After that, it's answering targeted ads you are highly qualified for, somewhat qualified for, overqualified for and finally, answering ads you are remotely qualified for. Focusing your energy on the approaches that have highest likelihood of success will save you time and improve your chances.

 

7. Actively network

 

Connect with old colleagues and friends and create new and relevant relationships whenever possible. Subtly let others know you are contemplating change and you'll be surprised where the conversation goes and what may develop. Join relevant associations, surf relevant chat groups and industry boards and attend events as well as trade shows. We all know that market research is a time-consuming profession but try to make the time to network with colleagues. It's well worth the energy more often than not.

 

8. Keep learning

 

Continuing your education via formal training, degree programs or events and trade shows will add to your personal value and continue to set you apart. It's also a great networking opportunity and a chance to chat with like-minded people who are trying to learn, grow and perhaps make a change as well. Quirk's has a comprehensive listing of all the educational programs and events that are offered within the industry. It's highly recommended that you take advantage of them whenever possible.

 

9. Automate your search

 

There are far too many job boards, job aggregators, online communities, networking sites and industry associations to list here. Pretty much all of them give you the opportunity to log in, create a profile and set up automatic e-mails for positions posted with relevant content in your area or industry. Set up the notifications so you'll be the first to know about new opportunities. It's always better to submit application materials earlier than later.

 

10. Don't take anything personally

 

The process of searching for work is time-consuming, tiring, dejecting and distracting. Focus on your goal and don't take rejection or bad news personally. That way, when you get in front of the right person and land an interview, you'll be confident, energetic and ready to go.

   

Increase your chances 

 

Without a doubt, the time and energy put into the recommendations above will increase your chances of success. As marketing researchers, we continually advocate for doing the legwork (research) up front, thereby enabling products to launch successfully right out of the gate. Follow the same advice for your personal marketing.