The Marketing Research Association (MRA) is trying to make it easier for you to get ahead. After hearing from current and prospective participants in its Professional Researcher Certification (PRC) effort that things were a little too complicated, the MRA has responded by streamlining several aspects of the seven-year-old program.
The changes involve simplifying the certification structure, eliminating a focus on general business knowledge, revising the educational prerequisites for applicants, developing an exam-review process and reducing program fees. (In fact, beginning this month through June 30, the MRA is offering a 90-day introductory period during which the application fee will be reduced by $150 and the exam administered free of charge.)
To find out a bit more, I chatted with Ted Donnelly, chair of the MRA’s certification board and also managing director at Baltimore Research.
The program’s initial structure was heavily segmented by its well-intentioned creators (“When you get a whole bunch of researchers together they like to segment,” Donnelly quips) to capture and represent the breadth of skills and capabilities on display in the industry, which was a good thought but it proved confusing and also ended up forcing some program participants to limit themselves to certain areas rather than giving them the freedom to expand their skill sets. “Some people said, ‘I do quant and qual – which route do I go down?’ What about people who do both? And it didn’t answer the bell for people who moved around the industry. People would say, ‘I’ve pigeonholed myself as a data collector and now I’m in corporate research and it doesn’t really reflect what I do,’” Donnelly says.
So the new structure includes just two options: industry professional and student. The industry professional certification requires three years of industry work experience and both designations require candidates to pass the PRC exam.
Test-taking anxiety
Ah yes, the exam. That too was a sticking point for some. General test-taking anxiety was a problem, as was the fear that, though they were seasoned pros, their own ways of demonstrating their knowledge might not fit into the exam structure. So, to further de-stress the process, the PRC board is currently looking at third-party institutions to help develop a study guide for the exam.
In addition, a previous focus on demonstrating general business knowledge in the exam added to the study work needed to pass it and also required candidates to attend non-research-focused continuing-education programming rather than soaking up potentially valuable learning in sessions about new research methodologies, Donnelly says. “Because nearly half the education was in business, the research education requirements became diluted, which we felt reduced the value. So that was a major change, to eliminate the whole business track.
“The original thinking was that certification should reflect competency in the major elements of a certified individual’s job, so they should demonstrate general capabilities in business administration. But we came to realize that if that is what you are looking for, you can go get an MBA. The PRC really shouldn’t be in the business business,” Donnelly says.
Greater than ever
Given the current state of the industry, with the seemingly daily expansion of research toolsets and data sources, the value of showing your commitment to learning and growing seems greater than ever. “For the individuals who are interested in being certified, PRC does two main things: it builds your personal brand by showing that you are best-of-class and it delivers a tangible expression of your expertise and your ongoing commitment to excellence. We’re not saying PRC makes you a better researcher. It’s more like you have your PRC because you are a better researcher,” Donnelly says.