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- Analyse data to produce useful information for companies about their markets and customers
- You'll be working with data, so you'll need good technical skills, knowledge of statistics and the ability to present well
- This is a rapidly changing field with lots of new roles and opportunities emerging
As a market research analyst, you'll analyse and present data to clients, building a relationship with them and understanding their business needs.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Speaking to clients to understand their needs
- Writing proposals that describe how research will be carried out
- Managing relationships with clients; advising researchers about survey methods and design
- Project-managing teams
- Checking the quality of the data collected
- Analysing the data using statistical software programs and techniques, spreadsheets and computer models
- Presenting results in a useful way through talks, written reports, graphs and tables
- Explaining findings to market research executives
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You'll work in an office.
You'll need
For this role, you'll need analytical thinking skills, thoroughness and attention to detail, good initiative, excellent verbal communication skills, customer service skills, maths knowledge, ambition and a desire to succeed, and business management skills.
You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification that includes data analysis, including maths and statistics, marketing and analytics, business and marketing, or data science. Other subjects that can be beneficial include psychology, social sciences and sociology. If you want to specialise in an area like medical or economic market research, you could do a postgraduate master's degree or PhD in statistics or applied statistics.
You could start as a research assistant, then move into statistical work after getting experience and doing qualifications while you work.
You can also apply for a place on a graduate training scheme with a market research company, starting as a junior analyst. You could get a marketing qualification like those offered by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, which often include a market research focus.
You may be able to get this role through an advanced apprenticeship in marketing or higher apprenticeship as a data analyst.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could progress into management, or become a self-employed market research consultant.