|
|
List of previous Agony Aunts / Uncles
>>
BACK to clinic home page
| Q87.
| |
I have a clientside interview for a place on a graduate training scheme. I have been trying to break into market research since graduating and I was wondering if there are any special considerations that I should take when dealing with clientside work and food retailers customers research.
Answer |
PREVIOUS
QUESTIONS
| Q43.
| |
I am hoping
to make a
move to another
agency relatively
soon, but
am unsure
whether to
apply for
an RE or an
SRE position
as these terms
are not strictly
applied at
my current
agency...which
tasks and
responsibilities
are encompassed
by the two
job titles
in 'the real
world'?
Also, is it
most beneficial
to contact
a recruitment
consultant
in the field,
or is it better
to contact
potential
agency's HR
departments
directly?
Answer
|
| Q21.
| |
I recently
went for an
interview
with a research
agency and
I was asked
to provide
a sample of
writing materials.
I cannot disclose
any of these
materials.
Could I please
get your view
on this one?
Answer
|
| Q11.
| |
When is it
relevant to
show your
professional
reference?
Answer
|
| Q3.
| |
What are the
key attributes
/ attitudes
for a graduate
to display
at an interview
with a typical
big agency?
Answer
|
Questions
in
full
and
answers
| Q87. | |
I have a clientside interview for a place on a graduate training scheme. I have been trying to break into market research since graduating and I was wondering if there are any special considerations that I should take when dealing with clientside work and food retailers customers research.
Carole says: Client-side work will be different from research agency or consultancy because the client is generally the marketing/brands teams trying to find the answers to the market, product, services, competition, opportunities, threats, resources and business development. The researcher knows the people as well as having good insight into the products. They often have the data to back up recommendations but the marketing personnel work much more on 'gut feel' than believing what is presented. Working in a client-side environment means you can rely on the research agencies for identifying the most appropriate techniques and interpreting the findings. You can play a more strategic role in the company by using different specialist resources, e.g. continuous data sources versus adhoc research projects.
The food retailers use their own EPOS data to track the products being sold across their stores. This data capture is fundamental to the role of the researcher. They usually require very numerate individuals to do data analysis and possibly use different statistical techniques on the data. There are numerous studies on pricing, promotions and perception of the value. There are factors that affect sales, such as price, choice, distribution, display of the products and competition. The candidate should be aware of the retail industry. Who are the main players, what has been happening to the industry over the last five years? They could look at M&S and say Asda.
|
| Q43. | | I am a Researcher at a London research agency and have been so for 3 years. I am hoping to make a move to another agency relatively soon, but am unsure whether to apply for an RE or an SRE position as these terms are not strictly applied at my current agency. It would be useful for me to know which tasks and responsibilities are encompassed by the two job titles in 'the real world'.
My current responsibilities (for the record...) include total project management, questionnaire design, staff management, report writing, stats, client contact - from pitching to presentation, running focus groups, internet research, etc.
Also, is it most beneficial to contact a recruitment consultant in the field, or is it better to contact potential agency's HR departments directly?
Sinead Hasson says: It sounds as though you are ready for a new job - 3 years is usually a good time to make a move especially if you are in your first job at the moment. The difference in positions usually comes down to project and client responsibilities, if you assume as an RE you learn how to run projects as an SRE you will be given more responsibility for the running of any projects, this does differ depending on agencies.
Regarding the second part of your question, as a recruitment consultant I am biased. However I think that you would benefit from talking to a recruitment consultant about your next move. The advantage of this is that a recruitment consultant will be able to assess your skills in relation to the industry in general and will be able to advise you as to the best opportunities in the most appropriate companies. You could contact HR departments but as you are not sure what level you are at I think you should speak to some recruitment consultants first.
If I can be of any more help please get in touch
|
| Q21. | | I recently went for an interview with a research agency in Central Europe and I was asked to provide a sample of writing materials e.g. proposal, presentation, analytical report etc. My view is that I cannot disclose any of these materials, even if I managed to disguise the names of the company and brands involved. Could I please get your view on this one? Many thanks in advance for your help. Peter says: It is not unusual for companies to ask for evidence of previous work. I would be careful though to ensure that no confidence is breached.
|
| Q11. | | When is it relevant to show your professional reference?- During the first interview?
- During the second interview?
Can you show a professional reference without being asked to do so? Sinead says: It is not usually necessary to show any references until you are asked, this may not happen until after you have been offered a position. If you think that you references are relevant at an earlier stage then just ask the interviewer if they would be interested in seeing them - you can then either leave them with the company or send a copy at a later date.
|
| Q3. | | What are the key attributes / attitudes for a graduate to display at an interview with a typical big agency? Sinead says: Confidence. The ability to communicate ambitions and experience effectively and the ability to multitask and juggle workloads. You need to have conducted some research on the industry and the company otherwise it's a No Go. You may be asked to do some tests to demonstrate accuracy, numeracy and attention to detail.
|
|
Key to previous and current Agony Aunts / Uncles
Sinead Hasson, Hasson Associates
Kate Langford, Hasson Associates
Peter McGrath, PSD
Nick Gendler, then of KD Consulting
Debby Robson, then of SLS Services
Liz Norman, ENI
Caroline Steane / Clive Warren, CSA Recruitment
Jenny Bastin, then of Buckingham Personnel
Helen Pegnall, then of ENI
|
|
