How to Become a Marketing Researcher

A marketing researcher has an analytical mind and the creativity of a brand manager. One of the fastest-growing areas in marketing, market research has become a trendy, exciting job for savvy young business students. A marketing researcher is more than just a fact-gatherer these days--you have to be able to analyze consumer trends, identify new markets and use that information to you're your company increase profits. Read on to learn more.

Things You'll Need

• Bachelor's degree in one of several disciplines as varied as anthropology, communication, politics and literature
• Excellent communication (both oral and written) and interpersonal skills
• Strong math and statistics ability
• Interest in behavior and society
• Strong problem-solving and organizational skills

Instructions

How to Become a Marketing Researcher

1. Complete your undergraduate degree with a broad education spectrum. Be sure to include classes in statistics and mathematics, business and liberal arts.

2. Undertake an internship, either as a student or post graduation, that focuses on gathering and analyzing data, conducting interviews and writing.

3. Consider continuing through to a master's degree in marketing, statistics or psychology. Marketing research is a competitive field, and more employers are beginning to look for master's degrees or even Ph.D.s, especially for management positions.

4. Be willing to pay your dues. Marketing researchers start out with entry-level jobs assisting and doing grunt work as they learn from other, more experienced researchers.

5. Seek out employment in areas outside advertising like consulting firms, charity organizations and software companies to widen the pool of potential employers.

6. Hire yourself out as a contractor. Many companies, especially small businesses, would rather hire a consultant than keep on a marketing department.

7. Start your own market research company and advertise with local companies and small businesses. Use contacts from your university to help you find clients and employees of your own.

Tips & Warnings

• Although a B.A. or B.S. is the minimum requirement for an entry-level marketing researcher, a master's degree in finance, statistics or advertising may help job-seekers stand out from the crowd.

• Showing off a well-rounded education background including classes in areas like literature, history and biology looks good to potential employers in this eclectic field.

• If you want to become a market researcher, keep in mind that a varied knowledge of market trends such as purchasing and demand are going to be required in addition to academic studies. Some researchers actually start out in fields like retail or investment to help gain this knowledge.

• Entry-level positions are not very glamorous and may include menial tasks like filing, proofreading and making copies before advancement occurs.