It’s Spring Break season, so we decided to take a break of our own from writing for people who are already insights professionals.
Instead, since we’re rapidly moving towards the end of the school year (can you believe it?), we wanted to write something that might be helpful for those who are thinking about entering the insights profession (or who might know someone who is).
This post is natural for us since one of the most frequent career-related questions we’ve heard over the years is “how does someone get into your profession?”
While there are a thousand stories about the many paths people took that led them to insights, there are some common realities about the profession and what is required to enter it as a career. And, of course, how straightforward it will be depends a lot on your individual context and current role (if you’re already in the professional world).
If you’re still in college, you should understand that foundational to the profession is a deep interest in understanding as much as possible about consumers, and this will be a lot more than just having casual conversations with them over coffee; there is a ton of technical work to go along with everything creative that the profession entails.
You need to be a person who loves crunching numbers in Excel as much as you love creating presentations in PowerPoint. People often say that insights happens at the intersection of art and science, so you have to love both if you want to have an insights career that bears fruit.
Should you decide that this sounds like you, the next step is extensive online research (yes, it starts already!) into the educational and internship paths that could lead to where you want to go. After that, don’t hesitate to reach out to the professors, career counselors, and industry experts whose profiles you will see online and ask for their input and advice. Most of these people are very generous in terms of being willing to help someone who is thinking about joining the industry.
On a related note, there are a tremendous number of colleges and universities that offer programs either directly in or closely related to the insights profession, and most of these have great relationships established with companies offering internships in the industry. So your future truly could be as simple as choosing the right program at the right school.
However, if your context is one where you’ve already started your career but are early enough in it that you’re thinking about what path you want to specialize in, your steps will be a bit different.
If you’re working for a company that has an insights team but you’re not on it, the path will likely involve a couple of intermediate steps. Many companies that are large enough to have their own insights teams offer internal rotations or transfers that can get you either directly into the insights department or a lot closer to it than where you currently are.
It’s a perfectly acceptable option to allocate a few years of your career to move in the direction you’ve decided you want to go. You can talk about how this option could be available to you during career conversations with your manager or Human Resources.
Sometimes, companies may be structured where transitions of this nature are unlikely. In these cases, you should ask them if it is possible for you to work in that direction and, if they make it clear that it’s a non-starter but you are determined to go that direction, then you may have to transition to a company with a more flexible program that will help you achieve your goal.
Similarly, if you’re working for a company that does not have an insights team at all, it will likely be necessary for you to explore what options may be available for you to transition to a company that does have an insights team and that may be more flexible in terms of internal rotations and transfers.
As we said at the start, there is no easy answer or singular path to developing a career in insights. But there are a few things that can make the path you choose a bit smoother.
Graduate Education
If you have the time and resources, there are several highly-regarded graduate programs that would bolster your path to an insights career. Based on my personal experience attending or working with graduates from these programs, two that I would recommend without hesitation are:
- Master of Integrated Marketing Communication, Medill, Northwestern University
- Master of Market Research, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia
There are also several educational options to build specific skills related to insights and market research. These options also typically result in official certifications that can bolster your resume:
- Qualitative Moderator Training – RIVA Training Institute
- Research Methods – Burke Institute
- Foresight and Culture Expertise – Institute for the Future
Direct Experience
Along with educational opportunities, an excellent way to move into an insights career is to join a supply-side insights or market research firm. Whether joining a small or large firm, the supply-side of the industry is where you’ll receive the most direct training and hands-on-opportunities to start building real-world skills.
If you do not have previous insights industry experience, the best time to enter one of these firms is after you’ve had a few years of job experience. While it is helpful if your experience is in the marketing industry, it is by no means required. Take a look at online job listings with these agencies for analysts, associate managers, and managers to see what kind of experience various firms ask for; some are not as restrictive as you may think! Once you get in the door, you can work your way into roles with increasing levels of responsibility.
By contrast, if you’re further along in your career, entering the industry through the supply side can be more difficult unless you’re willing to take a step back and start in a more entry-level role. However, if you’ve explored a rotation or transfer towards an insights role and have hit a wall, then this could be an option for you as well, depending on your individual situation.
Industry Networking
Whether you pursue education or experience (or, ideally, a mix of the two) to land an insights role, networking is critical. There are a variety of industry events that anyone can attend throughout the year, and these are great to meet others who are in the insights profession.
It can be difficult to decide where to start since there are literally hundreds of industry events, but here are a few that we’ve attended over the years and would strongly recommend:
The insights industry is a rewarding profession that we’ve felt truly blessed to be a part of over the past nearly 20 years. It is a true joy to help brands solve challenges through a deeper understanding of their consumers and customers. So we wish you nothing but the very best of luck with your journey in this amazing profession!