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List of previous Agony Aunts / Uncles
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| Q83.
| | I am due to start a graduate job, which involves training for the Certificate in Market Research which will take 3 years. If I moved to another company before these 3 years, can I continue my training with them, even if they do not have a structured program of training?
Answer |
PREVIOUS
QUESTIONS
| Q78. | | I'm a Senior Account Executive with a top-10 advertising agency. I'm keen on Brand Research...At the moment, I'm at the crossroads as I'm wondering whether to pursue the MRS Dip., or do I go in for the CIM Dip.?
Answer |
| Q51. | | How do I get interviewer training - particularly relating to qualitative recruitment?
Answer |
| Q19. | | I have been with a small market research consultancy for just over a year.(..) I have no real qualifications (..)What kind of positions can I be considered for in market research and how do I further my meagre experience?
Answer |
| Q12. | | In the UK, is it more beneficial for a researcher to have both Qual and Quant skills (and experience), OR be a specialist in just either Qual or Quant?
Answer |
Questions
in
full
and
answers
| Q83.
| |
I
am
due
to
start
a
graduate
job,
which
involves
training
for
the
Certificate
in
Market
Research
which
I
understand
will
take
3
years,
at
which
point
I
will
be
a
member.
I
understand
that
there
are
only
a
handful
of
these
companies
that
offer
such
schemes,
however
if
I
moved
to
another
company
before
these
3
years,
can
I
continue
my
training
with
them,
even
if
they
do
not
have
a
structured
program
of
training?
I
would
not
wish
to
lose
my
training
and
would
still
like
to
become
accredited.
|
| A.
| |
Jenny
says:
If
you
were
to
switch
companies
during
the
three
year
training
period
gaining
the
continued
sponsorship
from
another
company
would
need
to
be
negotiated
prior
to
accepting
a
job.
I
can't
imagine
there
is
any
issue
in
the
course
itself
preventing
you
switching
companies.
Should
you
secure
another
job
and
one
that
you
really
wanted
and
in
the
event
this
new
organisation
were
not
prepared
to
sponsor
then
the
alternative
would
be
to
pay
the
fees
yourself
because
it
would
be
a
shame
not
to
complete.
As
a
precaution
it
might
be
a
good
idea
to
check
your
contract
of
employment
for
any
penalty
clauses
on
the
reimbursement
of
course
fees
paid
out
on
your
behalf.
Every
organisation's
training
policy
differs.
For
example
some
expect
the
employee
to
pay
fees
upfront
and
will
only
reimburse
on
successful
completion
and
passing
of
each
year's
exams
and
some
may
request
a
%
reimbursement
should
an
employee
leave
before
completion.
Of
course
some
just
pay
fees
upfront
with
no
penalties.
The
fact
you
are
about
to
start
a
job
with
a
company
who
are
sponsoring
you
is
an
absolute
bonus
and
shows
their
commitment
to
helping
you
train
and
develop.
|
| Q78.
| |
I'm
in
my
late
twenties
and
work
as
a
Senior
Account
Executive
with
a
top-10
advertising
agency.
I'm
keen
on
Brand
Research
as
I
hope
to
take
on
the
role
of
an
Strategic
Planner
with
an
agency
someday.
At
the
moment,
I'm
at
the
crossroads
as
I'm
wondering
whether
to
pursue
the
MRS
Dip.
in
order
to
focus
on
the
field
of
Qualitative
Research,
or
do
I
go
in
for
the
CIM
Dip.
that
would
give
me
a
broader
understanding
of
a
marketing
issues
at
hand?
|
| A.
| |
Liz
says:
If
you're
heart
is
in
planning,
have
you
tried
to
move
within
the
agency
you
currently
work
for?
This
would
certainly
be
the
easiest
and
quickest
way
to
make
that
move.
If
you
want
to
take
the
longer
route
into
planning
and
move
into
qualitative
research
first,
then
the
important
thing
to
do
is
get
a
job.
Neither
of
the
qualifications
you
mention
will
really
help
you
make
that
move
and
you
will
learn
far
more
by
joining
the
right
employer
in
the
right
role
than
you
will
in
the
class
room.
That
said
it
wouldn't
do
any
harm
to
join
the
AQR
(Association
of
Qualitative
Research)
and
go
along
to
some
of
the
meetings
they
have.
This
way
you
will
learn
more
about
some
of
the
specific
issues
facing
qualitative
research
and
have
a
chance
to
learn
more
by
networking
amongst
the
industry.
In
terms
of
finding
a
role
in
qualitative
research,
you
need
to
start
sending
your
c.v.
out
to
recruitment
consultants
like
me.
|
| Q51.
| |
How
do
I
get
interviewer
training
-
particularly
relating
to
qualitative
recruitment?
|
| A.
| |
Kate
says:
If
you
want
to
do
qualitative
research,
i.e.
moderating
focus
groups,
you
can
get
training
to
do
this
through
an
MRS
course
(
www.mrs.org.uk
)
or
if
you
already
work
for
a
research
agency,
then
you
could
get
this
internally.
If
you
mean
training
to
interview
to
find
respondents
for
qualitative
research
then
you
would
need
to
do
this
by
working
for
a
research
agency
as
an
interviewer
for
which
you
would
be
given
interviewing
training.
You
would
need
to
contact
research
agencies
to
find
a
job
like
this
-
the
names
of
agencies
can
be
found
on
the
agencies
section
of
MrWeb
(
www.mrweb.com/agencies
).
|
| Q19.
| |
I
am
currently
working
as
a
research
assistant
for
a
very
small
consultancy,
doing
both
quant
and
qual.
I
am
looking
for
a
new
job,
hopefully
a
slightly
bigger
company
where
there
is
more
scope
for
training
etc.
I
have
been
with
this
market
research
consultancy
for
just
over
a
year.
Apart
from
[recent
professional
exams]
I
have
no
real
qualifications
and
was
not
fortunate
enough
to
get
a
place
on
a
graduate
scheme
and
because
it
has
now
been
[several]
years
since
I
graduated
I
don't
think
I
would
qualify
for
such
a
scheme
any
longer!
So
what
kind
of
positions
can
I
be
considered
for
in
market
research
and
how
do
I
further
my
meagre
experience?
I'm
unsure
how
to
market
myself.
I
would
be
extremely
grateful
for
any
advice
you
could
offer
and
look
forward
to
hearing
from
you
soon.
|
| A.
| |
Sinead
says:
Thank
you
for
your
question.
Size
of
the
organisation
you
work
for
is
not
really
of
concern
-
people
will
be
more
interested
in
the
type
of
work
that
you
have
been
doing
and
how
involved
you
have
been
in
the
research
process.
The
next
stage
for
you
is
to
move
to
another
agency,
probably
a
larger
agency
so
that
you
can
benefit
from
more
formal
training
and
experience
a
wide
range
of
research
techniques/products.
You
need
to
put
a
CV
together
and
contact
either
recruitment
consultancies
and/or
market
research
agencies
directly.
There
are
lots
of
opportunities
around
so
don't
be
put
off
by
the
fact
that
you
have
worked
for
a
small
company
as
there
are
many
benefits
to
working
for
smaller
agencies.
|
| Q12.
| |
I'm
currently
working
for
an
agency
here
in
the
Philippines.
My
Question
is:
in
the
UK,
is
it
more
beneficial
for
a
researcher
to
have
both
Qual
and
Quant
skills
(and
experience),
OR
be
a
specialist
in
just
either
Qual
or
Quant?
I
currently
do
both,
but
I
feel
as
if
my
development
is
being
held
back
because
of
this.
Because
of
my
Quasi-Qual/Quant
status,
I'm
not
given
training
in
any
of
our
Quant
products,
which
would
give
me
a
huge
edge
over
others.
My
background
is
in
psychology,
which
makes
me
ideal
for
Quali
work.
I
don't
know
if
I
should
ask
to
be
given
purely
Qual
or
purely
Quant
projects.
On
the
other
hand,
I'd
be
terribly
bored
if
I
handle
projects
for
just
one
department
only.
I
know
I
can
excel
in
either
department,
but
I
don't
know
which
I
should
focus
my
full
attention
on.
Another
Question:
Would
a
Quali
researcher
have
bigger
chances
of
earning
big
bucks
than
Quanti
researchers,
or
vice
versa?
I'd
appreciate
your
thoughts
on
this.
Thanks.
|
| A.
| |
Sinead
says:
There
are
pros
and
cons
to
specialising
in
particular
techniques
-
it
depends
on
where
you
want
to
work.
If
you
want
to
work
in
large
agencies
such
as
RI
it
is
better
to
have
specialised
in
one
area.
If
you
would
prefer
to
work
in
smaller
consultancies
or
move
clientside
then
a
combination
of
Qual
&
Quant
is
better.
However
there
is
no
point
specialising
in
a
particular
area
if
you
are
going
to
be
bored
so
you
should
stick
with
what
you
find
motivating
and
challenging
and
that
will
benefit
you
in
the
long
term.
In
answer
to
your
final
Question
-
at
the
moment
Qual
researchers
are
more
likely
to
be
able
to
negotiate
higher
salaries
as
there
is
a
skills
shortage.
|
|
| |
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
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