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List of previous Agony Aunts / Uncles
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PREVIOUS
QUESTIONS
| Q55.
| |
How
I can enter
the field
of market
research as
an independent
researcher?
Answer |
| Q25.
| |
Given that
there appears
to be a lack
of AD level
applicants,
are agencies
getting any
better at
making it
possible for
women to combine
work and family
life, e.g.
allowing for
part time
workers or
a 9-5 working
day?
Answer
|
| Q16.
| |
I am thinking
about doing
freelance
or temporary
contract work,
at the level
of market
research manager
or above.
Can you offer
any advice
on the market
for this kind
of work?
Answer
|
| Q17.
| |
I'm a freelance
primarily
as a moderator.
Nearly all
the work I
do is for
this one agency,
as I don't
have any other
contacts.....
my age (47)
may be against
me. Is my
idea of continuing
as a freelance
reasonable,
or should
I try and
obtain employment?
Answer
|
Questions
in
full
and
answers
| Q55.
| |
I
have
been
out
of
work
since
having
my
children
10
years
ago.
Other
than
that,
I
am
40
-
last
week
actually.
How
I
can
enter
the
field
of
market
research
as
an
independent
researcher?
|
| A.
| |
Deborah
says:
Market
Research
could
certainly
offer
you
the
flexibility
you
are
seeking
in
your
work.
I
would
suggest
that
you
aim
to
start
as
a
field
interviewer
for
one
of
the
leading
agencies.
This
would
mean
that
you
could
be
trained
and
then
it
would
allow
you
to
work
out
of
home
under
the
guidance
of
an
area
supervisor.
The
work
involves
street
and
house
to
house
interviewing,
also
running
hall
tests
with
a
team
of
other
interviewers.
You
could
also
be
trained
to
be
a
recruiter/hostess
for
group
discussions
-
which
involves
finding
people
(c8-9
per
group)
according
to
a
defined
quota
and
inviting
them
to
a
group
discussion
-
which
could
either
be
held
in
your
home
(if
you
have
a
suitable
room
-
for
the
use
of
which
you
would
be
paid
an
additional
sum)
or
you
would
arrange
for
the
group
to
go
to
a
special
viewing
facility.
There
are
a
number
of
companies
you
could
approach
including
NOP,
Martin
Hamblin,
Research
International,
MORI.
These
are
some
of
the
largest
full
service
market
research
agencies
who
run
larglarge
field
forces
and
who
are
the
most
likely
to
offer
proper
training.
The
best
way
to
obtain
names
and
addresses
of
their
Head
Office
Field
Departments
is
to
contact
the
Market
Research
Society
(Tel:
0207
490
4911)
for
a
list
of
all
the
companies
with
field
forces.
They
will
also
be
able
to
give
you
names
of
companies
that
specialise
in
fieldwork
services
-
usually
for
companies
that
do
not
run
their
own
field
forces
-
they
should
also
provide
training.
Most
of
the
big
companies
are
in
the
centre
of
London.
However
there
is
one
-
the
National
Centre
for
Social
Research
-
which
is
based
in
Brentwood
(Tel:
01277
200600).
They
provide
training,
insist
on
you
having
a
telephone
(some
of
the
work
may
be
home-based
telephone
work),
and
say
a
car
is
preferable.
The
alternative
form
of
interviewing
is
telephone
interviewing
for
companies
who
run
telephone
centres
and
do
the
fieldwork
for
many
of
the
market
research
agencies.
Obviously
these
would
require
you
to
'go
to
work'
but
they
do
tend
to
offer
fairly
flexible
hours
which
you
could
tailor
to
the
needs
of
the
children
(and
yourself!).
Again
the
MRS
is
the
best
source
of
lists
of
names
and
addresses.
As
I
understand
it,
as
an
interviewer
you
work
on
a
self
employed
basis
so
have
to
see
to
your
own
tax
and
NI
-
but
you
would
need
to
check
this
out.
What
I
do
know
is
that,
once
trained,
a
lot
of
interviewers
actually
work
for
a
number
of
different
companies
in
order
to
maintain
a
steady
flow
of
work
-
you
will
understand
that
there
may
not
be
a
consistent
flow
of
work
into
one
area
all
of
the
time
from
one
company.
Once
you
have
gained
some
experience,
there
would
be
the
chance
to
take
more
responsibility
as
a
local
supervisor,
then
regional
and
so
on
up
the
ladder.
There
are
also
head
office
positions.
Interviewers
are
paid
by
the
hour/day,
with
no
retainers;
supervisors
get
a
small
retainer
and
area
managers
tend
to
be
salaried.
In
head
offices,
the
jobs
are
also
salaried,
starting
at
around
£15,000
for
a
project
coordinator
up
to
£30-40
for
top
field
managers.
I
honestly
feel
that
this
is
the
best
route
for
you.
It
can
be
hard
work,
but
fun.
You
get
to
meet
lots
of
people
and
the
work
is
varied.
It
is
very
difficult
to
get
into
the
executive
side
of
research
-
you
really
need
a
degree
and
there
are
hundreds
of
recent
graduates
chasing
the
trainee
roles.
|
| Q25.
| |
I
am
looking
to
return
to
market
research
after
a
2
year
career
break,
to
look
after
my
child.
Given
that
there
appears
to
be
a
lack
of
AD
level
applicants,
are
agencies
getting
any
better
at
making
it
possible
for
women
to
combine
work
and
family
life,
e.g.
allowing
for
part
time
workers
or
a
9-5
working
day?
|
| A.
| |
Peter
says:
Research
agencies
both
large
and
small
are
becoming
far
more
flexible
with
regards
to
looking
at
the
benefits
of
employing
people
on
a
part
time
basis.
More
companies
are
now
employing
people
3/4
days
a
week.
So
the
answer
is
yes
given
the
skills
shortage
and
the
cost
of
freelancers
part
time
work
is
becoming
more
common. |
| Q16.
| |
I
am
thinking
about
doing
freelance
or
temporary
contract
work,
at
the
level
of
market
research
manager
or
above.I
have
fairly
broad
experience(qual
and
quant),
including
agency
and
clientside.
Can
you
offer
any
advice
on
the
market
for
this
kind
of
work?
It
sounds
interesting
but
I
don't
want
to
starve.
|
| A.
| |
Sinead
says:
There
are
pros
and
cons
to
going
freelance,
the
obvious
pro
is
that
you
can
have
more
free
time
and
independence
with
the
major
con
being
lack
of
job/financial
security.
In
general
there
are
lots
of
opportunities
for
freelancers,
Stop
Gap
specialise
in
recruiting
for
freelance
and
temporary
positions
and
it
would
probably
be
a
good
place
to
start
as
they
cover
a
wide
range
of
positions
and
work
both
for
agencies
and
clients.
You
need
to
build
up
a
regular
client
base
so
that
you
dont
starve
but
it
may
take
time
to
do
this
so
be
prepared
for
lean
months.
The
other
thing
to
consider
is
that
working
freelance
can
be
lonely
-
contract
work
is
more
sociable.
Also
if
you
are
going
to
work
from
home
make
sure
that
you
have
some
"office"
space
as
this
will
help
you
to
be
disciplined.
Speak
to
other
people
who
work
freelance
as
they
can
let
you
know
the
benefits
and
the
pitfalls.
|
| Q17.
| |
Twelve
years
ago
I
started
working
for
a
research
consultancy.
My
previous
background
had
been
as
a
writer
and
editor
and
I
started
by
working
on
desk
reports.
Then
I
graduated
to
doing
qualitative
research
and
to
a
more
limited
extent,
some
quant.
Two
years
ago
I
left
the
agency
and
now
freelance
primarily
as
a
moderator.
However,
nearly
all
the
work
I
do
is
for
this
one
agency,
as
I
don't
have
any
other
contacts.
My
experience
is
good
-
nearly
all
in
media,
and
-
in
the
last
two
years
-
in
new
media,
but
my
age
(47)
may
be
against
me.
Is
my
idea
of
continuing
as
a
freelance
reasonable,
or
should
I
try
and
obtain
employment
(it
would
have
to
be
part-time).
I
want
to
develop
a
bigger
network
of
employers
as
relying
on
this
one
agency
is
not
giving
me
enough
work.
|
| A.
| |
Sinead
says:
It
sounds
as
though
you
would
like
to
stay
freelance
so
you
really
just
need
to
find
some
more
clients.
Stop
Gap
recruitment
may
be
able
to
help
you
as
they
do
freelance
work
for
agencies
and
clients
and
they
may
be
able
to
introduce
you
to
some
potential
clients
otherwise
you
should
get
in
touch
with
the
heads
of
departments
of
other
agencies
that
you
would
like
to
work
for
and
develop
some
new
contacts.
There
is
still
a
great
shortage
of
qualitative
researchers
so
I
would
assume
that
if
you
could
find
one
or
two
other
clients
this
should
solve
your
problems.
|
|
| |
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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