Rediscovering your passion for market research

In this article for Research Live, Horst Feldhaeuser asks whether market researchers have lost their joie de vivre. An enthusiastic insights professional himself, Horst lives and breathes market research.

Have you lost the passion for market research? Here are seven ways to re-kindle your love:

1. Embrace what you do and make the most out of it. Yes, I know, writing long tracking reports is often boring and repetitive, but see it as an awesome training ground. And if your firm still doesn’t allow you to do anything else after six-12 months, put the experience you’ve gained under your belt and start looking for a change.

2. Find amazing people to work with. There’s nothing like a shared goal and infectious group enthusiasm to breathe some new life into your daily job. Looking for a new job? Explore company social media profiles to get a sense of their culture, or talk to others in the industry. And always take the opportunity to learn from other around you, whether they’re colleagues or clients. 

3. Find a company where you can learn different skills. If you’ve been stuck as a cog in the wheel of a market research project, perhaps consider a move to a company where you can manage different functions. There are many steps along any consumer insights project. The more you can experience, the quicker you will find one that brings you satisfaction, and even joy. 

4. Attend industry events. There’s nothing more inspiring than hearing a presenter who is passionate about their topic, or talking about issues with others and getting new ideas. Events are the best place to reignite passion by learning new things and networking with like-minded people. And you grow as a person and researcher when you present your learnings back to your team. Who knows? Someday, you might even be the one speaking, sharing your own passion with others. Ask your boss to send you to the next conference. Even if it seems like a long shot, you never know until you ask.

5. Join an industry committee if you can. Now you’re helping to shape this industry! Not only will you meet peers and mentors, but people in the industry will get to know you. Joining a board or committee can help you stay keyed in to current events and technologies, staying ahead of the curve on innovations. 

6. Read the latest news from thought leaders. There are a lot of brilliant people in this industry and many of them enthusiastically share their knowledge. Sign up to read about what’s going on in the universe. There’s no easier way to expand your market research horizon.

7. Watch your attitude. The power of positive, proactive thinking is a real phenomenon.

Read the article here