How can you gain marketing research experience while still in school?

Marketing research is a valuable skill for any aspiring marketer, but how can you gain practical experience while still in school? Whether you want to pursue a career in marketing research or just learn how to use data to make better decisions, there are several ways you can enhance your knowledge and abilities without waiting for graduation. Here are some tips to help you get started.

1 Take relevant courses

One of the most obvious ways to gain marketing research experience is to enroll in courses that teach you the fundamentals and applications of marketing research. Look for classes that cover topics such as research design, data collection, analysis, interpretation, and reporting. You may also find courses that focus on specific types of marketing research, such as consumer behavior, market segmentation, or digital marketing analytics. Taking these courses will not only give you theoretical knowledge, but also expose you to various tools and methods that you can use in your own projects.

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Noemi Navio Peral

Auditora, Consultora y Formadora Senior Freelance de Sistemas de Gestión de Calidad y Mejora continua de procesos
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Por ejemplo, organizando un evento en tu ciudad para tus propios compañeros de clase. En las escuelas es necesario más práctica y menos teoría.

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Luiz Henrique Galdino

Head de Marketing | Conteúdo e Vídeo | Eventos | Inovação | Gestão de Projetos
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Foque em procurar cursos que te ajude com a parte prática. Que ao final do curso você tenha um projeto real realizado e possa adicionar ao seu curriculo.

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2 Join a student organization

Another way to gain marketing research experience is to join a student organization that involves marketing research activities. For example, you could join a marketing club, a consulting club, or a case competition team that works on real-world marketing problems and solutions. By participating in these organizations, you will have the opportunity to apply your skills to real or simulated scenarios, collaborate with other students, and network with industry professionals. You will also develop your communication and presentation skills, which are essential for marketing research.

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Luiz Henrique Galdino

Head de Marketing | Conteúdo e Vídeo | Eventos | Inovação | Gestão de Projetos
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Procure um mentor que se enquadre no que você quer aprender. Você pode buscar no linkedin e entrar em contato, basta buscar por cargo e ir no método "tentativa e erro".

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3 Conduct your own research

If you have a specific research question or topic that interests you, why not conduct your own research project? You can use your school's resources, such as libraries, databases, or online platforms, to access relevant data and literature. You can also collect your own data, such as surveys, interviews, or experiments, if you have the time and budget. Conducting your own research will allow you to explore your interests, demonstrate your initiative, and showcase your results in your portfolio or resume.

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4 Volunteer or intern

Another way to gain marketing research experience is to volunteer or intern for an organization that needs marketing research assistance. You can look for opportunities in your school, such as working as a research assistant for a professor or a department, or in your community, such as helping a local business or a nonprofit with their marketing research needs. Volunteering or interning will give you hands-on experience, feedback, and mentorship from experienced researchers. You will also make a positive impact and build your network.

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Mike Scavuzzo

Category Management & Business Insights @ OLIPOP
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This is Consumer Packaged Goods specific.. find a brand ambassador program. Better yet, find some brands you like and reach out to them on social platforms and ask to demo their products in stores. Both of these avenues allow you to get in front of consumers and understand what they like and don't like about products.

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5 Learn online

Finally, you can gain marketing research experience by learning online. There are many online courses, webinars, podcasts, blogs, and books that can teach you more about marketing research. You can choose the topics and formats that suit your learning style and goals. Learning online will help you stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in marketing research. You will also expand your knowledge and skills beyond what you learn in school.

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Luiz Henrique Galdino

Head de Marketing | Conteúdo e Vídeo | Eventos | Inovação | Gestão de Projetos
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Youtube é o rei do conteúdo. Lá você aprende o que você realmente precisa, além de conseguir escolher com quem você quer aprender.

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Riccardo Vocca

Marketing Research Assistant | LUISS University | HEC Paris
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I am a young Marketing student and I have just started my corporate career, but I have always believed in deepening and sharing knowledge and what I learn along the way. Even at the beginning of my university career, I always explored what I studied both through free online content and, once I learned the structure of scientific papers, I began to periodically read those that I considered most stimulating. This not only allows us to delve into the more theoretical and insights-filled parts but also to understand how the researchers worked and what their way of thinking was.

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Franco Bogliolo

C-Suite Coach. Consultor Corporativo. Especialista en Inteligencia de Negocio e Innovación. Impulsor de la metodología STEAM y de la transdisciplinariedad en las empresas.
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In the city where I was born, Chivilcoy, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, we used to do entrepreneurial project laboratories when we were 15 and 16 years old, with real impact on small retail businesses. Fathers, mothers, uncles, friends, they were the local entrepreneurs, and we were looking for ways to make their products sell more. From "Ignorance", if it is "Creative" anywhere, and from any age, knowledge can be born.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you gain marketing research experience while still in school?

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1 Take relevant courses

2 Join a student organization

3 Conduct your own research

4 Volunteer or intern

5 Learn online

6 Here’s what else to consider

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