Research More–Than–Helpful in Marketing Industries

Probably most people, at least in their younger years, have been asked, ''And now what do you want to be when you grow up?'' Although there are certainly a large number of individuals who have known what type of career they wanted, even at a very early age – there are also some who still are not sure about the job they want, even after completing college. Because so much of our lives will be spent performing employment related duties – finding a career that you love is truly important.

And, there's some good news for those that love TV, surfing the internet or just have vast knowledge regarding media fields in general. Today there are a growing number of good media research jobs now available. Research is essential in any media driven industry, this includes radio, newspapers, and magazines. The two media fields that have the highest visibility however are television and the internet.

People who work in research in these areas are concerned with many of the same things that marketers worry about. In both of these research fields, the audiences are being carefully observed to see how certain facts, programs or topics affect them and these statistics are being recorded. How well the audience, or public, responds will influence much of the programming. The results obtained are very helpful in determining programming and factors in to what products and advertisers are used.



Employment that involves TV research jobs or internet research jobs are only two of the fields that new graduates of business and marketing can now apply for on ResearchingCrossing. These types of research positions are challenging, exciting, and they offer experiences not found in the many areas of a typical business world.

Media Researchers have some important responsibilities ranging from proving facts for documentaries to finding those guest speakers for shows such as Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, or Oprah. Studying the audiences who choose to view these shows is also on the check off list of a Media Researcher. Some of these researchers have other responsibilities that will often include:

• Creating television or programming ideas, and fully researching those ideas with directors and producers
• Verifying the truthfulness of any information that is provided as factual
• Researching all present and past media files for footage, music, or photographs that may be required
• Must do research of any material with copyright attachments and get and permission to use on the air.
• May need to study and perform research for locations in which to film

The qualifications and individual skills that are required for Media researchers are varied. Some of these jobs are filled by people who are hired as runners by a network. These people will then work their way up the ranks. Other employees in research may have backgrounds in journalism, research, social or political arenas. A good starting point for anyone who wishes to apply for a position in this exciting career field would be to build some experience by volunteering to work with local newspapers, hospitals, or community radio stations. There are also many different positions that can be found as an intern, especially in the television industry.

People who have TV research jobs must multi-task and master a number of skills in order to stay competitive and advance. Having the ability to organize and coordinate many small details of a project or assignment are critical to success. Researching the background for many planned programs is a very crucial part of this job. The following list gives additional information that may be expected of anyone who works as a TV Program Researcher:

• Should be able to identify and create program ideas and topics
• Research and present pertinent information, as well as cost estimates
• Schedule meetings and prepare interviews
• Brief program staff, such as presenters, directors, etc.
• Write, or edit, briefing notes and scripts
• Locate equipment needed for production
• Prepare financial reports,
• Keeps assignments and projects within budget

An applicant for a position as a researcher working with TV programming will need to show that they have the attributes and qualifications needed to do the job. Although having a degree in multi-media, journalism, or a related field is preferable, a degree in almost any area of study may be acceptable if your other skills and talents are very strong. To be one of the top candidates you must be able to demonstrate some excellent communication skills. Strong organizational and administrative skills will be needed, as will the ability to function well under the stress of tight deadlines.

Internet Researchers will gather data for businesses and will be able to interpret the statistics and research to their clients. These people are very analytical in their jobs and can perform many tasks that may require extreme focus. Many personnel and human resource divisions for companies use these people to help them perform research pertaining to individuals. The job description of an Internet Researcher may look like this:

• Develop researching strategies that provide current and up to date information and resources
• Provide and develop listings of candidates or resources for specified research assignments.
• Create many of the databases for job candidates applying to companies
• Generate lead databases, identification, qualification and pre-screening information
• Provide complete reference checks, educational and background checks on candidates

Job applicants, who have strong computer skills, focus and motivation may find employment as an Internet Researcher. These research jobs are focused on linking a client's business needs to the resources they need to have successful projects. Most Internet Researcher positions are commissioned based; however, some companies may offer a base salary plus commission, making this a possible six-figure job.