Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential Paste co- brand logo here Career building for researchers A social research agency perspective

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Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI 3 Academic Profile 190 in my division, 120 in Social Research Institute as researchers Graduates from a wide range of institutions, although 63% attended Russell Group universities as undergraduates

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Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI 5 Then what? 42% completed Masters degree 8% progressed to PhD 50% stopped at first degree

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Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI 7 Masters – which institutions? The range of institutions also narrows: One in five of those with a Masters studied at LSE, plus:

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Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI 9 So only a few with a PhD University of Oxford Politics University of Leeds Communication Studies University of Cardiff Social Psychology London School of Economics Social Psychology Kings College London Youth Crime Prevention University of Surrey Sociology University of Aberdeen Politics University of Cambridge Economic restructuring, rural industrialisation and gender studies Yerevan State University Sociology and Social Policy

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Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI 11 Many skills we look for can be found in excellent graduates Team working Customer focus Project management skills Written and verbal comm’n Commercial acumen Numerate and analytical Academic excellence Innovative Skills we look for in early career researchers

Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI 12 We reserve special questions for PhD applicants! Can you juggle more than one thing at a time? Can you meet short term deadlines? Can you work within budgets? Will you feel constrained by the focus on client objectives? Why not an academic career? What are the differences between your PhD research and what we do?

Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI 13 Many convince us! The reality is that many can provide very good answers to these questions: Commercial acumen They pursued academic research before looking to start a career in the commercial sector not as an alternative Familiar with working within budgets for funded research. Project management Often need to multi-task whilst completing PhD – teaching, marking, writing papers etc. Good self-discipline and time management demonstrated by actually completing a PhD. Focus/variety They have had to focus on answering the questions posed within their PhD, or funded research projects. Often look forward to the variety and teamworking after working alone on PhD. Those with PhDs often among best we have

Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI 14 What skills did a PhD develop that are useful for a career at Ipsos MORI? “Time management and hard work! The fact that I actually managed to get my PhD finished within the three years showed me and employers that I could deliver.” “Critical review. This has helped me when responding to research briefs or reviewing reports.” “Being able to construct an argument which is well referenced and well evidenced. I can apply this directly to report and proposal writing.” “The quality of my writing. Although the style and audiences are different for the work I do here, I write to a high standard. I expect and am patient with revisions.” “It has helped me when working with academic partners here. I understand want they want and can do a better job for them than if I had not done my PhD.” “I’m not phased by high levels of detailed scrutiny. The PhD trained me to be able to justify every decision and argument.” “Responsibility and being accountable for what you produce. You have to organise everything yourself – from scoping the study to getting data or interviews to the final product.” “Sourcing and assimilating large amounts of information, finding common themes and variations. Helps greatly with qualitative analysis and desk research.” “Communicating clearly. Teaching and running seminars for undergraduates helped me to express ideas simply. Also gave me confidence when I first started moderating focus group discussions.”

Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI 15 What skills did a PhD develop that are useful for a career at Ipsos MORI? Time management Used to critical review Evidenced argument Quality of writing Understand academic partners Used to scrutiny Responsibility Assimilating information Communication from teaching

Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI What did you still have to learn when you started at Ipsos MORI? 16 Team working “You work on your own a lot during your PhD. Taking instructions from others and fitting in with other people’s timings are key challenges when you start.” Juggling deadlines “Managing several conflicting deadlines was difficult to start with. I thought I could do it – I had taught during my PhD - but he number and mix of deadlines was tricky.” “Juggling several projects and then many tasks within projects. It was a complete contrast to the focus of writing up a PhD. I loved it though and thrived on the challenge. It is what I wanted!” Applying research methods “I taught survey design to undergraduates but applying it in a commercial context was a different skill entirely.” “I needed to learn the practicalities of carrying out research in an agency environment. How to sample, check data, apply weighting. I’d had a lot of experience analysing secondary data and some qualitative fieldwork but quantitative data collection was new to me.” Writing for a non-academic audience “Adapting my writing style for the appropriate audience took a bit of work. I had to simplify the message and learn to make it less dense.”

Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI Why did you choose commercial social research? 17 “To work with other people in a team – I was lonely!” “I wanted to switch to a commercial environment with quicker turnaround projects. To see clients asking the research questions and using the data.” “I wanted career progression with structured training. It is difficult to move beyond contracts in academia.”

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Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI Many benefits to better links 19 Access to data Bespoke research for your PhD which benefits us too. Commercial experience How to apply research techniques in business Develop skills for a commercial environment Networks Improves employability Stronger links between universities and agencies

Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential© Ipsos MORI Version 1 | Public (DELETE CLASSIFICATION) Version 1 | Internal Use Only Version 1 | Confidential Version 1 | Strictly Confidential Paste co- brand logo here Thank you | © Ipsos MORIThis work was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the international quality standard for market research, ISO 20252:2006 and with the Ipsos MORI Terms and Conditions which can be found herehere