How can I get a career in research?

A career in research is something for those with the need to know why. It caters to the inquisitive, the numerical and the linguist within each of us. The real reason why people tend to look for a career in research is because they have a desire to delve deeper and understand the thoughts and motives behind human behaviour.

In terms of an educational background, I begin by taking a business studies degree. This is something that not only gave me a feel for the B2B platform that we work on, but also allowed me to process the numerical side of the job much easier. For those interested in research and psychological understanding from a young age I would recommend a business, maths or psychology degree. These are all courses that will aid your journey towards where you would like to be in the research world.

The job can, though, be tough at times. You must be good with numbers and processing large quantities of data. You must develop a keen eye for anomalies and then be able to communicate your findings via written reports. As well as this, you must be good at communicating with people as you will often come into contact with them during the interview process.

There is no doubt that research can be incredibly rewarding. I still get excited about seeing the research we have worked on featured on the front page on the Daily Mail or during a segment on the BBC News website. Research is crucial to furthering our entire civilisation’s ability to learn from our past and plan for our future; there remains plenty of opportunity for new talent to come through.