How did you get there? Judith Rose

Great to hear from Judith Rose who is Co-Founder of EXPLNERS, a company that makes video explainers for the insights sector. She is also a writer and content consultant, helping agencies to tell their stories and individuals to build a personal brand. On top of that she volunteers as part of the marketing team for industry charity, the Archive of Market and Social Research.

So, how did you get into the industry, and take us through how you got to this point?

Like so many others, I fell into the industry. I worked as a telephone interviewer while at university and then got a student placement at Hewlett-Packard Labs in Bristol by blagging that I knew all about market research. Despite the fact that I had no idea what I was doing, they sent me out to conduct B2B depth interviews with IT decision makers. I absolutely fell in love with the job; where else do you get to ask people loads of questions about themselves, their work and their lives?

My next role was at a start-up research agency where I wrote a lot of research-based white papers which was something else I found that I loved doing. Following that, I spent seven very happy years at GfK, ending up as Research Director in the Business and Tech division.

I had assumed that I would just carry on agency side, working towards the next promotion, the higher target, the bigger team. But life intruded. My son was born very prematurely and suddenly an office-based job with a long commute was impossible. I needed a plan. Fortunately, my manager was incredibly supportive and, together, we explored whether there was a role I could do from home (this was long before COVID).

It turns out that, back in 2011, as an industry, we were starting to understand the need for better storytelling, which meant that my writing skills and research experience were a powerful combination. I became an in-house writer for GfK, creating case studies, white papers, articles and thought leadership, as well as helping to polish proposals, presentations and reports.

In 2013 I left to set up ContentWrite, writing marketing content and creating content strategy for the research sector and in 2023, I joined up with Mark Whalley and Dan Parker-Smith to found EXPLNERS, making explainer videos to bring insights to life.

Why should anyone consider a career in market research, data and insights?

It’s an industry that makes a huge contribution to society, helping to shape products and services and bringing the voice of the public to government and the third sector. There are many different and varied roles available, from technical and analytical to creative and empathetic, so there is something for everyone – and you don’t have to follow the traditional agency route.  And, most importantly, the sector tends to attract people who are smart, thoughtful and curious, which means that the work is as fun as it is fulfilling and you will make friends for life.

Career paths are rarely without challenges. Can you share an honest moment from your career when things didn’t go quite according to plan, but the lessons remain with you to this day?

I’ve been made redundant which was pretty painful at the time. Even though the company was struggling and it was part of a big round of redundancies, it’s hard not to take it personally. We were all well supported with outplacement consultancy, which helped me to realise that it was the role that was redundant, not me and that my self-worth didn’t have to be attached to my employment status.

I learned that when things go wrong, it’s important to give yourself a bit of time to acknowledge how you feel, but it’s also important to challenge your negative thoughts and find a way to reframe them.

What two things should junior researchers focus on as they progress in their careers?

Stay curious at all times. Keep learning. Our sector is changing all the time and it’s vital to keep up to date – but this shouldn’t be a chore. Be driven by your own interests and excitement about your work. And if you can’t dredge up any excitement, it might be time to shake things up and do something new.

Build relationships. Not in a creepy, networking-for-its-own-sake sort of way but out of genuine shared interest and rapport with the people you meet. Most of the good things that have happened to me in my career have come about through my connections with brilliant people.

These two are related, by the way. The more you stay curious and keep learning, the more you will have to bring to the relationships you build.

Do you have any advice for our sector?

We need to get better at marketing ourselves and our work. It’s ironic that we advise marketers but communicating our insights and promoting ourselves is often an afterthought. All proposals should have some budget included for insights activation and all insights people need to think about how they are showing up in the industry.

And do you have anyone who has helped your career so far that you’d like to acknowledge and say thanks or give a shout out to?

I’m grateful to lots of people but would probably single out industry legend Rhonda Rice, who hired me at GfK, Colin Strong who helped me kick off my writing career and Babita Earle who is a true friend and has been an inspiration and support throughout.