Before I applied for my qualitative internship at 2CV, I did what any good applicant would do: researched what market research is all about. I’ll admit, I had never heard of market research before, but I had some knowledge about research methods as it was linked to my degree.
As my six weeks at 2CV sadly comes to end, I wanted to reflect on what it’s actually like to be a Qualitative Research Intern. Spoiler alert – it’s not what Google says!
Here are the three main things I learned about being a Qualitative Research Intern at 2CV:
1. Research is more exciting than Google makes it out to be
When I first Googled qualitative market research, I found very little about what being a qualitative market researcher involves. The main description I found was about collecting and analysing non-numerical data. It wasn’t the most inspiring.
From my experience, Google’s assessment of the job didn’t do it justice. I didn’t know I would be working closely with brands I use every day, conducting analysis as a team, engaging in interesting conversations with project teams - like the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and the experience of disabled people using trains – or being involved in collecting data through interviews, focus groups or desk research. It was all a lot more exciting than Google had explained.
2. You get to talk to people – for a job!
Going into my internship, I expected to sit behind a laptop, shadow other members of staff and be given some very easy tasks to keep me occupied. That was not the case. From my very first week, I was note-taking, collecting quotes for in-depth interviews and focus groups, meeting participants, and listening to their opinions and experiences. I even conducted my own qualitative intercepts which I really enjoyed.
3. Conducting research is a collaborative process
Lastly, something that is more closely linked with 2CV itself rather than market research, was how closely everyone works together. Every week, we would talk about what everyone is working on and whether anyone needed an extra pair of hands. If the latter, the team would pull together to offer help.
This made me realise how collaborative working at 2CV is and it gave me a ‘having your back’ feeling which I did not expect in this sector
In summary
Overall, my experience as a Qualitative Research Intern has been something difficult to summarise. What I do know is that this experience has taught me a lot and opened my eyes to a field that I had no understanding of six weeks ago.
It has helped me develop various skills that will stay with me, including research skills and what it means to work collaboratively. My experience would have never been the same without the people that work at 2CV - they are one of the main reasons why I had such a fantastic experience.
