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Hot Jobs for 2005 – An In Depth Look

As 2005 comes to a close it’s time to wrap up our hottest jobs series by taking a look at the growing field of research and finance—what’s recommended and what’s required to get into these areas.

Remember, these are classified as “hot jobs” because of wages, benefits and the growing number of positions available nationally.

Research

Doing research is a big part of any corporation. Research needs to be done to discover specifics about current and potential clients, information on the global market and the status of internal affairs of a particular business. As technology advances researchers are finding better ways to acquire and analyze data and businesses need candidates to fill these positions.

Businesses, government agencies and political candidates often use survey researchers to design and conduct a variety of surveys. Surveys are used to collect information that is used for research, monetary decisions, measuring policy effectiveness and improving overall customer satisfaction. They are even used to find out what the public is looking for in political leaders.

Market research analysts deal with potential sales of a product or service. They analyze statistical data on past sales to help predict future sales, gather data on competitors and analyze prices, sales and marketing methods. Often, market surveys are designed for the telephone, mail or Internet. Others are conducted in-person through door-to-door interviews or focus group discussions.

In order to remain competitive, computer and information researchers are currently in high demand. Because electronic commerce is becoming increasingly common, how and when companies use technology are critical issues. These researchers analyze and construct business plans, oversee network security systems and manage Internet operations. Their main focus is to plan research and design computer-related activities of businesses.

What are the educational requirements to become a researcher?
Employers are likely to hire candidates who have a bachelor’s degree in marketing or business. Researchers usually start in entry-level positions including research assistant, administrative trainee, marketing interviewer or salesperson to name a few. Individuals with an aptitude for computer and quantitative skills that can perform complex research are highly sought after.

Experience in computers, information gathering and analyzing data, conducting interviews, surveying and writing reports is the best way to get the skills needed to be successful in a research career.

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