Research Consultant
Research consultants investigate how people think, feel or behave to help clients make informed decisions about products or policies.
What the job looks like
Salary expectation
starts at $38,142 up to $110,803+
The good
- Lots of variety and each day is different
- Business can benefit from the information you collect
- Learning about the way people think
The not so good
- Stereotypes that undervalue what you do
Products you might own like your mobile phone or a magazine that you read have probably been developed based on the results from market research.
Your role as a research consultant is to establish the needs of the company you are working for and then survey the general public to make sure a product will be well received on the market.
This might involve developing online surveys or questionnaires, running focus groups or conducting telephone interviews.
A big part of your role involves gathering and compiling all the data from these different forms of research, so you will need to be comfortable working with statistics and graphs.
Good English skills will help you with the written and verbal communication required to present all your research findings. This might be in a report or in a presentation but either way your content will need to be grammatically correct and logically presented.
If you are interested in understanding how people think, can work to deadlines and have excellent communication skills, then a career as a research consultant could be for you.
It's great to see the client interacting with the results and apply them to their problem.
Pathways to this career
Subject suggestions for the HSC
Choosing your HSC subjects from this list could really help with your career. Think carefully about what you want to study after school as you might need to choose specific HSC subjects for that course and to count towards your ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank). An ATAR is your academic rank in relation to other HSC students and helps with University admission.
HSC subjects
Some subjects will count towards your ATAR, others will not. Check with your career advisor before making subject selections.
- English (Advanced or higher)
- Mathematics (General 2 or higher)
- Business Studies
- Legal Studies
What can I do after I have finished school?
University degrees
Studying one of these degrees can help with your career.
- Bachelor of Business
- Bachelor of Psychology
- Bachelor of Commerce
- Bachelor of Accounting
- Bachelor of Marketing
Suggestions
Check out The Australian Market & Social Research Society for more information
- Start searching for market research tips. These might help with future interviews or if you end up working in the role
- Get familiar with some online data systems such as Google Analytics. Digital experience will definitely be a bonus in this role
- Go to career expos and events like university Open Days for information about what you will study
