If there's one thing I've learnt... Humayun Rashid

Careers advice from research practitioners. This month: Humayun Rashid, customer research manager, Citigroup

The best advice I got… is not to make too many assumptions.


Always bear in mind… that your research is only as good as the improvements a business makes on the back of it.


You know you're doing well when… your recommendations have improved a product or added value to a brand.


Don't underestimate… a company's ability to turn things around. Apple was unrecognisable ten years ago compared to the pillar of consumer aspiration that it is today.


A career in market research offers you… the responsibility of being the link between the customer and the boardroom.


If I hadn't been a researcher… I would have liked to have had a go at Barack Obama-style celebrity politics. Realistically, I'd probably have been a lifelong servant of the Ford Motor Company, where my career began.


You should really read… the business news every day. You can get so engrossed in research that you ignore the economic factors that impact on companies and their customers.


Don't worry about… making mistakes. 


The test of a great researcher is… someone who can have an intelligent conversation about the products, brands and business processes of their clients.


Young researchers should… be focused on understanding the industries they work in.


The worst advice I got… was to keep doing the same projects year after year as 'that's what we've always done'. The world is has changed so much and the way we plan our research should reflect the markets we operate in.


Keep asking yourself… what value are you or your client extracting out of each project you do?


If only this industry could be… more focused on providing real ROI, it would strengthen its case for more of the marketing budget.


I'll never forget… seeing my recommendations on billboard ads and on television – I jokingly told myself that I'd finally made it.

October | 2008