How to Land a Job in Market Research and Insights: Lessons from Top Search Consultants

Editor’s Note: This article is adapted from two episodes of The Greenbook Podcast. For more insider advice on how to land a job in market research and insights, listen to the full conversations with executive search consultants Matt O'Mara and Joanna Byerley here and here. 

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There was a time when a career in market research followed a relatively predictable path.

Researchers developed expertise in methodology, statistics, and survey design. They advanced through increasingly senior roles, managed larger teams, and eventually moved into leadership positions.

Today, that path looks very different.

In separate conversations on The Greenbook Podcast, Matt O'Mara, President of Cranbrook Search Consultants, and Joanna Byerley, founder of Talent Pools AI, offered perspectives from the front lines of talent, hiring, and career development. While their backgrounds differ, both describe an industry where technical expertise alone is no longer enough and where adaptability has become one of the most valuable career assets a professional can possess.

Market Research Job Trends: Lessons from Matt O'Mara

As a recruiter specializing in insights and analytics talent, Matt O'Mara has a unique view of how hiring priorities have changed.

The traditional foundations of market research remain important, but they are no longer what separates top candidates from the rest.

"I would say that some of the skills that we were all taught and that are still being taught, you know, statistics, differences in methodology and questionnaire design and those sorts of things, those are all table stakes now."

Current Trends in the Insights Job Market

O'Mara argues that researchers can no longer rely solely on technical competence to advance their careers.

"Really, you have to know your stuff. You've got to have those social science skills in order to operate. But they're not really differentiators anymore."

Instead, the professionals gaining influence are those who can connect insights to business decisions.

"We need to be able to provide a point of view. Need to be strategically conversant, right? We've got to be able to provide a point of view and strategy input because otherwise, you're just a data provider and you're going to be replaced really rapidly."

Throughout his career advising both employers and candidates, O'Mara has observed growing demand for professionals who can communicate, persuade, and drive action.

For O'Mara, generating insights is only half the job. Researchers must also be capable of overcoming organizational resistance and helping stakeholders act on what the data reveals.

"Nothing is worse than spending all this time and money to collect information and to gather information only to see it just left on the floor and not incorporated into actual action."

Building a Network for Career Growth

His advice extends beyond skills development. O'Mara encourages professionals to actively build relationships throughout their careers.

"I say, 'Guys, first of all, just start networking.'"

That network becomes increasingly important as hiring markets fluctuate and career opportunities emerge through personal connections rather than job postings alone.

Building Careers in the Age of AI: Insights from Joanna Byerley

While O'Mara focuses on how hiring expectations are changing, Joanna Byerley focuses on a broader transformation: the impact of AI on career development itself.

From her perspective, the future of work will be far less structured than many professionals expect.

"Your career is not going to be linear anymore. It will be less like a ladder and more like a lattice."

Rather than climbing a predictable hierarchy, future professionals may move between disciplines, functions, and emerging specialties throughout their careers.

Part of that shift is being driven by artificial intelligence.

"But you know, we're not only having the jobs that we are having replaced, if you like, AI is creating new roles that didn't exist, say, two years ago."

One example she highlights is the emergence of professionals who can bridge the gap between AI outputs and business decisions. New roles are showing up that we’ve not seen in our industry before the current AI disruption. For example, "AI Insight Strategist... someone who can translate AI outputs into business decisions."

How to Stand Out in Today’s Market Research Recruitment

Yet despite rapid technological advancement, Byerley believes the most valuable human capabilities remain uniquely human.

When asked what AI will never replace, her answer was immediate: Judgment.

"The answer is judgment because this is one capability that is becoming more valuable as AI gets better, the human ability to weigh context, risk, nuance and ethics."

That perspective has also changed how organizations evaluate talent. Increasingly, employers are looking for candidates who can thrive amid uncertainty rather than simply follow established processes.

"A lot of clients who come to me now ask for candidates who will be able to thrive in ambiguity."

Essential Skills for the AI Era

As AI automates routine tasks, Byerley argues that organizations must accelerate professional development, teaching strategic communication and stakeholder management skills much earlier in employees' careers than they traditionally have.

A Shared Message for the Next Generation

Although O'Mara and Byerley approach job coaching from different perspectives, their conclusions are remarkably similar. Neither believes technical expertise is enough on its own.

Both emphasize the importance of communication, strategic thinking, business understanding, and human judgment. Both see AI as a force that will reshape jobs, but not eliminate the need for talented professionals. And both encourage researchers to continuously evolve rather than rely on skills that once guaranteed career advancement.

Perhaps Byerley summarizes the future best: "I think that the businesses and the person who will adapt the best is someone who can embrace this convergence."

For insights professionals, that convergence means blending research expertise with strategy, analytics, communication, technology, and business leadership.

The career paths ahead may be less predictable than those of previous generations. But as both guests suggest, they may also offer more opportunities than ever before for those willing to adapt.