30Under30 Nominee: Natasha Girling
Great to hear from Significant Insights Global 30 under 30 nominee Natasha Girling, a Senior Insights Consultant who leads a diverse range of global insights projects that range B2B and B2C industries.
The 2024 Global 30 Under 30 List will be announced on November 29th!
So, how did you get into the industry, and take us through how you got to this point?
Having developed a keen interest in Psychology at university (committing to a degree without ever studying the subject before!) I was eager for a career that meant I could continue to learn about people, understanding why we do what we do. I knew, however, that becoming a Psychologist was not for me and during one career day where we heard from all sorts of career options, talks from insights professionals and market researchers were the ones that stuck with me.
After graduating I had several work experiences and internships, ranging from working in university Psychology departments to event marketing teams, and landed a permanent role at a market research agency in London. Building my foundations in research practice here, I knew I wanted to dig deeper into what it all meant and have more of an active role in implementing strategy based on consumer research. I worked internally at a large electricals retailer for a few years and then went back agency side post COVID and have been at One Picture since.
Why should anyone consider a career in market research, data and insights?
Working within this industry, a large part of our job is to ask questions and with every project comes an opportunity to discover something new. Talking to, and importantly, listening to different people from various walks of life is also incredibly valuable on a personal level. I’m always learning and often encouraged or challenged to view things from a different perspective.
Practically, there is a lot of breadth and choice within the industry, whatever your skills there is something for everyone and insight teams benefit from having minds that think a little differently from each other. If you are creative, or logical, numerical or a writer, studied Linguistics or Economics, there is a role for you.
Lastly, the work we do is genuinely interesting and has real impact. We ensure consumers are heard and that brands, businesses and other organisations are held accountable to consumer needs. Working within research and insight, you can see the direct results of your work.
Career paths are rarely without challenges. Can you share an honest moment from your career when things didn’t go quite according to plan, but the lessons remain with you to this day?
A role I was in turned out not to be as I had expected with challenges exacerbated by the pandemic and I wasn’t proactive expressing this to my line manager. I eventually ended up leaving the company when in hindsight, I should have made more of an effort to change some of the challenges I was facing and feel that my leaving meant I missed out on key opportunities.
The biggest lesson I learnt from this is the importance of communication and that it’s your own responsibility to ensure you have everything you need to do your job well. If you don’t tell anyone you’re struggling, nothing will change. It’s hard to admit when things aren’t going well, but sometimes the solution is obvious, you just need someone else to help you find it.
What two things should junior researchers focus on as they progress in their careers?
Firstly, take every opportunity to learn and try new things, even if it’s not directly related to what you do on a day to day basis. Whether it’s taking up a free coding course or helping a colleague on a qual project when you see yourself as more of a “quanty”. Adding a string or two to your bow is always beneficial – you never know when these skills will come in handy, but they will!
Secondly, whilst having a mentor is of course valuable, try also to build a network of peers. Look out for young researcher events and stay in touch with old colleagues or clients. Sharing experiences, ideas and challenges with someone at the same stage in your career can be incredibly helpful, insightful and reassuring.
Do you have any advice for our sector?
As an industry that is led by consumers, we need to be as agile as they are. We saw how adaptable consumers were in COVID and it led to new ways of doing research, but we shouldn’t stop there. Whether it’s large internal insight teams, or small boutique agencies, we should challenge the status quo if it’s not working for us or our clients – just because something has “always been done this way” doesn’t mean we should continue with it. We should embrace new ideas and new methodologies with critical thinking to ensure how we learn about consumers is reflective of how they behave in the real world.
And do you have anyone who has helped your career so far that you’d like to acknowledge and say thanks or give a shout out to?
I have been incredibly fortunate with the number of people who have been generous with their time, advice, and guidance throughout my career. Everyone from work experience at aged 15, up until now, has given me something valuable to take away. There are a few names to mention specifically, though.
Leila Siassipour, my manager in my first “proper job” out of university who provided me with so much knowledge on how the world of work operates and how to advocate for myself.
Redouane Chaalal, for answering my endless amount of questions, with incredible patience.
John Mackie and Mark Hamilton who elevated my commercial knowledge and understanding. Their trust in me as a more junior colleague was invaluable to building my confidence.
And lastly, Jennifer Calvey, who always has my back, supports my ideas and challenges me to reach my full potential as an insights professional and strategist.
