Re: tell us about your job
What do you do?
Public Affairs Research Consultant at a consulting firm on Bay Street in Toronto. I do everything from statistical analysis using SPSS to making presentations to client relations to helping run focus groups to creating questionnaires. I have my hand in at least 7 different projects at a time and I'm project leader on usually 3-4 projects at a time.
Do you like it? Most of the time it is very challenging and engaging work.
What makes you in particular well-suited or poorly-suited for your work? My skillset is perfect for my job. I have a strong background in politics/public policy, so I understand the basic issues we look at every day in a broader sense. I have excellent research skills, as I worked as a research assistant for two years in my Bachelor's degree. I write very well and type quickly so I can meet the sometimes brutal deadlines (especially for media). I also have good 'boardroom presence' which is an important part of client relations. And a good sense of humour, which is important in any profession that involves schmoozing.
What kind of people do best in your work? Smart people who can talk about public policy who are good shmoozers, good writers and can run a set of numbers and understand it easily.
What qualifications are necessary for people considering work in the same field as you? Everyone else at my office is 25+, has an advanced degree in public policy, economics or business and 3-5 years work experience. I am 22 with an Honours degree in political science from a top school and good research experience, and a semester's worth of credits at UChicago where I dropped out of my MA. I lucked out big time.
What is a typical day like? Coffee to start at 9am, browse 2p2, meetings. Client calls. Running data analysis, writing questionnaires, lunch, 2p2, contacting the media, billing clients, writing syndicated reports, 2p2, content analysis and writing, go home around 7pm.
What kind of problems do you encounter? Very very tight deadlines and overload of projects.
What are the biggest (most common) sources of frustration and elation? The timelines can be difficult. Getting projects in the media is always fun (I just had a four page spread of a poll I did in a major syndicated magazine. I also regularly publish polls in Canada's major newspapers.)
How much do you make? Low for Bay Street but I get paid more than anyone else in my age cohort I know.
How much can one expect to make in your position? low six figures
|