The pathway
How you actually get there, here
How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.
- 1
University Graduate (Marketing/Business/Social Sciences)
0-1 year post-graduationSkills to master
- Basic data cleaning, survey programming, report population, understanding of marketing fundamentals.
You're ready to move on when
- Successfully completed a university dissertation or major project involving data collection and analysis.
- Completed an internship in a marketing or research department.
- Demonstrated strong academic performance in quantitative modules.
- 2
Administrative Assistant with Data Responsibilities
1-2 years in previous roleSkills to master
- Organisational skills, attention to detail, basic Excel, communication with internal stakeholders.
You're ready to move on when
- Regularly handled and organised data in their previous role.
- Expressed a clear interest in moving into a more analytical function.
- Taken initiative to learn basic data tools or concepts in their own time.
- 3
Market Research Fieldwork Coordinator
1-2 years in fieldworkSkills to master
- Understanding of survey logistics, respondent recruitment, data collection challenges, basic project management.
You're ready to move on when
- Managed fieldwork for multiple research projects.
- Demonstrated an understanding of how data quality impacts insights.
- Expressed a desire to move from data collection to data analysis.


