To Certify or Not to Certify, That is the Question!
The research industry is very important to me. The research community might have reached a new era with Professional Researcher Certification (PRC). A number of industries have certifications and perhaps it was time that our industry has one.
A few months ago, the The Marketing Research Association (MRA) added PRC. As a result, myself and hundreds of other researchers across the world are certified. The entire process was very easy and if you have any questions about what category to be certified under, Elyse Gammer or Jennifer Cattel can help you. Their contact information can be found at the MRA Headquarters Staff Page.
It could be said that there are a few reasons that I got certified:
- I am on the national MRA board and wanted to support the organization.
- I truly believe that the industry needs more standards. Certification really plays into that.
- I was scared to let the grandfathering time limit lapse and have to take the test!
I will admit it was a pu pu platter—a combination of all 3!
On the MRA site, part of the definition of PRC is:
Joan Burns knows all of the ins and outs of the PRC program and hopefully will post a few reasons as to why this is important to you and the industry.
Here is what I know for sure: prior to the Grandfathering deadline, you simply submit your application and résumé. Your application then goes before a review committee. If you are qualified, you will be certified. If you wait until after the deadline, you must submit your information and you will be required to past a test.
The date for becoming Grandfathered is February 28, 2007—less than 200 days away! I won’t tell you that you should sign up, but I will tell you to seriously look into it and make an educated decision.
I look forward to your thoughts.
August 30th, 2006 at 4:59 pm
I have to agree with Merrill wholeheartedly on the importance of PRC and encourage anyone who is thinking about it to act now while Grandfathering is still in effect.
Despite the fact that it may appear that we are just in the beginning stages, the behind the scenes work on development of the PRC program has been going on for years. Many well-respected leaders in market research have given freely of their time and knowledge to develop a comprehensive program that will benefit individuals at all levels. PRC is a great step toward regulating our industry and setting a strong guidelines for market research practices.
A word to the wise when you are ready to apply: The job titles may seem a bit confusing until you read the responsibilities in each. Don’t get discouraged by this. The PRC process is really very easy and there are many people in each Chapter who can help you along with the process. Look to your Chapter Presidents for advice and referral to someone in your region who knows the ins and outs of getting the forms done quickly. It will save you quite a bit of time if you ask one of the experienced individuals where you fit in the job title area.
In addition, don’t be put off simply because “you don’t have a resume” or “i’ve never worked anywhere else.” There are many other people in the same situation who have breezed through the process. Again, ask your Chapter Leaders or National for an example. I’ve personally passed mine on to serveral individuals who have similar backgrounds to mine, and they have been able easily to use it as a template.
Finally, there are many opportunities to get your “hours” in over the two year period. Don’t be concerned that you need to attend every conference in order to achieve this. (Don’t get me wrong - the MRA conferences are absolutely fabulous and the best value in the industry.) Every Chapter has great local educations days and seminars, you can take seminars over the web, and there are also many other opportunities to gather education outside of MRA and the other major organizations.
August 30th, 2006 at 9:45 pm
I believe that certification is going to continue to be an important part of our industry. Clients are going to look more and more for researchers who are well educated and informed. Since my certification, I have had numerous inquiries from fellow researchers regarding the process and value - the reaction has only been positive.
The added value to me is the motivation I have to seek out educational offerings that meet my requirements. It has made me more aware of the offerings at conferences and this has lead me to participate in some great sessions.
I am confident that this program will continue to grow and become a standard within our industry.
August 31st, 2006 at 6:01 am
We should be so proud of our industry and of MRA - I know I am!! We have gone from a kitchen table business to an industry that certifies researchers!!! MRA is the first and only association to do this. I urge you all to take it seriously and apply TODAY!!
Certification has made me more aware of the importance of continuing education, specifically in the areas that I need to focus for my business. You can take courses at industry conferences, local events and webinars.
I have added the PRC designation to my business cards, proposals, marketing materials, email, etc.
The process is not difficult. I echo Lynn’s comments above. There are many people who can help you with the process. Contact Chapter leaders, MRA headquarters or any National board member, they will be happy to help you figure out where you “fit” or answer any questions.
This is another quote I like (see previous blog):
“Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today”
Thanks MERRILL for making us all a little more aware and to appreciate the things we have right in front of us.
August 31st, 2006 at 12:19 pm
As a moderator, I travel around the country using focus group faciities. My preference is to use focus facilities that have owners/managers and other staff who are certified. Why, you might ask? The answer is: 1) I know their experience, education, participation in the research industry was evaluated by an independent review/evaluation committee and deemed worthy of certification 2)They are required to participate in ongoing, continuing education to maintain their certification and to grow as professionals. This means that in all likelihood they will learn to serve their clients better. Is it a guarantee that a certified professional will be better than a non-certified one? The answer is no; but if I were a betting person, I’d say probably. If you were looking for a financial advisor would you feel more comfortable using someone certified or not certified? When you go the pediatrician, do you want your child to see someone who is certified in pediatrics or not certified in pediatrics? Why should marketing research be any different. My clients are delighted that my experience, education and other capabilities and contributions are highly regarded by a marketing research industry association. To me, it means that the provider of services cares as much as the recipient of the services about being the best that he or she can be.
September 5th, 2006 at 9:19 am
I ditto the prior comments. Every time I hand someone my card, they ask what PRC means. It gives me a chance to explain and it adds credibility to my sales call without having to sound boastful.
PRC is a differentiator.
September 6th, 2006 at 7:19 am
I echo everything stated above, and would like to add to Jane’s perspective from the sales side.
Grandfathering into this nationally recognized certification program is a no-brainer, offering a terrific advantage for salespeople who have a background in research. To potential and current clients, they gain instant credibility, validating their role and experience within the research community. At the same time, new salespeople have the opportunity to immerse themselves in our culture, purpose and methods, thereby becoming better at their jobs and ultimately, more profitable. The end result is a larger, more educated research community, which is a tremendous benefit for us all.
September 6th, 2006 at 8:30 am
Ditto, ditto, ditto.
It’s about time! The industry and the profession debated this issue for at least 40 years, and no organization had the fortitude or foresight to do it until the MRA did. Thanks to the MRA we now have both a widely accepted world-wide training program in Marketing Research, and a professional certification program.
However, based on similar programs in other professions, I think we all need to realize that it will likely take 6 to 10 years for this certification program to proliferate throughout the profession and become a significant differentiator of professional dedication to the art and science of marketing research.
September 6th, 2006 at 4:13 pm
I was on the Task Force for Professionalism with Joan Burns and Peter Van Brunt in 2002-2003. I am so pleased that we were finally able to breath life into this concept that had been kicked around for such a long time. For me the key was not that we offer a certification, but in the process. I work for the Illinois organization that supports the Malcolm Baldridge process in our state. The shift in our national programming away from entertainment under Betsy’s regime, to professional education and development under our present guise, and the need to continuosly attend chapter and national meeetings to keep your certification up has changed the focus of our programming to research, and is driving attendance at every meeting we sponsor. As far as the MRA side of my career, it is what I am most proud of.
September 7th, 2006 at 12:17 pm
To say that I can provide an unbiased view on this subject is absurd. I have steeped myself in aiding and abetting the development process for the PRC program for the past five years. Can we now whoop and holler?
Not at all. We’re just getting warmed up!
The thrust of this program has always looked to the future of this profession. Technology has brought about several new paradigms. Today, we need all of the traditional skills. But in addition, we must not only be “up to date”; we must be on the cutting edge of these new technologies and methods. A new generation of business people and consumers will be indifferent to those traditional skills if we are not able to incorporate them into the context in which they live and work.
We want many of the best and brightest of our young people to join this profession to assure its future value. The PRC program will attract people who seek out continuing challenge, improvement, and knowlege; it will assist companies seeking able employees; it will provide clients with a measure for contracting with competent research firms.
That all said, it is up to those of us who are “old hands” in the industry to blaze the trail. I’m not sympathetic to the refrain, “I’ve been in the business for 20+ years - what can certification do for me?” Now is the time to prove yourself a marketing research life force. Be a leader; set an example for younger employees and clients. The results can only be positive for you and for the profession.
September 8th, 2006 at 9:31 am
I must admit that I was going to stay on the sidelines (given my biased perspective) in this dialog, but sometime during the night, I decided to wade in.
Let me toss up some numbers for you all, and then make a proposal. We currently have somewhere over 300 applications for PRC, and some 200+ people are already certified. That tells me that there are well of 2,000 MRA members who have yet to apply for certification, and well over 10,000 additional who receive Quirks each month who also have yet to apply.
I well appreciate all the previous comments, and you make a great argument for certification, but you are all already on board. How do we reach these others? And more important, why haven’t they already applied? Putting on my best “devil’s advocate” hat, I still can’t come up with any valid reason why someone who has practiced and continues to practice MR as a profession would pass up the opportunity to get in on this program during grandfathering.
I have spent a fair amount of time recently reviewing a portion of the questions for testing (post grandfathering), and I can tell you there are going to be a lot of people who will be kicking themselves for having let this period expire without their having applied.
This blog is titled, To Certify or Not to Certify, That is the Question!, but we have yet to hear from anyone who isn’t already certified, which brings me to my proposal.
I am certain given the numbers, that we each know at least 10 research professionals who aren’t certified, and haven’t yet applied. Let’s each send 10 (or more if you like) of them a link to this blog, and ask them to read it. Maybe a few of them will contribute, and bring us some insight as to why they have not yet applied. There is less than 6 months left to get in under the grandfathering provisions, and if they are considering the program at all, they would be foolish to miss the opportunity. Who knows, maybe they like to take tests?
September 11th, 2006 at 3:13 pm
I must admit I was somewhat on the fence about the PRC program especially after I was told that I needed a resume. Something that I have not had in about ten years. However after reading your postings I made a resume and sent in my application. I do believe now that PRC should be mandatory for all members of the MRA, this way we are all on an even playing field.