3 Questions with Uyen Chu, A’22, Research Analyst at Ipsos North America

Welcome to “3 Questions with …”, a recurring feature on the Career Center blog. We’re asking alumni of all graduation years and career interests to share a bit of their experiences and advice. 

Uyen Chu, ’22, Research Analyst at Ipsos North America

1. In just a few sentences, please tell us about your current job/graduate program/vocational endeavor.

I am a Research Analyst at Ipsos, a global market research and consulting firm. I am specifically on the Oncology team in the Healthcare segment, where I actively work on multiple stages for 3 ongoing research projects for some of the biggest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Some of my daily work can look like quality checking survey data, communicating with vendors and clients, writing up a report, or sitting in on focus groups.

2. How did your time at Tufts influence your career journey?

At Tufts I majored in Psychology, specifically focusing on social psych, so healthcare was something completely out of left field for me. But due to the numerous valuable research experiences ranging from Psych research, to business, to child studies, I was able to translate my skills to this new field. My managers felt that my non-marketing experiences helped me tackle projects from a fresh perspective. Furthermore, as I got to experience working with different research managers and experience a variety of managing methods at Tufts, it helped me communicate to my current research managers how I work best, how I like to receive feedback, and what research skills I want to improve on.

3. What advice would you offer to a student who wants to pursue a career path like yours?

In market research, having a good balance between analytical and interpersonal skills are crucial. Since I came from a research background, I felt confident manipulating, analyzing, and interpreting data, but stumbled greatly when it came to working with consumers and getting into the consumer mindset. At the end of the day, the data that you are working with come from real people who all have such different lives, therefore finding ways to connect with people in interview settings, manipulating with data and being cognizant of the why in their responses, and reflecting on your own experiences when interpreting data are so important. A good market researcher can balance analytical tasks, working with diverse data sources, and be friendly all at the same time.

About the Organization

Ipsos is one of the world’s leading independent market research companies controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a global research group with a presence in 89 countries. Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

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By Malakia Silcott
Malakia Silcott Associate Director