Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Award finalist Joyce Chunkam, senior research manager, Talk Shoppe
Editor's note: Joyce Chuinkam, Talk Shoppe, was selected as a finalist of the 2022 Outstanding Young Researcher Award which is a category in the Marketing Research and Insight Excellence Awards. To find out more about the awards click here.
What is your secret to a good work ethic?
My secret to a good work ethic starts with my mental and physical health. I have nonnegotiables to have a good day which includes daily meditation and physical activity – whatever that might look like and however short. When I first joined the workforce, I was told these were a luxury, especially when on the road for qualitative studies. Now, I realize they are essential. If my mind and body are not right, I will be doing my colleagues and company a disservice, especially when on the road moderating. Fortunately, I work for a company that appreciates and celebrates this.
Describe how you got into marketing research.
While at the University of Southern California for my master's, a professor I was working with in the Innovation Lab noticed my interest in qualitative research and put me in touch with a former student of hers who was working in the London office of Lieberman Research Worldwide. When I went to London for my graduation from the London School of Economics that summer – I was in a dual master's at USC and LSE – and I met with her former student, Roy, to learn more about the industry. Within weeks, I interviewed for a research assistant role and started working on July 25 that year. It felt like it was all meant to be.
What are your goals as a researcher?
I have personal development goals I’d like to attain as a moderator and a writer within the industry. I hope to work on a variety of projects across industries, continuing to learn new things and challenge myself. Beyond research itself, I’d love to spread the word about the market research industry among less represented communities. It’d be great to have a variety of moderators respondents can open up to on various topics as our clientele expands and diversifies. Since I had never heard of the industry until my final weeks in grad school, I know that many who would be an excellent, natural fit might also be missing out.