Fake jobs, fake excuses
The Quirk’s Q Report looks into a range of topics including hiring trends and shifts in employment. Quirk’s has collected unemployment data from 2017-2024, excluding 2020 due to COVID-19. Out of those unemployed in 2024, 93% were actively seeking employment while 7% were not. Those unemployed have been so for an average of eight months and 65% have looked for roles outside of the research industry.
Unemployment demographics
Over half of those unemployed (54%) are between the ages of 36-55. Two percent are under 25, 19% are 25-35 years old, 22% are 56-65 years old and 2% are 66 or older. Nearly two-thirds of those unemployed are women (64%), with men making up 33%.
The top resources used by job seekers
LinkedIn was the most helpful platform, used by 99% of unemployed respondents. Industry virtual groups (59%), recruiters (59%), industry job boards (56%) and virtual events (39%) were also helpful when searching for a job. Thirty-one percent found association resources beneficial while others turned to in-person industry events (23%).
Others have taken advantage of their personal networks by contacting former colleagues while others say they’ve visited Facebook groups and company job boards and websites.
The challenges of finding employment in the marketing research industry
Many qualified job candidates find it difficult not only to find a new role, but also to make initial contact to secure an interview with a company they don’t have a previous connection with.
Too many applicants for too few positions. Which is probably the most common answer among job seekers. Hard to break through the clutter and when it does happen, there seems to be a lack of urgency to make hires.
Huge amount of competition for every role so most of the time I don't think anyone even looks at my application.
Playing the numbers game. While there are opportunities, there seems to also be a large candidate pool.
Increased number of unemployed people. Oversaturated market.
Hundreds of applications and I hear nothing back.
The amount of unemployed talent is very high, so competition is great. Demand is MUCH higher than supply. Also, for us who want to work for a brand, agencies suck up so much of the work in our industry.
There are over 400 applying to one posting.
To paraphrase one respondent: The jobs just aren't out there.
Researchers have started to tailor their résumés to the roles they are applying to and have tried to stand out by writing cover letters showing their enthusiasm. Many say the interview processes are complicated and they often are left in the dark. While many have spent plenty of time adjusting their applications – and expectations – respondents believe you must have a connection with someone at a company to get a foot in the door.
I have found it incredibly hard to even get an interview without having an "in" at a company no matter how hard I work to match my résumés to job descriptions and use key words. There's so little transparency in the process and even once in contact with the company I have been ghosted countless times by HR teams. It feels incredibly unprofessional at times and frustrating.
Ghosting/being ignored by connections, recruiters and HR. Your application goes into a black hole and you never hear back.
While I am able to get interviews and am sometimes in the final, companies seem to be extremely specific. If there is someone with that specific experience, they are prioritized, even if from an interpersonal perspective I would be their choice.
Not enough genuine opportunities. Extremely lengthy and convoluted interview processes.
Capturing the attention of recruiters and getting the first foot in the door, especially if you are looking for market research-adjacent roles or don't have exactly the background in the job description (but still feel confident in being successful at the job).
Getting an interview and passing an interview as there seems to be more supply than demand in the current market situation.
I have had trouble landing interviews and with ghosting. Employers can screen you and you can have initial interviews and they don't get back to you either way.
How saturated the seeker market is. I’ve been told a few times for roles I have applied to that they have received over 900 applicants. Unless you know someone there is no way to stand out.
Some respondents believe the roles they are applying to are not real and fear they are competing with bots.
Every vendor in the market research industry is posting fake jobs to look like they are growing. If they aren’t posting fake jobs, they are posting jobs in hopes they win a big piece of business and then not filling it if they don’t get the business. I know dozens of people in the industry who have run into these issues with multiple companies. It’s making so many of us want to leave the industry and making job hunting insanely hard. I know reports are coming out saying this is happening in many fields but it seems market research is one of the worst hit. Also, some of these professional networking organizations are giving detrimental, outdated advice. Those who know, know. But they aren’t helping the industry. There’s a reason so many of the truly great people are retiring or taking a step back.
Getting a résumé even noticed in what appears to be an endless sea of bots and competition.
Companies are unreliable. Many job postings are not real openings. I had many interviews cancelled because the company decided to not hire for the role anymore. It's really a waste of time and energy.
Companies have started to implement different AI-based technologies and new application-tracking systems, leading some job seekers to struggle to navigate the tech and make it through the initial filter.
HR at hiring companies having the time and adequate resources to filter candidates. There are many openings but also many applicants, making for chaos as HR looks for the right candidates. And AI seems to be making the résumé review worse, not better, based on what I've seen.
The heavy usage of AI [applicant tracking systems] in filtering out highly qualified individuals. Add on the use of assessments prior to speaking with the HR recruiter, then follow-up assessments before a video interview. That’s if you actually get through the ATS platform with your résumé, which you have spent hours tweaking to ensure you score high on the résumé scanner sites. Automatic e-mail rejections within a minute of applying for a role, knowing that a physical person did not review your qualifications. Jobs that you spoke to recruiters about are continuously reposted, yet you are ghosted by HR. It’s a very different environment than three years ago when I was researching a new role.
Older respondents say their age is a challenge when applying to roles they are qualified for.
In my case, age appears to be the most significant roadblock. I interviewed with nearly 30 organizations. Each opportunity went through the complete interview process, including at least five interview rounds. Many interviews concluded with a meeting with senior leaders such as the CMO or the COO. To date, I have yet to be selected to fill a vacancy. There appears to be a lot of interest in my experience and expertise but there is no appetite for a 62-year-old expert.
Age. I am constantly told I’m too experienced. This is positioned as concern, I will be bored or not challenged or not utilizing my full capabilities. I also see many job descriptions that ask for deep experience in a specific category and people management experience and then suggest applicants have five years of experience. They want everything but aren’t willing to pay for it.
Not sure how heavy ageism is right now, but certainly tough for long-tenured research leaders to find a good fit.
Ageism. I have 25 years of amazing experience in market research with the world's biggest entertainment companies as well as other industries. I get interviews with network contracts, the hiring manager is younger than me, but the interview goes great. Then they either say "You were amazing, but we have other great candidates" or "This position is below you, I'll let you know if something more appropriate comes along." Clear age discrimination.
Honestly, my age. On top of my executive-level experience, I prepared to stay relevant in my 50s by implementing AI to develop insights for premier brands. But still, I am finding it hard to even get interviews. I have come to the conclusion that even AI experience does not make a 57-year-old female a desirable hire.
What’s working in your job search?
Contacting connections has helped the job search process. Respondents have reached out to former colleagues, LinkedIn contacts and employees from companies they are interested in working for in hopes of making a breakthrough.
My network has been very supportive but I'm still unemployed. But networking seems more encouraging than submitting e-mails online that seem to go into an abyss.
Networking with others and with people higher up in the target company.
I send a letter of introduction directly to either the hiring manager or senior leader in talent acquisition via e-mail. I identify a contact via a search on Linked Premium and then use e-mail finder by Hunter to locate the correct e-mail address. This approach is significantly more effective than leveraging LinkedIn messaging.
Leveraging my network at companies where I see openings.
Continuing to reach out to every contact I have at companies I would like to work for. It certainly doesn't work all the time but has a far better success rate than just applying online.
Getting more focused about my desired role and business criteria. Reaching out to reconnect with older contacts e.g., former colleagues. Developing new networking strategies to broaden my connections. Commiserating and brainstorming with others in the same boat.
Getting referrals, people looking out for me.
Being open to other roles has also helped people stay afloat in difficult times.
Connecting with old colleagues and using my own network. Focusing on freelance to get a foot in the door.
Being open to contract roles has been a lifesaver.
Expanding to both mid- and higher-level positions, looking for remote opportunities.
Expanding my search to other industries.
Others have advanced in their job search by looking through job boards and company websites.
I have gotten a few interviews applying to postings on job boards, so my résumé seems to be working.
Recruiters reaching out via LinkedIn after identifying my profile on the platform.
Going to specific company websites that I'm interested in working for instead of going through other job board sites.
I've had the best luck with opportunities represented by headhunters. Otherwise, targeting my résumé and cover letter to the position and paying special attention to ATS, now powered by AI, seems critical – even though I don't yet have enough confirmation on whether I've been successful with passing ATS screening.
What’s not working in your job search?
Job seekers are still figuring out which methods are the most effective but have found job boards challenging.
Submitting to job posts. Recruiters haven’t been helpful. Some have mentioned jobs that don’t exist (after talking to employee contacts at the company) and others are so focused on unicorn candidates or those with a narrow-focused background (vs. valuing diversity of experience which often brings better thinking).
Applying through job search portals or LinkedIn. It's been better, somewhat, applying directly on the company website.
Applying for jobs online – seems like these just go into a void and you never get any feedback about why you were or weren't selected for an interview.
Submitting applications to job boards has not been as successful due to the number of candidates.
I have not yet identified a specific strategy that is working. I do know that even compared to a few years ago when I was last on the market – and secured a position I saw in the Quirk's job listings – there are many, many more applicants for each position. Some of the positions I have seen on LinkedIn will have a number of applicants well into four figures.
Algorithms have taken any human component out of the job search process – which means it is about key words, not skills, and very talented people are being discarded really early in the process.
Some say it is challenging to connect with companies without already having a contact there. Applicants have also struggled to get a response from recruiters.
I have submitted nearly 185 applications and have heard back from roughly 30% of positions I’ve applied to with a rejection. I’ve gotten an interview from five and haven’t heard back from the remainder at all.
Recruiters not responding or actively posting a job so you have an actual chance of the right person seeing your résumé.
Continuing to just apply online without a connection. I've received maybe two interviews in the last six months from applications to jobs where I did not have an "in" and recommendation at the company.
Job applicants say finding time to apply to roles and positions that fit their skill sets is not working in their favor.
Applying to many jobs that only fit my skill set peripherally. I’ve gotten zero interviews from doing so.
I'm finding plenty of job postings; I have 272 open tabs at the moment, the vast majority of which are related to my job search. The trouble is, it takes so long to actually read through and cognitively process each job posting to determine if it's worth my time to apply and even then, to actually apply. If I have to answer a bunch of additional questions (like what interests me about the company, or to explain my experience with XYZ) as part of the application and/or if the application requires a cover letter, it often ends up being such a high barrier to entry that I don't end up applying. I'll often intend to circle back a little later to do all that work, but in reality, I don't actually get back to it, or worse, I'll circle back a week or two later and find that the position is now closed. It's frustrating: Job applications require a LOT of heavy cognitive load kind of work, even with AI helping out, and it can be really exhausting. Throw in a pretty severe case of ADHD, and some days it feels pretty hopeless.
When I do get an interview, I am told after a few rounds they decided to go with someone with more experience, but then the job is reposted in the next week or so. It seems like the experience required for specific jobs are also priced extremely low based on my experience level and jobs I’ve been interviewing for.
Casting a broad net, I am very flexible and an agile learner and can adapt to pretty much any industry (I have done this twice) but convincing hiring managers of this doesn’t seem to work.
Created new barriers
The job search experience in marketing research reveals a paradox: while technology has made it easier to apply for positions, it has also created new barriers between qualified candidates and potential employers. Job seekers who have found success are those who have managed to bypass automated systems through networking and direct contact with decision-makers. This suggests that while the industry continues to evolve, the human element remains crucial in making meaningful employment connections.
Methodology
The Q Report work life and salary and compensation study of end-client/corporate researchers is based on data gathered from an invite-only online survey sent to pre-qualified marketing research subscribers of Quirk’s. The survey was fielded from June 17 to July 23, 2024. In total we received 1,504 usable qualified responses, of which 502 were from end-client researchers with 126 respondents indicating they were unemployed. (Not all respondents answered all questions.)