Vancouver Forum: Market Research Jobs in Vancouver - Vancouver Forum

Ipsos-Reid formerly known as Angus-Reid. Try there.http://www.ipsos-na.com/careers/

Nick, if you want to pursue a marketing career GO TO TORONTO. Let me repeat in case the soft lapping waves on Kits Beach are distracting you GO TO TORONTO. Although there is some niche marketing activity in Van, it will probably be ten times as hard to get a job in Van than Toronto. And, personally, I think you will find Toronto a challenge as an "outsider". I'm not saying don't do it, I'm saying go to where your chances are best, once you get something, you can TRY and move West in a year or two.

I can see Toronto may be the better option for jobs in general - but I meant Market Research jobs specifically (not marketing). Do you Canadians know if there are a lot of smaller sized agencies out there that do ad hoc /smaller scale projects? In England there are a lot of smaller sized agencies spread out over the country, it's just the large ones that are in London. Once I've got some experience under my belt I should be a lot more employable to a smaller agency where they have to make less of an initial investment in my learning.Thanks,Nick.

Vancouver is not an ideal town in which to conduct market research as the population mix (ethnic, social, etc) does not reflect the rest of the country. Even though you are looking at research specifcally, these companies tend to cluster around the marketing companies, which is Toronto. Canada has far fewer cities than Britain, and they tend to be a few thousand kilometers apart.Have you looked on www.workopolis.ca yet? Anyway, good luck, and if you insist on BC, good luck and miracles.

I'm from Vancouver and moved to Toronto last August. Let me tell you, most of the market research jobs are here in Toronto. Vancouver tends to be where smaller market research firms are, usually only a few people and if there are career openings, they are looking for someone with at least 5-7 years experience. Bigger firms in Toronto conduct a lot of cross-country research and Vancouver is usually on their list of stops. I have had quite a bit of luck with respect to getting interviews (keep your fingers crossed on getting the actualy job) here in Toronto at a more junior level. Just to name a few companies in Toronto or the nearby:-Decima Research-AC Nielson-Youthography-IFOP-in-syncI love Vancouver and will most likely move back and settle there but first I need to get some solid experience behind me. Toronto is an O.k. city, definitely not Vancouver but definitely more job opportunities in market research. Best of luck!

Ipsos Reid is the biggest name here in Vancouver and there are a few others, but as someone who is 22 and not Canadian, let me send you a message in case you didn't get it yet...GO TO TORONTO.Seriously.The Vancouver market is picking apples in the desert. The Toronto market is an orchard in September.

The advice to go to Toronto for Market Research job is very valid. I have worked in Market Research for l4 years in Vancouver, all of those years in my home office. I have worked steadily and am now working part time by choice. I work in both Qualitative and Quantative areas.Overall the market here is very different to the British market. I'm British..... The population in Britain is double that of Canada and that makes a big difference to the amount of goods that are produced overall. You can contact the Professional Society for Market Research in Canadaat http://www.pmrs-aprm.com/ They have chapters across Canada but the main action is in Toronto. When I first started working in Market Research in Vancouver, thebusiness was very small and there were very few facilities available and the outlines for the industry in general were not developed.This has changed now and guidelines are in place that work muchbetter and are being developed as time passes. These guidelines are available on the PSMRS website. Courses are being offered in Colleges for many aspects of the business and also by the PMRS themselves. A huge Market Research Convention was held in Vancouver a couple of years ago and was very successful. One of Canada's oldest research companies, Research House was sold to an American company called Environics five years ago leaving a gap in the industry on the West Coast.

http://www.onemancan...rainbow.htmlWas written about the experiences of immigrants to Vancouver... not that it is impossible but it has proven difficult for many newcomers. Best wishes, Lee

Market Research Recruitment Agencies in Toronto:

OK!  Well, nearly 8 months down the line from my original post and a lot has happened.  Have resigned my Market Research job in London, UK and am moving to Toronto in 5 weeks time!  Decided to take the advice on Toronto as far as Market Research jobs are concerned - definitely seemed to make sense after I did further internet research on jobs in that area.

One thing I'd like to take further advice on are Recuitment Agencies.  In the UK, there are a lot of agencies that specialise in particular fields.  I got my present job through an agency that specialised in Market Research jobs - and found it a great way to get put forward for interviews etc.  When you just send your CV to a company there is always the danger that they will ignore you and put you at the bottom of a huge pile of applicants - I much prefer having some momentum - keeps you motivated in your job search.

Does anyone know of an agency in Toronto that specialises in recuiting for Market Research jobs?  Or else, any advice on going about a job search.  Workopolis depresses me greatly.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Nick.

Good for you Nick!  I moved from Toronto and now live in Vancouver.  I want to get into marketing as it is my true passion and the opportunites out West are next to none!  I can't wait to move back to Toronto or NYC next year!  You made an excellent choice by not coming to Vancouver -- you saved your career from diminishing!!!

Don't bother coming to Vancouver. My experience has been bad to say the least. I moved here from Ontario 2 years ago with a Masters degree in the social sciences with an emphasis on quantitative research and economics.

Two years I am

working in market research but it has been a continous struggle to make a go of it in this city. What you will find in Vancouver is that it is a very tight community. All of the major players live in West Van and they hold all the real power in the city. Everybody else in the corporate world that I meet is running around like a rat in a cage. I suspect that my time in Vancouver is coming close to an end as living here for two years and clawing my way into a position as a consultant working downtown has felt like about 10 years. If I stay here any longer I'll probably drop dead of a heart attack. And believe me, this is common. I live in Burnaby and in my building alone, an older place, there are at least 3 MBA graduates that moved here from other cities but haven't been able to break into the networks of power and influence in this city. Don't come here. Thats my advice. Two years later I'm still trying to figure out how such a beautiful place can be such a hell.

hey guys,

i am from van.  went to university in ontario.  graduated last year.  i wanna move back to ontario for work. 

i have my b comm in hospitality and tourism mgmt....most of my experiences are in the food & beverage and hotel side.  think i could get a market research job?  what about PKF consulting?  anything else u may suggest? 

If there are no jobs in Vancouver and too many qualified professionals, it means you need to start your own business and take advantage of the cheap professional labour due to saturated supply ;0

My advice to all those graduates, masters, PHDs that are coming to van. Welcome~!!

Bring about CAD2000. Buy a push trolley, gas stove, some sauages, sauces, bread and start selling hot dogs on granville or robson street. Hey, don't laugh. You will thank me in the future.

Just back to my original thought - does anyone have any advice for how to go about getting into a Market Research job in Toronto?

In the UK I would use one of the many recruitment agencies that specialise in this field (which got me my current job), but after many google searches I am unaware of anything equivalent in Toronto.  Doing cold calls and submitting CVs to Workapolis in the hope that someone one day might read it is such a depressing way to go about getting a job.

Also, any general suggestions for networking in this area would be great

Cheers,
Nick.

anyone?

I'm actually thinking of moving to Toronto after a year as well. I was in Vancouver after my Master's in Economics, and did about 8 months in a research centre. Looking for a full time job was hell, and it never turned out even though Vancouver was an amazing city. I'm a market analyst now in Calgary, but plan to leave as soon as an opportunity arises. Toronto should be the next stop, 5 years I'll stay there perhaps and then back to Vancouver or New York hopefully

ANY MINISTRY OF HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT (THEY ARE EVERYWHERE... CHECK THE WHITE PAGES IN THE TORONTO PHONE BOOK UNDER PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OR CALL 1-800-ONTARIO, IT'S TOLL FREE, ONCE YOU'RE HERE) WILL BE ABLE TO POINT YOU TO AGENCIES THAT WOULD ASSIST YOU IN GETTING A M/R JOB. In fact, the HR Dept will probably be able to help you themselves.  They are also the place that you need to go to get your Social Insurance Number (SIN) card once you're here.  You will need the card to work in Canada and to pay taxes (yay!) it's the first thing that any employer will ask from you.   

Hey Nick,
  I hope you're doing well in Toronto. If you're still looking...check out Decima Research's website. They're always looking for people. (I know cuz that's where I work). 
Contact me at leeann03@hotmail.com if you have any questions. Also, check out Ipsos-Reid's website. They appear to have quite a few jobs in Toronto at the moment. 
Recruitment agencies here arn't like they are elsewhere. They seem to be the crap jobs that companies cant' fill. I think you're better off doing your own REAL job search. Use agencies for temp. jobs for needed money.
Lee-Ann

I am looking for a great Market Research Manager in Vancouver. I'm having difficulties because everyone is in Toronto.  I work for Playground, an Intrawest Company.  sfrench@playgorund.com
Anyone have any ideas?

That would be sfrench@playground.com

Nick, hope Toronto was a success for you. I myself came from London, UK to Toronto, and the city does offer many opportunities, especially when you are young.

It has been a while since the last posting on this topic, so thought to take the initiative ...

With the upcoming Olympics, have the opportunities to find work in market research field improved in Vancouver area? I would anticipate so, but would be interested to find out from those with first hand experience.

Also, for those Vancouverites, is there such a thing as W/L balance on the West coast?

Wish I had read this earlier... I have had over 5 years of Market Research experience - both client and supplier side... now I just got a job that pays $8 an hr... :( I used to get paid more than 3X that

Tony are you in Vancouver now? 

Hey I'm moving to Vanouver to work in MR this November. I've got a job sorted already (internal transfer) but my boyfreind is just starting to look. Just wondering if there have been any changes in the market since this thread started, if anyone's got any good tips/advice/jobs ... and also I'm nosey so i wondered what was going on with the original posters and whether they were still in MR.

I'm a 22 year old British guy, recently graduated from University, and now working for a Market Research company in London (UK).I plan get about a years experience before moving to Vancouver Summer/Autumn 2005 (in the hope that this will stand me in good stead). I was born in Canada (so have dual British-Canadian citizenship) and have just applied for a Canadian passport, so I won't have any trouble with VISAs and the like. I've also got a good educational background; a 2.1 degree from a good university etc. My tentative plan is to fly over with some saved up £-sterling, find an apartment and perhaps get a stop-gap job to tide me over while looking for a career-job.I was hoping someone on here could give me advice on finding a job in Market Research. In the UK all the big agencies are in London and it's where one has to go to start a career in the industry. I was just wondering how things are in Canada, obviously it's very different geographically to Britain, and so I was wondering whether certain types of jobs tend to be more common to particular Canadian cities. I would like to live in Vancouver though! I don't necessarily have to get a job working for a MR agency - it could be on the client side buying research for an advertising agency etc etc. I'm young and want to get some experience under my belt without narrowing future possibilities. Any specialist recruitment agencies/firms people could recommend?Any comments would be much appreciated!Thanks,Nick.