Lessons Learned During My Internship & First Year Working for a Chicago Market Research Firm

Last summer, I started a market research internship at C+R Research focusing on quantitative research services. That experience was the springboard to my career as a researcher. I look back now at the value of the experience from my internship coupled with the professional maturity that I am continuing to develop in my current role as an associate analyst. I have gotten the chance to work on multiple teams and gain a better perspective of the industry as a whole. During the time that I’ve been here thus far, my role and the experience have taught me key business lessons in communication, organization, and putting my best work forward. C+R hires high-quality talent who are always available to provide mentorship and guidance. I am very fortunate for the connections and professional relationships I have gained here and how they helped shape my internship and transition into the corporate world. 

The most important thing I have learned from my experience working at C+R Research is always to put your best work forward. When putting in the effort to push yourself to do your best work, it builds trust with your team and strengthens the efficiency of each workday.  This helped me keep projects moving forward because I was able to avoid simple mistakes. The second thing I learned was how important it is to build connections and relationships with coworkers. Being an intern is the perfect opportunity to grow and be a valuable resource to the company; so it is important to build connections with others. Doing so will make you feel comfortable asking for help or being there for others when they have a question, issue, or need someone to lean on. The last valuable lesson I learned was always to continue to challenge myself. Growing as an individual and in a career would never happen if you always stayed in your comfort zone. I found that it’s important always to volunteer to help the team wherever I can. It’s good to help out regardless if it is something new or something I have less knowledge in. Putting yourself out there and going after that challenge will help you learn, grow, and gain newfound confidence in the work you do. It’s an opportunity to understand strengths and weaknesses and to find what you are passionate about.

My experience at C+R Research as an intern was nothing but positive, and I am happy to say that working here full-time is nothing different. The quality of work and company culture make this company a great place to start my career, and I am optimistic about my future at this company.