EXPERIENCE: INTERN'S PERSPECTIVE

2022-04-21

BY: Ashna Rimal, Nishna Nyachhyon, and Roshi Shrestha

We undertook a two-month internship in this market research company. The task provided was extremely interesting and rewarding. Our task was based on a project. The project was research on life insurance companies. The task started by reviewing the questionnaire followed by pre-testing. These questionnaires were translated into the Nepali language so as to ease the interviewer for data collection. A team of experienced enumerators was recruited from different parts of the country. A training session was hosted for the enumerators where they were made familiar with the questionnaire, their roles, and responsibilities.

Our main task during the internship was Quality Control. We needed to review all the data that has been sent by the enumerator. In market research, the quality of data is one of the prime concerns. Data quality must be a top priority because the quality of the report depends on the quality of data.

For the first few days of the project, the survey went well and the enumerators seemed confident. The operations were going on smoothly, but problems started to arise one after another which hindered the speed of the project. Enumerators were having a hard time convincing people. Many the respondents refrain from giving the information, whereas most of them did not exactly know about their insurance policy. Furthermore, some of the enumerators felt the need to quit, despite their effort and hardship. This completely dropped the speed of the fieldwork. This may have exceeded the project timeline but through our immense support and motivation, the enumerators picked up the pace. The right mix of planning, monitoring, and team effort helped us to get back on track.

Through our experience as interns, We were exposed to the whole market research process and all of the work that goes into creating value through research. Working in market research, one must be adaptable through the method and keep particular client objectives in mind in order to guarantee that a project is completed in a way that includes a trust for the clients. This process has many steps and often takes a lot of time. Attention to detail is important at every step of the market research process.

"Market research is more than just the data collection. We gained a new sense of professionalism and what it means to be in a professional world"