Although both academia and market research revolve around research, that is almost where the similarities stop…

• Deadlines are very quick in market research and they are non-negotiable. 
• In market research you can be more creative with data visualisation as you’re not restricted by journal rules or formatting styles
• Work hours are less flexible in market research than in academia (although there is still flexibility!)
• Academics get to attend a lot more conferences, all over the world!
• Less referencing in market research (big win!)
• In market research, simple statistics tell big stories. A lot of the reports only use descriptive statistics but it is the way we report the data and tell the story that provides meaningful results
• You reach sample sizes quickly in market research and you don’t have to do much of the recruiting yourself
• There is much more qualitative research in market research than academia. Open-ended questions, interviews, and focus groups!
• You work on more projects simultaneously in market research- sometimes upwards of 10 projects at the same time
• Market research is a business so there is a lot of pressure on $$$ (more overt pressure than academia which does have covert grant pressures)