I was 24 years old and three months into my job as a qualitative market research associate. The chapter chairs for the New England chapter of the QRCA had just stepped down. To my surprise, my manager asked me if I wanted to co-chair the chapter with her. Me, the newbie? Overseeing a group of experienced moderators, ethnographers, UX researchers, vendors, and more?
I had barely advanced myself in my career in the qualitative sector. Imposter syndrome doesn’t even begin to describe the thoughts that rolled around my mind. It was the same year Shonda Rhimes gave her TED talk, “My year of saying yes to everything”, and I decided to follow her lead. Yes, I’ll be a co-chapter chair for a professional organization of a career I’ve scarcely been in. It was daunting, but it led to a series of opportunities that have transformed my career.
In 2016, I had the opportunity to attend my first QRCA (Qualitative Research Consultants Association) conference through a Young Professionals Grant (YPG) grant. The YPG was created for professionals ages 35 and younger in the research industry. Awardees are from all over the world, and they receive a free QRCA Annual Conference registration fee and one year’s QRCA membership. The January 2020 conference, held in Austin, Texas drew over 400 attendees from 12 countries.
Once again, I asked WWSRD (what would Shonda Rhimes do) and said yes. I applied for the grant and was thrilled to become a recipient.
These two moments of saying yes turned into four years of saying yes. Yes to co-chairing the Young Professionals Committee. Yes to participating in the Qually Award competition Yes to being a member of committees and task forces. And most recently, yes to running for the board of directors. Yes, yes, yes.
Each yes led to enormous moments of growth for me. For example, saying yes to the board led to my becoming the youngest ever QRCA board member. Did you ever try on your mom’s or dad’s shoes when you were a kid? That’s the best way I can describe what running for the board felt like. It first felt like I was a small child trying to fill these giant shoes of an adult. I felt I was too young or inexperienced to be a member of the board. To my happy surprise, it taught me I can be both new and impactful in the qualitative research community. I may never be the most experienced researcher in the room, but my ideas are valid and transformative.
The Young Professionals Grant made it possible for me to attend my first QRCA conference. I was blown away by the folks at the organization and having the greatest qualitative minds at your fingertips whenever you need help! Looking ahead, I’m excited to connect with even more members of the qualitative community.
And I’m not alone in feeling that way, 2019 Young Professionals Grant winner Vidhika Bansal noted: Even though technically [conference] attendees could view each other as competitors, I noticed that the environment was overwhelmingly collaborative, with knowledge-sharing and camaraderie aplenty. For both me and Vidhika, the grant unlocked an incredible environment for learning and connecting.
I’m now almost 28. Over the last four years, QRCA has played many roles for me: a teacher, a cheerleader, and a research family. I have moved from working as a qualitative associate at a market research agency to a client-side UX Researcher at a software company. Thanks to saying yes to the Young Professionals Grant, I’ve grown into the researcher I am today.
I started my qualitative career by saying yes, and it’s always proven to be fruitful for my growth.
Keep saying yes. You never know what opportunities it will lead to (sometimes you even get to say yes to an article for ESOMAR).
If you’re 35 and younger, then say yes to applying for the Young Professionals Grant. Applications are due on September 28, 2020, and you can apply for it here: https://www.qrca.org/page/young_prof_grant.
Each year, QRCA offers the Young Professional Grant (YPG) to celebrate the next great generation of young qualitative researchers.
