Ahhh…I originally saw the job posting in...

Prologue:?We are often asked why we are doing our LinkedIn interviews. The answer is always the same. It is part of our purpose: Inspire discovery of human potential (and turn employees into Agents of Economic Empowerment). And we can't inspire the discovery by ourselves. It takes a village to do it. Our interviews are just one of the ingredients we use to live our purpose. The interviews are all about experiences that helped people to bring to light their potential (i.e., who they are and who they want to become), learn how they could achieve that potential, and got them started on pursuing and fulfilling it. And today, we will learn about that from one of the most kind and down-to-earth people we know: Angelica Jump , Research Manager at EMI - Research Solutions . Enjoy!

David: How are you, Angie?

Angie: I am GREAT! Professionally, I was just nominated for the Women In Research’s MRX Diversity Champion Award for the second year in a row. Personally, my husband and I just sold our condo and will be moving into a new home next month! I am loving the passion I feel for the Market Research industry, it’s fun, fast, and provides me with a great work life balance.?We also just got back from Ireland which was AMAZING! I love to travel.?My dog has also been enjoying the office life every once and a while.??

David: Quadruple congratulations!!!! You have no idea how much it means to me, knowing you are GREAT and actually feeling its authentic sound of it! Since you mentioned your office pal – Granger aka your dog – how is your job? BTW, it's pretty cool you can take Granger to your office.

Angie: My official role is a Research Manager - I have been doing this for the past 3 and half years since I graduated from NKU! I manage the day to day operations of online quantitative research which means:

• reviewing and editing questionnaires;
• digesting quotas and sample requirements across various programming dashboards;
• manage up to 15 panel providers maintaining strategic blends to meet our clients objectives for usually 10-15 projects at a time;
• run final costs at the very end!

Beyond my traditional tasks I also lead our internal Diversity and Inclusion Committee where we plan monthly events and share educational content in a fun and engaging way.?On top on my internal involvement, I am also on the team for our Cincinnati Women In Research (WIRe) chapter where we plan networking events, and I am on the Insights Association ’s DEI committee where I make monthly posts to our regions chapter page!?

I love that my job allows me to get involved in ways I never thought I could. There are so many opportunities and EMI - Research Solutions is never shy to give recognition for my involvement which makes me feel valued. The culture here is truly one of a kind and certainly a “work hard, play hard” environment. We have weekly happy hours, there is a rec volleyball team, and a fun committee who is always planning something. Coming up, we have our end of summer outing consisting of escape rooms, beer, food, and volleyball!?Our industry is filled with so many engaging, positive, and ambitious people. I love it!?

David: Wow! You sound like a sales person selling Market Research career. I need to get you into my cozy office called classroom so you can share that contagious passion with my rookies and apprentices. Speaking of them, they often wonder about how our alumni get where they are. How did you get to this job...career...lifestyle?

Angie: Ahhh…I originally saw the job posting in your class ??. You got me in contact with the company so I could submit my resume. I had a phone interview that went very well (I bonded with my interviewer through my past experience as a banker). I then went in for a second in person interview where I met with my current manger, and at least 2 others who all asked different questions about my interest in the company and examples of my fit. I was able to use my experience with projects from The Underground Agency as tangible evidence of my skills.?

David: Now you sound like a sales person selling an experience at The Agency with me ??. Talking of your experiences, what experience had the greatest impact on your personal and career development?

Angie: The greatest impact in my life has to be my experience being a military brat. My mom served in the Army, and we moved every few years across the US and abroad up until I was in high school and landed here in Kentucky.? The skills of adaptability and agility were challenged and practiced every step of the way throughout my childhood, and I think this is a huge testament to how I approach problems personally and professionally. At EMI, agility is one of our core values which aligned very well with my background.?My passion for diversity, equity, and inclusion also stemmed from my experience living in other cultures and meeting people of all different personalities. Diversity has been normalized in my own life and I want to help extend that in anyway I can!?

David: It reminds me of myself. I doubt I would be where I am today if it was not for traveling and emerging myself into different cultures and communities. Such experiences have profound effects on us–an effect we often see many years later. This also reminds me of your Study Abroad in Prague experience.

Angie: This is funny because I have made a post about it on LinkedIn recently. As you know, you reached out to me and asked me to attend your Study Abroad informational session and talk about how my experience with studying abroad was back in 2018 with students at NKU. I spend the first 7 weeks of the Spring semester doing research for a winery in the Czech Republic, SONBERK, a.s. , supporting their marketing strategy to break into the United States. From the 4 P’s to the SWOT analysis, we were prepared to present to the owners in their headquarters!?It was hard work and downright terrifying but one of the best parts of this course was the shared experience with my peers and the gratification of doing something I have never imagined possible.?To any student considering participating in a Study Abroad…DO IT!?I am sure Casey Broach , BriAuna Keys, CPA , and Kayla Combs would agree with me.

David: Sure they would! The reasons why I am curious about these impactful experiences is that they help us discover our element - the things we are good at or want to be good at (and eventually be paid for). So, what do you think is your element?

Angie: I really enjoy project management! There is a good mix of consistency and creativity since each job brings its own unique challenges. I consider myself quite decisive, so I am good at looking at the problem with the end goal in mind, uncovering the reality of a situation, the cause of the problem, and follow through with necessary action items. I love a good process and the stability of working through projects start to finish is comforting!?

David: Since mentioned creativity and project management, I can't help myself and recall when you were working on one of the projects at The Underground Agency . In that project, you had to record a creative video in which you would present the major findings to your client. I just re-watched so I must share it here too.

David: Anyway, now that we all know how creative you are and what your element is, what do you see for yourself in the days to come?

Angie: I equally value my personal and professional goals, so I am hoping to grow my family in the next 5 years, stay involved in local market research organizations, and set a positive example for women/mothers in the workplace. With a good work life balance, ambition, and grit, I believe I can do it.?I have short term personal goal to be fluent in Spanish within the next year. My family reunion is coming up in June of 2023 in Mexico and I hope to have the opportunity to speak to great aunts/uncles, cousins, and more for the first time!?There are so many possibilities for my future in my career in Market Research, I love project management and DEI but I also love to try new things! Since EMI is such a small company, we have the option of creating our own roles as we scale for growth.?

David: That is really cool that EMI allows you to craft your own role. It speaks to its culture and dedication to employees' growth and development. Speaking of that, if you were talking to our current rookies and apprentices, what career advice would you give them?

Angie: Say YES and get involved. Our industry has so much offer, it goes beyond project management, sales, and data analytics. A few conversations at a networking event might surprise you. ???

David: That is so true, especially early in our careers. We all learn and discover our elements through experiences. That is why it is so hard to have it all figured out by the time our students graduate. Instead of getting stressed out about having it all figured out, we should be stressing out about what to do to continue exploring, learning, and growing. Thank you so much, Angie, for your time and I hope to see you at our next Happy Hour (whenever that is).

Epilogue:?Angie has never stopped exploring, learning, caring, and sharing. And that is how she discovered her spark, her element. Now that she has lit it from within, she only continues adding fuel to it by continuing to explore, learn, care, and share. Sooner or later, her spark will turn into a fire. And when that happens, there will be a lot more decisive and creative problem solvers with a knack for managing projects, traveling, and making the world a more inclusive place. Indeed, a world that is more inclusive, less exclusive. A world where more people have an equal opportunity to live a fulfilling and meaningful life, regardless of where they come from.