abilities necessary to succeed in CI?

[Patrick Munziger]

Hello everyone! :-)

I'm a college student (majoring in business) from Germany, and have been working (and mostly researching lol) in SEO/Internet Marketing/web analytics for the past few years.

 

I really enjoy that "web stuff", but the more I keep doing it the more I realize that research is my main passion, and people continue to ask me to research things for them (for free LOL)...thus am wondering if I can specialize in a field that's primary about research.

 

What are the best competitive intelligence researchers you know of..like...typically? My guess would be that the personality traits curiosity & persistence (& a systematic way of thinking) may be the difference makers to succeed in this career.

However, I'm here to ask people who actually know this and dont need to guess like I do ;-)

 

thank you!

Patrick

[Trip Krant]

Patrick,

 

What are the things that people ask you to research for them?

What are the things that you research for yourself?

Does your interest in research only involve using databases and the internet, or does it also involve libraries, public records, and talking to people?

Do you like detective or mystery novels?

Have you looked into investigative journalism, law enforcement, or private investigation?

Have you looked at the field of due diligence?

[Patrick Munziger]

Hello Trip - thanks for the reply, first of all!

 

here are the answers to your questions (hope this doesnt sound like I didnt appreciate them! lol, bc I do):

 

- my sister (who moves around the world regularly) usually asks me to research how to find an appartment, where to stay, etc. ...in online marketing people usually asked me to do quick market research for them (2 friends). ...I also had a (student's) job interview at one of the bigger names in online marketing in germany, who would have hired me to research stuff such as new web analytics technology and if it pays off buying it basically.

 

In other words, it's really all kinds of research. I've been thinking of investment research, also - such as the web analytics software example.

 

- things I research for myself: it's really all over the place....job opportunities like CI ;) is something ive been researching for years (thats how I found my way into SEO and online marketing.

 

important note, however: the more challenging it is to figure it out, the more I enjoy it actually. "rote research" e.g. compile a list of xyz that anyone can do...is not my kind of research, I love a good challenge

 

- it certainly involves all kind of sources - wherever I can get the information from ;-).

 

- I never read them, actuall but Ive been thinking about those tv shows like CSI,etc. and thought..hey...that certainly would be for me (in a business context or similar)

 

- Ive looked into the first, but not really the last 2. Ive thought of genealogy research, though. i need to look up investigative journalism (i did look into online journalism as a career).

 

- NOPE! This one was new for me. I looked into employee background research before - actually i was wondering if id be able to make a living based on return-on-time invested in that field.

As for due diligence, I just read up on it..and it seems highly interesting. thanks for the insight, I had never thought about this one.

So due diligence consists of employee background research, businesses acquisitions and real estate acquisitions, basically.......?

 

I find the idea of due diligence in real estate appealing - just like ive been wondering if i could end up in investment research in the real estate industry. Do most people who work in due diligence work on business transactions or are there many jobs in the field of real estate, too? (of course im talking about all kinds of real estate not just nice houses lol).

 

Is this about doing the deep research Ive been wondering out? figuring out things that others (who are not as inquisitive) may miss?

 

PS: one thing that confuses me is that I came across a website that mentioned due diligence in the context of CI ...I assume it has nothing to do with the "whats going on behind the walls of company xyz",though and everything to do with acquisitions,new hires,etc. right?

 

thanks!

 

[Patrick Munziger]

I just noticed that I researched all of these things in the past:

 

- appartments, etc. for my sister

- Im about to create a piece of content (for a website) with the most in-depth cost of living analysis of Germany (will be more in-depth than anything out there on the web, Ive seen - I love to dig deep ;))

- crime rates + weather...

- toxic animals in diff. regions around the world

 

researching local schools + environmental conditions (I mean liability) are things I wouldnt mind researching, either...or well enjoy...actually.

 

so basically Ive been doing real estate research for a while already, havent I?;-)