Associate director
There has never been a more important time for an Arts degree, says associate director at Kantar TNS UK, Sophia Blair.
Key facts
Career: Associate director at Kantar TNS UK
Programme: Master of Arts
Subjects: Politics and International Relations
"I'm responsible for managing and conducting qualitative research projects that tackle a range of business challenges that our clients face. These range from developing sharper and more compelling brand positioning strategies, to investigating how brands and products can respond to new trends.
"We do a lot of international work so I've done some really interesting projects in different cultures. In this global age, clients are definitely looking to understand local cultural nuances and their impacts on how people engage with brands. As someone deeply interested in human behaviour, understanding how culture impacts in this area has been a real highlight.
The biggest benefit of an Arts degree is the transferable skills you get.
"One of the reasons why I enjoyed Political Studies so much is because I'm interested in understanding human behaviour and what drives the choices we make. This interest in human behaviour fits well with the work I do now which seeks to understand how underlying emotions influence consumer behaviour and brand choice.
"Understanding how to research effectively, how to critically evaluate strategies and ideas, and knowing effective communication techniques are all skills that can be applied across a wide range of jobs and different industries."