Summer research project

Apply to work with me on a research project over the summer

About me and the project

I'm Bailey, a financial inclusion advocate and startup founder. You can read more about my experience and background on this website.

I'm looking for help over the next 2-3 months on a research project I'm working on looking at the gender wealth gap and financial advice gap.

I've yet to create the full research plan, but here is an overview:

I want to interview women in their 40s/50s/60s about their experience with/perceptions of financial advice and investment.
I plan to conduct between 20-50 short (~30 min) interviews, mainly remotely using Zoom or similar.
I also want to run a survey and/or use existing data and statistics to support the research.
I plan to write up findings in a public report to be launched in October/November.

What I'm looking for

I plan on running interviews myself but I prefer to work in pairs when conducting qualitative research. Having a colleague means we can share the load asking questions, taking notes and working on analysis.

I'd also like help on the admin involved in organising/scheduling interviews and follow-ups.

My expectations from you are:

That you are organised, punctual and efficient when taking notes or doing admin tasks.
That you are fairly confident using Zoom, G-Suite products etc.
That you have some understanding of how user research is conducted and are able to speak up when you have ideas on how the research could be improved.
I imagine we will need to be fairly flexible when organising interview slots for participants, potentially early in the morning/at lunchtime/in the evening, so I will require you to be flexible too.
I'd like you to be interested in the gender wealth gap and financial advice gap and happy to learn more about this topic.

I can afford your time for around 2 days a week for a period between 8-10 weeks – these days will need to be from Weds-Fri as I work on a different project on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Ideally you would start around the end of July/beginning of August and finish around the end of September/beginning of October, but I can be flexible.

Ideally you will be able to spend a few days at least with me in person in my office at Creative Works, Blackhorse Road, Walthamstow in London, but we will be remote-first in any instance.

What I can offer

I am able to pay equivalent of London Living Wage (£10.85 per hour) but will require you to invoice me as a contractor – this means you'll need to be comfortable working as a freelancer. I can help answer questions on this or set you up with what you need.
If you're able to work in person with me at Creative Works we have coffee, snacks, comfy seating etc.
I will do everything I can to ensure you have a great experience working with me – I'll be around to answer questions and can provide feedback, references and potential introductions for future work opportunities.
There may also be opportunities to work together again on future projects.

How to apply

1. Write a 1 page letter

Please use Google Docs, Word or equivalent software to write me a 1 page A4 PDF letter of application outlining:

Your relevant experience, either professional or academic, in terms of the above overview.
What makes you interested in working with me, and/or on this project.
Any ideas you have on how we can conduct useful research on this topic – how should we approach participants? How should we ask questions? Any other ideas or feedback as to how we can limit bias or design useful research questions?

In terms of 'topping and tailing' the letter – just a 'Hi Bailey' and 'Thanks, [my name]' at the beginning and end will do – this is relatively informal!

An informal tone of voice is fine – I'm not a professor 😉 – you won't get points for long words, in fact I'd prefer it to be simple and clear.

I'll be assessing your letter of application based on:

Your interest in the project
Your relevant experience
The relevancy of your ideas or feedback
Your written communication skills and a clean layout of the document – make the letter readable!

2. Email me

Once you've written the letter please email it to me as a PDF at bkursar@gmail.com and include the following information:

Your availability – when would you be able to start, and for how many weeks?
Whether you'd prefer Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays or if you have no preference.

Please do email me with any questions, I'd be happy to help.

No need to email me a CV but if you have online material that could support your application (i.e. a blog, academic papers, Twitter profile etc.) please do include it.

NB: Your application for this shouldn't take you longer than 30-60 min in total, so don't get too bogged down in detail – better done than perfect!

Next steps after application

I'll be reviewing applications on Friday and I'll let you know either way by the end of the weekend (18th).

If selected, I'll invite you to have an informal video call with me to go over your application and any questions sometime over the following week before making an offer and signing a contract.

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Research project