Brittany Long, MA'13, Anthropology
Deputy Team Lead (Rankings, Surveys, Awards) - Central News, Bloomberg Industry Group
June 23, 2025
Can you describe your career path and how it has led to your current work?
During my graduate studies, I did independent ethnographies for a market research firm called Smart Revenue as well as contracted field interview work for human subjects research government contractor Westat. The fact that I was an anthropology graduate student helped me get my foot in the door at both companies. Both positions gave me the flexibility and pay that most part-time jobs wouldn’t have allotted for a full-time graduate student. While I did my service at Westat conducting interviews and collecting data for a national health study, I realized that my career interests were more aligned with the government contracting/private sector than academia, so I decided not to pursue a doctorate.
My career path was quite unconventional. After grad school, I found it difficult to land a full-time researcher role that aligned with my interests in the Boston area. I think there are a variety of reasons as to why that was, but there’s no time to fully have that conversation in this interview! I ended up working multiple jobs after grad school, including part-time market research, contracted work at a management consulting firm, and even marketing/sales roles. Despite not landing a full-time position for years after grad school, I played to my strengths and did what I had to do to survive at the time, while ultimately continuously applying for positions at Westat since I fell in love with the organization during my contract. After a few years hustling in Boston, I finally landed my role as a Data Manager and moved to the Washington DC area. While at Westat I expanded my quantitative researcher skillset during my day-to-day projects and by taking online courses when there was any downtime. I was then recruited by a competitor where I expanded my skills and subsequently landed a Research Manager position at a public health communications company.
During the pandemic, government contracts and in-person research work were unpredictable, and I always admired the work that Bloomberg LP and its subsidiaries do, especially the news coverage. I landed my role as a lead market research analyst at Bloomberg Industry Group conducting in-house research projects including surveys, beta testing, and managing vendors that conducted additional deep-dive projects with customers and prospects that drove the business forward. I was promoted to a management position on the thought leadership team, primarily serving Bloomberg Law. What they don’t teach you in graduate school is that the most successful companies innovate constantly, and re-organizations happen all of the time! My team was strategically transferred to the central news department. I now continue to field thought leadership surveys and aid my team in disseminating findings that spark ongoing conversations in the legal industry, but I continue to add hats to my role. My team is currently expanding our rankings and awards programs where we recognize outstanding litigators, law schools that are innovating and preparing the next cohort of attorneys in novel ways, and stand-out law firms that succeed in more than just profits and headcount.
What does a typical day/week look like for you in this position?
I guess the short answer is that there isn’t a typical day in my position! Over the course of a day, I might be attending leadership training, mentoring colleagues and supervisees, managing project communications, or participating in philanthropy events. I have the privilege of also collaborating with investigative data reporters and journalists across the company. My week is typically split into the immediate roadmap projects and surveys we have coming up, editing analysis pieces and stories citing our primary research data, or helping our graphic artists and contracted reporters draft executive summaries for public-facing content. In addition to all of my primary responsibilities, I have the opportunity to write my own analysis pieces when time allows, and I often get tapped to present at conferences, typically with my barred colleagues so that attorney attendees can obtain continuing legal education credit (CLE’s). Examples include collaborations with the American Bar Association and even TED Talk-style data science conferences. I work alongside brilliant attorneys and legal reporters, and they often commission my time to provide data-centric insights that contribute to their subject-matter expertise and engage our audience in amazing conversations.
What skills from your Brandeis degree have you found most valuable in your current work?
Obtaining a master’s degree, or any type of higher education degree, is invaluable in almost any career, no matter how you spin it. That being said, Brandeis professors taught me to write. They taught me to research, truly dig deep, and take my time where it counts. I found the endless nights collaborating over caffeine with my cohort vital as well. The Brandeis community taught me collegial camaraderie, which is something my current company places a lot of value on. I’m grateful to work in such a collegial environment where the open-door policy, even with executives, is enjoyed by all, like how busy professors will often bend over backward to help their students. In short, Brandeis taught me the value of positive intent and leaning on mentors and peers to uplift each other. Coming from academia, you learn how to embrace a growth mindset and take constructive criticism as well.
What advice do you have for current students as they embark on their career exploration or job search?
Don’t be afraid of an unconventional career journey, and keep in mind that every opportunity you accept is going to teach you priceless skills and life lessons you can take with you as you continue to pursue your dreams. While I had to take various roles to progress, the art of hustle taught me grit, and the takeaways I’ve gotten from every position have been crucial in my being the professional I am today. Always have a growth mindset. Learn from failure. Accept constructive criticism with grace. Listen to your mentors and acknowledge that you can never know everything. Embrace team mentality. The most successful people I know are the people that give the most. Being a taker can be a hindrance to yourself and your colleagues. Your successes are the most valuable when they are shared. Do not focus on simply making a name for yourself. Ensure any work attached to your name is quality, but don’t get caught up in perfectionism, because that can be a hindrance to your ultimate growth. If you end up outside of academia, you can still publish labor of love pieces as an independent scholar, and who is to say that doing so won’t help take you even further? Last but certainly not least: confidence paired with humility is virtuous and will make people actively want to work with you.