Significant Career Lesson From A Director At Turnitin
Kevin's most significant career lesson is "to surround yourself with good people," which involves seeking out mentors and sponsors, while also recognizing when it's time to move on from negative situations, even if it means taking risks for career growth. This approach, according to Kevin, ensures a continuous sense of growth throughout one's career journey.
Project Management, Leadership, Teamwork, Career Development, Mentorship
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Kevin Tsay
Director, Program Management & Product Strategy Operations
Turnitin
Washington University in St. Louis, 2007
Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, MPP
Education
Technology
Operations and Project Management
LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Surround yourself with good people: Seek mentorship and sponsorship from strong managers, and recognize when it's time to move on from negative work environments.
2. Continuous growth is key: Actively learn from your experiences and those around you to foster career development.
3. Calculated risk-taking is important: Don't be afraid to make changes in your career, even if it involves some risk, to achieve greater growth and success. Staying in a negative situation too long can hinder your career.
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
It's probably not a surprising lesson, but it's to surround yourself with good people. For me, this has looked very different throughout my career.
Sometimes, it's having a really good manager and learning from them as much as possible. I know they can both mentor and sponsor me.
In other cases, it's recognizing when to move on. People don't often like to talk about this, but I think it's healthier to know when it's time to leave a position.
I actually had someone else tell me that they regretted staying in any position too long, even though they were very successful in their career. Of course, this requires a certain amount of risk.
Fundamentally, though, it comes down to being around good people and learning. I think from a career perspective, that sense of growth is always there.