What Type Of Person Thrives In The Education Technology Industry, According To A Director At Turnitin
Kevin, a Director of Program Management & Product Strategy Operations at Turnitin, identifies a "growth mindset" and a "healthy perspective on risk" as crucial for success in the education technology industry. This is especially important given the sector's "fragmentation" and the need to balance academic integrity with fostering growth, requiring individuals to manage risk while pushing forward with innovation.
Growth Mindset, Risk Management, Problem-Solving, Project Management, Communication
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. Growth mindset is crucial for success in the education technology industry.
2. A healthy perspective on risk management is essential, as growth often involves taking calculated risks.
3. The ability to balance risk and growth is vital, especially when navigating the diverse needs and agendas within educational institutions.
Transcript
How would you describe people who typically thrive in the education and technology space?
I would say people with a growth mindset and people who have a healthy perspective on risk. I think those are not entirely unrelated, but they can also sometimes seem somewhat adversarial.
Being with a growth mindset and kind of building one requires an understanding of learning. That's fundamental to education, and people in education circles obviously talk a lot about growth mindset.
It also involves being comfortable with risk and knowing that part of growing requires some level of risk and making mistakes. At the same time, I think the ability to manage risk in itself can be its own asset within education technology.
This is worth calling out because, as alluded to in the previous answer, there's a fragmentation of sorts in how institutions are running and their agendas. Protecting students in the age of academic integrity while fostering growth with some risk needs to be balanced.
This balance is important in how we approach different customers and their needs. So, I think a healthy perspective on what it means to take on risk while still really pushing forward with that growth mindset are a couple of areas that I think are really helpful for people who want to thrive in this education technology industry.