Dave Tang, PhD

PhD turned UX/Design researcher. I talk about science, innovation, and finding your career path after PhD

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

@jvitak Career development resources and some statistics that show how many phds in my field actually go on to get tenure track roles each year, compared with how many PhDs are awarded. Just a reminder to keep career destinations in mind

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

✨ Beta readers will get:

-Discounted access at $9.99 (satisfaction guarantee)
-Exclusive invite to a 2-hour live Q&A session
-Free access to the final version of the book

You can find it here: https://t.co/uxXhQ6ubMX

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

📢Calling all PhDs! Ready to embark on your non-academic journey? Don't just wing it, my playbook is here to guide you. Join the beta program and be one of the first to read it. Only 30 spots available!🧵

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

@academic_exit @LifeAfterMyPhD Wouldn’t that be cool? A non-academic list of authors long enough to have an “et al.”

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

Imagine facing this toxic environment for 5+ years as you earn a PhD. It's going to leave a lasting mark! Here are 6 doctorate-fueled self-sabotaging habits that you might have even after leaving academia: https://t.co/8MJcnJYvu6

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

Propaganda #1: “Being a scholar isn't just a calling, it's the BEST one. It is morally superior to be an academic compared to anything else, which is just selling your soul for money... Hmm? What’s that? GRANT MONEY IS DIFFERENT.” ...

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

Propaganda #2: “You know nothing and you ARE nothing. Review papers in your 'spare time' for journals that you don’t work for. Pay? Nobody gets paid, this is community service! YOU pay your dues so you can get tenure, which we promise never to take away, wink wink.” ...

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

Anyone else notice the contradictory sets of propaganda within academia? Here's an example of what PhDs get grilled into them... 🧵

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

I put together a simple framework to illustrate where insights come from and how you can increase your chances of successfully inducing them in others. https://t.co/h0gSsWTa92

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

-What organizational needs require insights?
-Who is involved and what do they know and think they know?
-What do people already want to do and why?
-How does knowledge transform into action at your organization?

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

Your audience can’t tell you what’s going to be insightful for them, that’s up to you to figure out. In order to increase your chances of succeeding, you’re going to need to understand a few things…

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

“What is a research insight exactly?”

I keep hearing this question asked and answered in the research and design community, and I keep being been disappointed… Most definitions are unsatisfying, and tend to get one big thing wrong. 🧵

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

Here’s the problem. And feel free to dictionary-check me on this. Insights are not words. Insights are a subjective experience inside another person. Asking for insight is like asking for wisdom. Or inspiration. Or a surprise.

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

When you ask people what “insight” means, their definitions tend to frame insights as if they were tangible objects, like a collection of words with a specific structure or syntax like a haiku, that you could create using a mad-lib.

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

For the academics and newer researchers in my network, when an organization does research, the people who tend to consume the research often ask for “insights." If you're lucky, the request comes before you deliver the results.

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

I found an old polo in the closet. I put it on and said “hey babe, can I pull this off?” While my wife was pondering, my 2-year old looked at me, pointed, and said “grandpa.” Two lessons here: 1, receptivity to feedback depends on the sender and the delivery. 2, kids are savage

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

Tip #7 you'll have to read this article to find out! Don't worry, I'm not selling anything. This tip is the only "controversial" one in this thread, and I worry a tweet about it is too easy to misinterpret.
https://t.co/xxA98OCHPU

What other tips do you have?

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

Thanks to Maimuna for reminding me that transitioning from academia to #altac is not just about changing your mindset about job searching. There are some areas where you need to build new skills, and communication is one of the big ones. 7 tips in this 🧵

[Maimuna Begum Kali @1810Kali]

@davetang Thanks for sharing! I remember you mentioning on a webinar how slide deck creation process is lot different in industry than academia. If you haven’t already, will you write on this?

[Dave Tang, PhD @davetang]

Tip #6: Leave the dead horse alone. Don’t overdo it when it comes to piling on more data. Know when you’ve already convinced the audience, or else you might lose their hard-earned attention due to boredom.