To Work with Me

I firmly believe that everyone has strengths and passion to learn and grow. I also view my students as my colleagues whom I can learn from. My students will play critical roles in the Won lab, such as developing survey items, collecting/managing/analyzing data, and writing manuscripts with me. 80% of my projects use quantitative approaches, and 20% use qualitative approaches.

To work with me, there are some requirements and preferences.

Requirement

Shared Research Interests

I can support you if you have some shared research interests with mine, mapping onto vocational psychology and social class psychology.

Conscientiousness

I think graduate students are freelancers, and professors are businesspeople who run small companies. I want to collaborate with people who are intrinsically motivated to research and dedicated to learning and completing projects. The behavioral indicators may include timely work completion, clear communication, and learning materials/trying to brainstorm some solutions before asking questions.

Critical Lens

Students should be passionate about social justice, critical consciousness, equity, and anti-oppression.

Preference

1. Interpersonal fit: I tend to go really deep AND go very goofy. I cannot work with people who are extremely competitive. I want to work with harmonious, mature, cooperative, and transparent people.

2. Strong writing skills

3. Good statistical skills

4. Just be you!: All the requirements are my things, and people cannot be perfect. I appreciate you as who you are.

How to Be a Successful Student

When thinking back on my time as a worker at a global company and as a doctoral student, I remember how challenging it was! Working with a boss in a mentorship model is not easy. These tips that I learned out of my pains helped me succeed, and I hope they can help you as well as we work together.

Brainstorm solutions before seeking direction: Advisors appreciate when you come prepared. If you present a vague question, you’ll likely receive a broad or unclear answer. Before reaching out, brainstorm a few potential solutions, weigh the pros and cons, and share your thought process. This will help your advisor give more targeted guidance.
Use close-ended questions: Advisors are often busy, so open-ended questions might lead to unfocused or unrelated responses. In academia, it’s better to ask close-ended questions to get clear, actionable feedback. This setting is very different from therapy.
Teach yourself first: When you encounter a challenge, break it down into a more specific question. Do your own research first—Google, read articles, or watch tutorials—before seeking help. This makes your questions more precise and shows initiative.
Stay motivated: Your advisor can provide training and guidance, but they can’t give you motivation. Align your career goals with what drives you internally and stay focused on that.
Be proactive: Keep the lines of communication open with your advisor. Regularly update them on your progress, even if you’re working independently. Do not surprise them. Lack of communication can slow down your work and graduation timeline.
Initiate your research early: Don’t wait for opportunities to come from your advisor. Start developing your own research ideas and pursue first-author projects as early as possible. This will familiarize you with the research and publication process, speeding up your progress.
Embrace feedback: Academic training follows a mentorship model, where growth happens through feedback. Do not take it personally. Later on, you will miss the moments you receive feedback because you barely have feedback when you become a faculty member - not having a lot of opportunities to grow.