What do you do at Facebook?
I work with product teams made up of engineers, product designers and product managers to deeply understand the experiences of the 1.49 billion people who use Facebook. Right now, I work on the advertising side, and I generate and analyze data through surveys to help inform teams about what types of products they should be building. The products are tools that advertisers use to set up, launch and measure the results of their ads, such as Ads Manager and Power Editor. We have users that range from mom-and-pop ice cream shops to Nike, and the surveys help us understand their goals, how we can help them meet their goals and whether they are happy with what we offer for advertising.
I also teach and mentor new researchers who are transitioning from the academic to the corporate environment. They have to learn how to work very fast and have deliverable outcomes, which is different than academic research. Though the hours of work I put in vary from week to week and project to project, I feel like I have plenty of time for family, friends and activities. Facebook actively encourages a work-life balance through vacation time and various employee programs.
How do you use your psychology training?
In graduate school I learned a lot about survey methodology, how people think about questions and how to avoid confirmation bias. This training makes me a valuable asset in guarding against misleading study results. I make sure we know whether we launched something people actually like. I'm careful about how to ask people about their preference between the new and old products and I account for the fact that the new one is unfamiliar.
One technique for that is doing two sentiment surveys. Before a new product is launched, for example, I ask people using an old product how they feel about it. Then after the new product launched, I ask how much they like or dislike the new version of the product. Then I do a statistical analysis to measure which provides a more likable service. By using this method, we avoid making a direct comparison, which can lead to misleading results.
Where did you get the training and experience needed to get this job?
My work in graduate school at the University of Texas prepared me to some degree, and the rest I have learned on the job. I had to adapt to working at a fast pace, and there is a really good mentorship program that helped with the adjustment to the nonacademic environment. I started at Facebook in July 2014, and it took me about six months to feel like I was comfortable.
How did you find out about the job?
I was finishing my doctoral degree at the University of Texas, and a fellow student who had finished an internship at Facebook told me they were hiring and that I should consider it. This colleague submitted my resume (no cover letter) directly to the recruiting team. I went through the interview process and was really impressed by the people and the company's mission, which is to make the world more open and connected. It was clear that they were passionate about improving people's lives by finding better ways to help users connect with each other.
What is challenging or difficult about your job? What do you enjoy most?
The thing I have learned from surveys is that people have a diverse set of goals, which makes it challenging to design products that make people happy. It's really hard to get it right. What I enjoy most is having the opportunity to have a real impact on the world. There are niche online businesses, for example, that are able to exist because they can reach the right customers via Facebook, and nonprofits that can send out vital health information using our social network. Having the ability to work for a company that can reach more than a billion people is really exciting to me, and I get to do this with colleagues who are really smart, passionate people.
Is there anything else readers should know?
The technology industry in general could benefit from more psychologists. We have a lot of good research skills and knowledge about people, and companies are looking for candidates with a psychology background. My research team is primarily people from social science backgrounds, and I've seen job advertisements for psychologists at tech companies like Google and Airbnb.
— Heather Stringer
