Meet Our Member: Miyoung Han
As a former software developer, Miyoung Han was both eager and nervous about returning to work; she joined K Group’s website renewal project enthusiastically but also with caution, and she almost declined an interview opportunity as chat API technical support specialist position at SendBird, unsure of her fit for the proposed position. Now working full-time as a technical support specialist at SendBird, she relates to the fears of many women on a career break and urges them to build strong support networks and bravely grab opportunities coming their way.
Q: Tell us about your life before and after you moved to the U.S.
M: I worked as a software engineer for Korean ATM manufacturer Hyosung for almost seven years before getting married and moving to Washington. At first, I was so focused on settling down and taking care of my family that I barely thought of restarting my career. Although my husband had always encouraged me to pursue my own interests and growth, it was only after I had my two children that I started studying web programming. Despite my experience as a software developer, web programming was uncharted territory; studying something new—but not too unfamiliar—helped boost my confidence and self-esteem. It was also around that time that I volunteered to build websites for a local Korean church and Korean students’ association. In retrospect, that was my first small step forward for my career in the U.S.
Q: And then you moved to the Bay Area and joined Simple Steps.
M: Yes, joining Simple Steps shifted my life in a whole new direction. Before Simple Steps, I studied by myself, and as a wife and a mom, I struggled to dedicate sufficient time to myself. But after I joined the WordPress study group at Simple Steps, I felt more motivated than ever, always managing to carve out enough time to study. With a little experience in web programming, I often found the study group’s materials quite challenging. So I learned at my own pace to help myself feel more at ease.
I also joined the K Group website renewal project with Simple Steps board member Kiae Seong. I took up that project with great enthusiasm but also some trepidation. I had been out of the workforce for a decade by then and the technology industry was completely different from my days as an engineer—it was advancing fast, led by highly skilled professionals. As a novice web developer, building a homepage and displaying it for the whole world to see was a daunting task. And yet thanks to the warm support from Kiae and Doyeon, I was able to complete the project successfully.
Q: Sounds like you have a whole support team at Simple Steps! Tell us more about how you networked with Simple Steps members.
M: I participated in a lot of Simple Steps events, starting from a meetup in 2018. Simple Steps is full of talented women with diverse and amazing backgrounds. They are wives and moms uprooted from their home country, but they never stop challenging and preparing themselves for the future. They are a powerful source of inspiration and comfort to me. I would be happy to see more women benefiting from that shared sense of connection. That is also why I introduced Simple Steps to my friend Hyeyoung Seo, who is now serving as its partnership manager.
Q: Now you are working full-time at SendBird. How did you land your position?
M: Imju Byon, who was one of the leaders of the WordPress study group as well as one of the founding board members of Simple Steps, shared a part-time opportunity at SendBird, where she works as a solutions engineering manager. After seven months as a part-timer, I was recommended to my current role as a technical support specialist—again by Imju. The main function of technical support specialists is to respond to customer requests and provide fast troubleshooting. They need to have a broad understanding of each and every facet of the product to be able to identify the cause of the problems. They are also required to closely communicate between customers and engineers to ensure the best response and complete customer satisfaction.
With no professional experience as a communicator, I almost declined Imju’s offer. What if I say something wrong to the customer and make things even worse? How can I step into a new career path and still balance with family obligations? Imju, however, was adamant that I take the interview; she trusted in me more than I did myself. Encouraged by her strong support, I took an oral interview and an assignment test. I didn’t feel very confident in the interview but did well with the assignment, which I worked on for two days, consulting SendBird’s product guides and fixing the given program with the right codes. And luckily, I got the job.
Q: What is your typical day like as a technical support specialist?
M: I work from home, not because of COVID-19, but because of the long distance from my home and the SendBird office, I have almost always worked from home since I was a part-timer. Every day, technical support specialists receive countless customer requests. Our customers are software engineers using our product to develop applications, and whenever they ask questions or report issues, we provide solutions—as soon as possible since our support policy aims at prompt response within 24 hours. Since I’m only four months into this career, I find some problems still hard to solve, and often seek help from my teammates or developers. My goal is to always equip myself with the latest knowledge of SendBird’s technologies and broader industry skills, and position myself for long-term growth in this field.
Q: Do you have any advice for Simple Steps members who are thinking of returning to work?
M: After a prolonged break, I had fears about going back to work—fears that were shared by many Simple Steps members: Would I be able to do it? How could I handle it all—family and work, with limited English proficiency? The fears are valid, but go ahead and grab any opportunities lurking around you, no matter how small they might seem. Those opportunities will bring you connections, who will not only share with you bigger opportunities down the road but also inspire and comfort you throughout your entire career restart journey.
While maintaining a healthy work-life balance as a technical support specialist, Miyoung continues to take small steps forward; after work, she regularly studies English and also new programming languages. Her steady endeavors are warmly supported by her husband and two children. Miyoung currently lives in Pleasanton, California with her family.
Interview date: November 11, 2020
Translated by Hyunjin Kim
