Self-learnt developer Nalee Jang~!!

안녕하세요~!!

얼마전에 e27이라는 온라인 미디어에 제 기사가 실렸적이 있습니다. 

아마도 지난 5월에 있었던 벤쿠버 써밋을 다녀온 뒤로 계속해서 이런 비슷한 인터뷰 기사가 미디어에 실리는 것 같습니다. 물론 이런 영문 작업을 제가 할리는 없습니다. 전 아직 영어를 잘 하는 편이 아니니까 말입니다. 회사에서 마케팅을 담당하는 영어를 정말 잘하는 직원이 매번 내 영문 작업을 계속해서 도와주고 있습다. 그리고, 이런것들을 할 수 있도록 허락해 주시는 회사 대표님도 너무 감사하죠! 그래서, 회사도 나도 잘 되었으면 좋겠습니다. 내가 잘 되는 길이 바로 회사가 성장하는 길이며, 회사가 성장하는 길이 바로 내가 성장하는 길이 될테니 말입니다.

시간이 지나면 이 모든 것들은 기억속에서 사라집니다. 그런데, 얼마전에 이렇게 올려 놓은 제 블로그의 글들이 어느 순간에 한국 오픈스택과 커뮤니티의 한 역사가 되었다는 것을 느꼈습니다. 그래~!!이런 글을 쓰고, 흔적을 남겨 놓는다는 것은 참으로 중요한 일이구나~!! 라는 것을 또 한번 느낀 순간이였습니다.

그래서, 오늘은 기사의 내용을 스크랩해서 남겨 놓고자 합니다.

아래 이미지가 제 인터뷰 기사가 실린 사이트 화면입니다.

그리고, 제 사진은 그 아래로 쭉 내려가면 제가 늘 쓰는 제 프로필 사진이 있습니다.

Self-learnt developer Nalee Jang wants Korean women to rock tech

Lack of support did not deter Jang’s spirit to become a Senior Engineer at Cloudike Korea; she now mentors young female engineers. Here’s her story…

===================

Growing up poor, this 35-year old female engineer always dreamt of being a quality developer. “When I started out four years ago, there were no user guides, experienced engineers or instructions available. I learnt everything myself,” shares Nalee Jang, one of Korea’s leading experts in open source software.

But the lack of support did not deter her and she never gave up learning. Jang was one of Korea’s first software coders for OpenStack — an open source cloud operating system powering both open public  and private cloud platforms, and providing tools to setup large-scale virtualisation environments.

Her hard work and determination paid off in February 2015 when she was appointed Senior Engineer at Cloudike Korea, where she now manages the installation of OpenStack in cloud storage solutions. Jang has been leading the OpenStack community in Korea since 2013 and has inspired many young female developers.

Need for a support network

Jang believes in community sharing and a drive for the inclusion of all – no matter their age, race, or gender. Whenever she was unable to find the solution to a coding problem back in 2011, she would turn to her peers. “When I was stuck, I asked the other OpenStack community members for help,” Jang explains.

Fast forward to 2014, Jang released The Art of OpenStack to share her experiences and knowledge with others in Korea starting out in the field.

She also helped in developing the country’s first OpenStack seminar, ‘OpenStack in Korea’, held in January of this year. Around 800 participants took part in the event, a big success considering the virtual absence of the industry in Korea just a few years ago.

To help ease the path for women tech contributors, Jang is also a mentor to young female software engineers in Korea. She believes that by creating a support network, more women will be able to make the transition into meaningful and successful careers in engineering. “Working together allows for varied views, insights and sharing of knowledge,” she says.

Opportunities are high for women in tech

Nalee Jung, Senior Engineer at Cloudike Korea, OpenStack Expert

It is no secret that the tech startup industry globally is largely a male-dominated field and the fact still remains that only one-quarter of the workforce is female. According to a recent study by Babson College, female tech startup CEOs account for just three per cent of the total. Many of the women who do choose to pursue tech-related careers report tales of workplace discrimination, harassment and unfair pay.

Jang says, “The working environment for women has been enhanced over the years. Opportunities are high for women in tech, but it’s the lack of encouragement that obstructs them to work actively in this male-dominant industry. We should engage role models and successful female engineers to promote and encourage women.”

It has been proven that companies with women on their board of directors consistently outperform those with all-male teams, and gender-balanced companies demonstrate superior team dynamics and productivity, she states.

“In a workplace, females have a different communication style, way of thinking and a different way of expressing emotions. We should understand each other and accept the difference,” she says.

Advice to entrepreneurs

Jang, who is fast becoming a pioneer for female engineers beyond Korea, is on a mission to protect, empower and promote OpenStack software and the community around it, including users, developers and the entire ecosystem.

Ask for help

According to her, many working women have the responsibility of taking care of their homes and kids while excelling at work. “You don’t have to feel the pressure to become the perfect mother. You should find a partner who shares core household tasks, respects and supports your career. And if you have already found (this) partner, ask him for help,” she says.

Work together and find the right mentor

“When I had difficulty in coding with OpenSource, I asked the community members to help me and I learnt faster and found solutions more easily. Don’t try to it all on your own. Working together allows for varied views, insights and knowledge sharing. Working together is always better than working alone,” she states.

Jang also stresses on the importance of having the right mentor to get proper guidance and support.