The Choices We Make: Simple Steps Turns 6!
We make choices every day, big and small. Whether it is choosing your non-dairy milk option at a coffee shop (almond or oat?) or making a big pivot in your career path, these choices make who we are. Personally, deciding to join the Simple Steps staff member is the “Choice of the Year” for me. On May 20th, Simple Steps members gathered in Palo Alto to celebrate the 6th anniversary and all of the choices we have made.
This year’s event was arranged in three parts all around the theme “The Choices We Make”:
Keynote speech by Jimin Kang, VP of Engineering at Salesforce
Panel discussion with three Simple Steps members: Narae Kwon, Hyejin Kang, and Seungyeon (Amy) Lee
Small group discussions of the following 6 themes:
Communicating at work - how to communicate effectively with co-workers
Starting a side project - how to carve out time and energy
The joys and sorrows of being an engineer
Overcoming career gap
Preparing for job interviews
Building endurance - the knows and how’s of staying healthy
The Highlights
Jimin shared pivotal moments in life and the paths she chose. The choices were: first, choosing to study Computer Science at age of 29 after years of studying Slavic literature/linguistics; second, choosing to become a manager despite initially self-doubting of her capabilities of becoming one; and lastly, choosing to find and build a support system. Jimin also stressed the importance and tips to finding your advocates who can, in her words, help “nurture confidence” to become your very best and happy self.
Following the keynote speech, our three panelists sat down to share their personal and professional journeys.
Narae made a big career pivot from being a Gayageum artist to Software Development Engineer. Seungyeon (Amy) made the big decision to jump back into building her career as the Program Manager at a non-profit after having her third child. Hyejin, who is now an Integration Artist at a gaming company, began her acting career and challenged herself to continue that path in the midst of the pandemic.
The room was soon filled with laughter and the empathic “aww”s as the panelists shared the twists and turns of their stories that were all too familiar - the excitement of hopping onto a new thing, the frustrations that follow and the small wins that help you carry through.
Seeing Simple Steps members in real life was a big moment for me. The energy and empathy everyone brought to the room made me realize, once more, that Simple Steps is more than just a “community for networking.” It is a support system that helps all of us to nurture the confidence we need to embark on new journeys. So, to everyone reading, here is a virtual toast to all of the choices we have made and many more to come. Happy 6th anniversary!
“어찌저찌 여기까지 온 우리, 어찌저찌 왔다기엔 이만하면 꽤 괜찮은 우리, 그런 우리여서 가슴 뿌듯한 만남이었습니다.”
“매우 친밀하고 각별한 연대의식 속에서 행사가 진행되는 게 너무 신기하면서도 힐링되는 느낌이었습니다. 지윤 님 사회, 순발력과 재치가 너무 감칠맛 나서 감탄했습니다. 예능 프로 보는 느낌의 재미와 휴식감 속에서 엄청난 공감력을 내뿜는 패널들 얘기가 환상의 콤비였음. 소그룹 네트워킹도 넘 좋았어요.”
“키노트, 패널, 소그룹 네트워킹, 쉬는 시간 모두 좋았어요! 패널은 심오하면서도 너무 공감이 잘 됐고 폭소할 수밖에 없는 순간이 많아서 참 좋았어요.”
Written by Wonjung Yun
