After graduating with a master's degree in AI at the University of Sciences, Ms. Trang Truong continued to become a lecturer at the school in a completely new field of Computer Network. Over the past 9 years in the process of learning - cultivating - imparting knowledge, she has accumulated many experiences not only in technology but also in pedagogical skills, understanding human abilities.
Then she stopped her teaching job and challenged herself in a new position, a completely new environment. Currently, Ms. Trang plays a management role at OPWATS after 1.5 years working in Vietnam and 7 years working in the US.
Switching from teaching to working in software was a bold decision for her at the time and she went through countless hardships. Managing a team in Vietnam remotely, and having a language barrier for colleagues in the US, has required her to constantly update her “new version” to adapt. By learning from predecessors, colleagues or even those with lower positions, she accumulated many invaluable lessons.
Nearly 7 years living in the US, she has realized that living and adapting to a different culture is an indescribable experience. Therefore, most of us choose to build a lifestyle that suits our living environment, there are no boring people, only people who don't know how to renew their lives.
Ms. Trang shared “It is a fun story that my major in school was AI but I started my career with Computer Networks and now I am in a software development area. I might have ended my career as a chef.
I love cooking and hiking during my weekends. My favorite aisle at a bookstore is the Cooking books aisle. I always check out cooking books when I visit any bookstores."
"That's how I enjoy life even though I don't have too many friends here on weekends. I take the time to conquer new and somewhat unique things. The hardest trails I have trekked so far are Mt. Fuji in Japan and Cathedral Rock Trail in Sedona, AZ. Mt. Fuji was the first hike I did and it's an overnight hike from 10 PM to 9 AM without sleeping. It sounds crazy, right? After I did it, I understood what people said on the Internet when I was googling it: only do once. The Cathedral trail is a short one but scary trail since it requires climbing some parts. But it's worth it when you get on the top.”
In fact, there are not too many barriers for women, at the company, women receive support from many sides and there is always a desire to conquer and create inside them. Currently, most women are not ready for leadership roles because they still want to stay and support their families. Compared to men, women are softer and have a better sense of their members. For Ms. Trang Truong, women can completely compete with men in their leadership journey.
The important thing for a leader, whether male or female, is the ability to handle the work. For her team members, Ms. Trang always gives them a special understanding. She believes that giving them the opportunity to speak out their mind is a way to discover their abilities and mistakes in their work. A strict leader is not necessarily bad, but a leader needs to balance between "hard" and "soft", they need to use their special abilities and advantages to motivate employees as well as receive respect.
Vietnam is fortunate to have many talents, they are eager to learn, do not hesitate to accept challenges. My students or even young colleagues are ambitious, talented and always striving to achieve their dreams. Personally, I always want to develop them to become a better version every day, but I still feel the fear of being wrong, afraid of doing it wrong, afraid of saying the wrong thing, especially when communicating with their bosses.
I think one of the top things we should do right now is to improve the mindset of less experienced employees, helping them to be more open and confident in their abilities. The intellectual products of Vietnam are not inferior to the international market, so there is no reason for Vietnamese human resources to lack confidence when expressing their views or demonstrating their ability. Obviously, a good leader is one who is able to unleash the hidden potential in each of his/her employees.
Tech Inside, Women Rise is a project empowered by KMS Solutions with the goal of spreading the stories and experiences of women in the Technology industry. As a result, the image of women in the Technology industry is becoming more prominent, inspiring young girls who are struggling to pursue their dreams.
