Korean techie's ride to Microsoft
By Jane Han
Han Gun-young
SEATTLE ― Seven years ago, Han Gun-young worked long hours at Naver's Bundang headquarters, strategizing for the Korean internet giant's mobile business. Today, he is working out of his own office at Microsoft's Bellevue campus, shaping the voice of the global software leader's Bing advertising products.
How did the born-and-raised Seoul native make such big leap?
``It took a lot of courage and conviction to leave my stable job in Korea and leave for the unknown,'' said Han, 40, who was 33 when he resigned from Naver. ``But I knew that if I didn't leave then, I'd never take on the adventure.''
His heart was set on gaining experience in the country he believes drives the world's tech industry. So he packed up his life, along with his wife and two sons, and left for the U.S. to become a full-time student again.
At the University of Texas in Austin, Han ― who earned his bachelor's degree in computer science at Yonsei University ― pursued a Master's of Business Administration (MBA) degree in corporate strategy, which ultimately helped him bridge a new career at Microsoft.
``Compared to other MBA students, I had more work experience under my belt so I started out full of confidence,'' said Han, ``and then I got slammed.''
``The first few months were brutal,'' he recalled, singling out the language barrier and cultural difference as two of his biggest struggles.
Constant networking and social events, class debates and an overall hypercompetitive atmosphere weighed on Han, who remembers thinking that his past experience meant nothing in the U.S.
``My past accomplishments had almost zero recognition among non-Koreans so I had to prove myself from scratch,'' he said. ``I learned to be aggressive and vocal so that I never lost a chance in selling myself to prospective employers.''
And then came an opportunity at Microsoft.
Halfway through the first year of business school, Han landed a summer internship opportunity at the multinational tech firm.
``I'll be honest,'' he said. ``That interview to get my foot in the door was not easy.''
In preparation for the interview, Han made sure he was on top of the latest tech news, memorized detailed numbers related to the company and devoted hours each day doing mock interviews.
``But even with all the prep work, I kept going back to the same worry,'' he said. ``What if I don't understand the question?''
Despite his concern, he understood ― and answered ― all the questions during five in-depth interviews, and was offered a position within Microsoft's Online Services Group. This is now the Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Research Group, the core division behind the software giant's AI technology.
He said everything felt surreal at the beginning of his career in the U.S.
``I was immensely proud that my education and work experience from Korea helped drive me all the way here to where I am,'' he said. ``My English wasn't and still isn't perfect, but that didn't stop me from moving forward.''
Having experienced the tech industry in Korea and the U.S., Han said that the two were at opposite ends in several ways.
He said the general perception of engineers and developers was quite different.
``Engineers and developers in Korea aren't given nearly the same level of respect and financial compensation as those here in the U.S.,'' he said.
He explained that in Korea, decisions were made at the top of the ladder, and working level engineers and developers were expected to follow orders. But in the U.S., decisions were made at working level.
``The idea is that people who know the product the most can make the best decision about that product,'' he said. ``To me, this is the ideal process.''
He said another big difference was work-life balance.
``The workload here is definitely not lighter compared to Korea,'' he said, ``but I am given the flexibility to spend evenings and other time as needed with my family.''
``This is something unimaginable in a typical Korean office,'' said Han, who is now a father of three boys.
He said commitment and responsibility enabled this work-life balance.
``You're given flexible working hours, but at the same time, you are solely responsible for your output,” he said. “There is an equal amount of penalty that follows if the output isn't satisfactory.'' He said layoffs, were far more common among companies in the U.S.
``I want to warn people who only look at the free-spirited and easy-going work life in the U.S. that there is much more than what meets the eye,'' Han said.
And to those who are seeking a similar career path in the U.S. tech industry, the experienced professional advises people not to be discouraged by lack of language skills.
``The U.S. tech industry is made up of people from all over the world,” he said. “Companies are interested in your experience, not your level of English. “So go ahead and challenge yourself.”