Girls & Science: Meet the Mentor PING Identity
Meet the Mentor: Joany Huang, Technical Enablement Specialist at PING Identity
Name: Joany Huang
Title: Technical Enablement Specialist
Education: BA in Economics from University of Texas at Austin, Currently studying in the MS Cybersecurity at Georgia Institute of Technology
Company Description for a 9-year-old: Ping Identity is an identity and access management software and services production company focused on innovative solutions to give the right people access to the right information at the right time.
Tell us more about your job.
As a Technical Enablement Specialist, my job is like being a superhero support for people who are tech-savvy and want to sell Ping Identity's awesome products. I make sure they have all the tools and knowledge they need to talk about our products to their customers.
I get to team up with cool folks from different parts of our company, like Products, Marketing, and Sales. Together, we come up with creative ways to show off what our solutions can do and help everyone build their skills. It's like creating a fun world to highlight our company!
Let's say Pingy is our product, and it's super smart at protecting people's information. We might make learning games to show how Pingy works in different situations. It's like turning our product into a hero with cool powers and helping everyone understand just how smart and amazing Pingy is!
Why is STEM important within your industry?
STEM is like the superhero toolkit in our industry! It helps us understand the challenges people face and build really cool and fast products to keep them safe. Being in STEM lets us be super creative and come up with new, clever ideas.
Now, a lot of what we do in cybersecurity is kind of like a virtual adventure happening on your devices, like tablets. Having STEM knowledge is like knowing the secret language your tablet uses to talk to the internet. It's super important because it helps us understand how your tablet talks to a library to get your content, and with that knowledge, we can create programs that speak the same language to protect you.
But it's not just about writing codes and programs. STEM also lets us express what we learn in different ways, like drawing diagrams. It's like turning invisible codes into pictures that help us understand and solve problems. So, in a nutshell, STEM is our superhero power for keeping the virtual world safe!
Was there a specific moment when you decided you wanted to pursue STEM as a career?
That's a great question! My decision to dive into STEM wasn't just one "aha" moment; it's been more like a journey of discovering what I love. When I was little, I always wondered about how things fit together in life, like why everyone uses money and how it helps our society work. I dreamed of being an economist.
As I studied Economics, I saw how cool technology was in making things faster and better. So, I added technology to my studies. After college, I started working at Ping Identity and discovered how cybersecurity, part of STEM, plays a big role in our lives. That made me super curious, leading me to enroll in a master's program in Cybersecurity to learn more about it. It's been a journey of finding out what I enjoy and how STEM fits perfectly into making the world work in amazing ways!
What do you like best about your job?
The coolest part is seeing how cybersecurity makes a big difference in our lives, both in things we can see and stuff happening behind the scenes. People come up with super smart ideas to solve tricky problems, and I get to be a messenger, sharing these awesome ideas with more people.
Imagine having moments at work where you go, "Wow, this is so cool!" or "Ah, that's how we can do this!" I have lots of those moments, and they make me feel amazed. It's like being in a world of endless surprises and clever solutions, and I get to be part of making it all understandable for everyone. That's what I love most!
What are the most important skills needed in your job?
One big skill I need is the ability to keep on learning in different ways and from different people. It's like having a bunch of teachers who each know something cool.
For example, I would learn about our company help us to log into online libraries without typing in passwords with your laptop or phone. Then, I think about how different people like to learn. Some love watching videos, while others like trying things out.
Have there been times in your career where you've faced difficult challenges and how were you able to overcome them?
I work with super smart folks in cybersecurity, and sometimes I get nervous because they know so much! I used to worry about not having all the answers and looking silly.
But you know what? It's okay not to know everything. I learned that saying "I don't know" is actually cool. It's like saying, "Hey, I'm ready to learn!" Every time I admit not knowing something, it's a chance to discover something new.
Talking to someone about my questions has been a game-changer. So, instead of keeping those feelings to myself, I ask questions and learn from the pros. Remember, it's okay not to have all the answers, and it's even cooler to use those moments to grow and become even better!
What advice would you give to girls of all ages who are interested in STEM?
First off, remember it's not a one-size-fits-all thing. There are many ways to jump into STEM fun! You can start by learning to code - it's like giving instructions to computers to do cool things. Ever thought about doing your own science project? That's another way to dive into the STEM world. You can even help out at fairs where people show off their cool STEM ideas!But also remember: it's okay if things get a bit tricky sometimes. It's just like playing a sport. When you're stuck, ask people around you for help. Find a mentor - someone who knows the ropes - and make friends who like the same things. Teamwork makes the dream work Think about what you already love. Maybe it's art, animals, or even superheroes. Guess what? You can add STEM to that! For example, I started with wanting to understand money (that's economics). Then, I mixed in some tech to see how phone apps work. Now, I'm curious about how to keep things super safe with cybersecurity. Start small, be curious, and keep asking "how does it work?" or "how can it work better?" You'll be on an awesome STEM journey in no time!
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