Getting to know datacenter employees: Yeonjoo Kang
Microsoft’s success depends on our people. We are proud to introduce some of the talented folks in your community who work in our global datacenters. Discover what inspired them to seek a career in the tech industry, the different pathways they explored, and what a day in the life of a datacenter employee looks like.
Introducing Yeonjoo Kang
Datacenter Technician Manager
Seoul, South Korea
Employee since 2021
Early days
Yeonjoo majored in Business Administration and developed an interest in procurement and logistics through her experiences on a working holiday in Australia and internship in the United States. Her career began in a fashion vendor’s purchasing team, and later she transitioned to a tech company as a Server Build Technician, seeking stable growth in a post-pandemic world.
The path to technology
When Yeonjoo started her career, she had limited IT knowledge. However, she quickly gained experience through learning systems, conducting labs, writing reports for hardware and network troubleshooting, and performing tier tests. Over two years as a Server Build Technician, she worked on datacenter infrastructure. Yeonjoo gained hands-on experience with hardware (servers, racks, and cables), resolved network issues, and performed basic Linux troubleshooting for OS configuration. She also developed strong customer service skills, ensuring timely communication in line with service level agreements and CSAT standards. These experiences laid a solid foundation for her growth in the IT field and contributed to her joining Microsoft.
Superpowers
Yeonjoo has an extroverted personality, enabling her to quickly build rapport and find common ground with others. Since joining Microsoft, she has focused on diversity and inclusion, adapting to team dynamics and addressing challenges by understanding team members’ personalities and work styles. Also, she is committed to meeting deadlines and completing tasks efficiently, finding optimal workflows and adhering to schedules. This approach ensures productivity and smooth project execution.
A day in the life
Every morning, Yeonjoo starts with a 5-in-15 meeting to share important tasks, risks, and reminders with the team. This is the most engaging part of her day, as it sparks active discussions. After the meeting, she prioritizes handling important daily tasks such as checking emails, ongoing projects, deployments, and break-fix issues, aiming to complete them in the morning. In the afternoon, she works on new tasks, checks in with the team, and reviews runbooks. After work, she relaxes at home, exercises, or meets friends to refresh herself.
Favorite childhood food
Kimchi soup with bean sprouts and pork
Similar to kimchi jjigae, kimchi soup with bean sprouts and pork is Yeonjoo’s favorite dish. Whenever she visited her grandmother in the countryside, her grandmother would make it for Yeonjoo. Since Yeonjoo couldn’t visit her often, she would ask her mom to make it for her. Now that her grandmother is ill and can no longer cook for her, Yeonjoo misses it even more and would love to taste it again.
.
.
.
.
