Balancing career, church and family

Lei Cummings, the BYU-Hawaii Alumni Relations manager, said she and Jacquie Alisa, a coordinator with Leadership Activities and Services, were contacted by Bernadette Pinpin to invite students to join a Zoom conference on March 27. Cummings said Pinpin is a member of the BYUH Washington Alumni Chapter, and the purpose of the Zoom meeting was for students to learn from experts who graduated from BYUH and one graduate from BYU-Idaho.

Carlyn Sanchez from Washington

works as a corporate director of Human Resources at Noble House Hotels & Resorts after she attended BYU-Hawaii from 1999 to 2003. She said she majored in international cultural studies and communications. Her academic foundation at school paved the way for her career in the world of tourism and hospitality, she said. She started working in hotels as a regular staff member and was led to become a corporate director of human resources in the industry, she added. During the mentoring session held by the BYUH alumni chapter in Washington state, she provided insights on the ever-changing landscape of any industry and the crucial roles of innovation, utilization of technology and people skills in staying ahead of any person’s career.

According to Sanchez, throughout her tourism and hospitality career, she noticed shifts in applicants’ skills and how they utilize technologies to their advantage. She said the change brought in competitiveness among applicants in the job market. She said social skills are more important than innovation and utilization of modern-day technologies. She emphasized the value of genuine connection among people.

Besides her encouragement to acquire these specific skills, she also highlighted the need for balance in both personal commitments and professional responsibilities. She said the importance of time management and prioritization helped her balance time with her family, church and work. Sanchez said she developed a personal color-coded calendar to help her track essential life events and schedules at work. She said her story and efforts leading her to where she is now testify to the intertwined connection between technical expertise and heartfelt social connections. She reminded students these are lifelong skills to be developed over time.

Gabriel Ikpaetuk from Nigeria

is a recent graduate from BYU–Idaho and a software engineer at Netflix. H said his journey from school to professional life came from his proactive school engagements. He said he had internships at Amazon and Family History and learned from mistakes as he moved forward. Ikpaetuk said he also made valuable connections during his years in college that helped him find his full-time job. “As students, we were reminded to utilize websites and other school sources to look for careers. I utilized Indeed, LinkedIn, and personally emailed the people I connected with, which helped me land a job here at Netflix,” Ikpaetuk said.

While working at Netflix, he said he accidentally broke a code while working. He said he learned about resiliency and having a growth mindset. After the mistake, he configured the error and determined how it occurred. His experience at work taught him mistakes will always happen in life, he said, but it does not mean the end of the road.

“Failure is just a form of having new iterations. It means that you are brave enough to try again, have a chance to see what works best, and get closer to your desired goal or outcome in life. It has taught me to keep going and learn in every way,” Ikpaetuk said.

Besides his recent experience, he stressed the power of time management and making commitments to God a person’s top priority. He said determining what is essential to a person helps them prioritize and balance their work life, church calling, and personal time for themselves.

Shioon Kim from Washington

   

is a BYUH alumnus and dentist, graduated in 2001 with a major in biochemistry. He said he pioneered the major at BYUH and was grateful for his experiences while studying here. Kim said his success was measured by his eagerness to connect with people and professionals while studying. He said the school instilled values and skills for his professional success. “Without the foundation laid at BYUH, I believe I would not have achieved or made it to where I am standing right now,” Kim said.

Beyond his professional career, he said he finds joy and fulfillment in his role as a husband and a father to five children. He said his success comes from his family, which he termed as of the “utmost importance” in his life. His obligations at home made him do well in his calling at church and in his professional responsibilities, he added. One of his most cherished working moments was doing a dental drive in Guatemala and Honduras. Aside from his normal clinic schedule, he said, he dedicates his time to serving communities beyond borders. “The lifelong leadership I learned at BYUH paved the way for me to reach out to other people who are unfortunate and need help bringing their smiles back,” he said.

In the Zoom meeting, he emphasized three things he does to have a balanced life. First, he said he advocates for a deep understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel served as his compass traversing in his professional field, he said. Second, he said to be engaged with nature. He noted the importance of being out in nature and how it affects physical performance. He said taking time to care for himself through exercising in nature helped him feel rejuvenated. Lastly, he said to pursue activities that bring joy and fulfillment to a person. He added recognizing people’s passions for anything drives them to keep going. He emphasized the importance of polishing skills and talents while balancing family time, church and work.

Younghyuk Hong from South Korea

graduated in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in information systems. Hong said he changed his career to education and now has a doctoral degree in school of administration.

Making friends is an essential part of the college experience, said Hong. “My wife and I had known the Pinpins for 20 years, and they helped us see things with a new perspective,” he added.

Hong said he taught his children the way he handles failures in life is to know there is always a way back whenever one fails.

Hong said to be curious about what others are doing is good when starting a career. “Come up with questions that make others want to share their experiences and thoughts, and make sure to listen.”

Bernadette Pinpin from the Philippines

is a principal program manager at Microsoft originally from the Philippines, graduated in 1999 majoring in information systems. Pinpin shared three steps to success in a career.

“First, networking played a huge role in getting to where I am today,” said Pinpin. She said establishing solid relationships and positive impressions with coworkers and managers while having various roles throughout her career has helped her maintain connections.

Pinpin said communication was the second step. Her decision to transition back to a particular role led her to notify her international engineering network, both within and outside Microsoft. She showed her interest in the position. This communication led to opportunities for informational and formal interviews, she added.

“Third, I started polishing my interview skills and did mock interviews,” she said. Pinpin said Microsoft’s internal transfers involved applying for the job and undergoing a full-time interview loop. “You can’t just transfer from one job to another. You need to apply for the job and interview,” she added.

Cary Mitchell from Washington

is a principal software engineer at Microsoft, graduated from BYUH in 2000. He shared how he found mentors in his life and how he mentors others.

Recalling his student years, he said whenever he bumps into people who have extraordinary skills in different areas, he makes sure to reach out to them and ask the question, “Can you be my mentor?” Mitchell said asking this question involves persuasion skills and helps him understand most people want to see a return on investment.

Mitchell said he always drives the engagement by saying, “I set up meetings with my mentee and make sure these meetings benefit us mutually.” Express gratitude for each other when ending a mentorship, he said.

Along with his advice on mentorship, Mitchell said the biggest challenge he faced in his career-seeking journey was taking the wrong role or job. He shared there is a lot of flattery when seeking jobs. “You hear all the things you want to hear. You see everything you want to see. Then you take the role, and there’s a reality that kicks in,” he added.

“In the end, the only thing you can really control is having a positive attitude. You don’t let those around you affect your attitude. Also, pray. The Lord will always guide you,” he said. •