I Went From Being a Marketing Freelancer to Working at a Leading Tech Startup

Liang Liang has always been fascinated by blockchain technology. It’s that same curiosity that led the freelance photographer and marketer to attend a web development bootcamp on the new technology and how she came to discover ConsenSys. “Curiosity is what really helps to advance your career.“ 

Now, Liang is the first line of support for ConsenSys products in her new role as Technical Support Engineer in the Customer Success team. She believes that having diverse experiences helped prepare her for this role.

In a recent interview with Fairygodboss, Liang tells us what it’s like to work at the tech startup and why she’s excited for the future of the company. She also shares her best tips for job seekers who are looking to change careers.

How long have you been in your current role, and what were you doing previously? 

I joined ConsenSys in mid-October. Originally, I went to school and studied marketing and advertising and during that time I began working for a fashion tech start-up in Hong Kong. I had heard about Blockchain technology and was interested in it, but I decided to take a few years first to focus on freelance photography and marketing for lifestyle brands. As time progressed, I knew I wanted to do something more technical. I went to a web development bootcamp where I worked on a project using Truffle and MetaMask, and that’s how I learned more about blockchain and ConsenSys.

Pivoting career paths can feel overwhelming. Why did you want to make this change, and what ultimately helped you do it?

Having curiosity and interest is so important when making a career change. Being a freelancer also meant that I wasn’t bound by location. I wanted to make a career change to something that would also give me the same freedom. The technology industry allows that — as long as I have a computer and internet, I can be anywhere. 

I did a lot of research which ultimately led to me choosing a web development course. I knew this would be important if I wanted to apply for jobs. I researched the type of technology they taught, read reviews given about the instructors and course materials, and had a chance to speak to the alumni. I was also lucky that one of the instructors happened to be a blockchain enthusiast, which was really helpful!

Tell me a bit about your current role. What are your priorities, and what about it excites you most?

Our biggest priority in Customer Success at ConsenSys is customer satisfaction and responding to users as quickly as possible. What excites me the most is that I can really be at the forefront of the product and understand how people are using it, which helps to move blockchain forward by making it more adaptable and user-friendly. We work closely with the product development team and share feedback and insights from users, whilst also spotting trends that will then influence their product development roadmap. It’s been really good to combine my marketing, user flow design and technical skills for this type of role.

What about this company stood out to you and made you want to join? What’s been your favorite aspect since joining?

First, I love the array of different products. When I started using some of the products, I thought they were really cool and could see that the Ethereum ecosystem will continue to grow in the future. I knew I wanted to be a part of that. 

Since joining, I have appreciated the diversity of my team and how open and welcoming everyone is. I’m learning so much from a technical aspect and people at ConsenSys are always willing to teach and share. There is so much opportunity for continuous growth.

What’s been your favorite career mistake that you’ve made?

Freelancing! I learned a lot but at the same time, there were struggles. No one tells you about all the additional extras of running a business like accounting and billing.

What’s the most memorable piece of career advice you’ve received?

Everything is about learning. Make sure to learn what you’re curious about and things that you’ll use on a day-to-day basis. Curiosity is what really helps to advance your career. 

What advice would you give to other women interested in making a major career change?

You may think it’s not possible but the key is to have patience and just start. Once you start then you’ll continue to take the next steps. 

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