Through a coffee chat with Tyson whom I met on LinkedIn, I received advice from a senior in life and gained a lot of motivation.
The meeting between me, who likes to speak, and Tyson, who likes to listen, had a positive impact on each other, and I want to become someone who listens to others' stories in the future.
My coffee chat experience with Tyson was a great help in a situation where I didn't have any Korean senior, and it was a precious time like meeting a good mentor.
If you frequently use LinkedIn, you've probably seen him before. It's 'Tyson'. He used to work for Samsung in Korea before immigrating to the United States, and now he continues his career as a Samsung man at the US Samsung subsidiary.
I've been watching him conduct many coffee chats with others, and I applied to have a coffee chat with him as well. Thankfully, he accepted my request :) I've never met him offline, but being able to meet and talk to such a valuable person through the online platform of LinkedIn is truly amazing. The world has gotten so much better.
Tyson started our coffee chat by asking me about my background. He asked me about each of my career experiences and listened to my story. I was so happy and proud because he reacted to my story and laughed a lot.
I really love to talk. Whenever I'm in a community or group where there's a chance to speak, I desperately want to talk. I'm filled with a desire for many people to listen to my story and react to it. Arrogantly, I'm also an extreme 'attention-seeker' who believes the entire universe should revolve around me.
I was truly happy and grateful that Tyson listened to my stories. In fact, he said he's curious about other people's stories and enjoys listening to them. Of course, he probably enjoys having people listen to his stories too, but I was thankful that he took the time for me and listened. It felt so comfortable, reminding me of the time I used to go to psychological counseling.
Even though he wasn't my direct supervisor and we'd never met, his advice as a senior in life left a lasting impression. His words were exactly what I needed at this point in my life. Things like 'work hard at your current company to the point where you feel like you've done enough', 'Sanghoon, it seems you're still hungry and need to produce visible results', and 'the grievances you experienced at your previous company aren't present in your current one, providing you with the optimal conditions to showcase your abilities'—all of his comments were very motivating.
Although I don't have a Korean direct senior to get encouragement and advice from, I was thankful to be able to receive this help. It felt like I had met a truly wonderful boss and mentor.
I, too, should become someone who listens to others like Tyson in the future. If I'm the only one talking, everyone will get annoyed. I will also strive to be a person who listens attentively to your stories, asks only questions, and elevates you by immersing myself in your life.
