Jin Zhang

I have a secret: I am scared of learning new things.

It’s easy to understand my scared mind. Learning is a lot of work. Especially in my professional field of computer technology, it seems like something new is popping up all the time. At first everybody was learning Java and then the trendy new programming language became Python. A few years ago, the cloud came, then Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence, and now blockchain. It doesn’t seem to ever end. I feel tired trying to… Show more

I have a secret: I am scared of learning new things.

It’s easy to understand my scared mind. Learning is a lot of work. Especially in my professional field of computer technology, it seems like something new is popping up all the time. At first everybody was learning Java and then the trendy new programming language became Python. A few years ago, the cloud came, then Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence, and now blockchain. It doesn’t seem to ever end. I feel tired trying to keep up, and many of my colleagues seriously considered switching roles so that they wouldn’t have to constantly feel the pressure of learning.

Before assessing such a dramatic switch for myself, I thought I’d examine my fear first. I did discover a few things from my cultural roots. I was born and raised in Asia where college entrance is extremely competitive. Kids studied day and night for 12 years with the single goal of getting into a state-run college, which guaranteed a job upon graduation. Throughout this process, we were often reminded that there was an end to all these efforts. Once we passed our final college class exams, we could finally relax and have a good life. It’s interesting that while in the Chinese language the words for “learn” and “study” are used interchangeably, in English, they actually have quite different meanings.

I am grateful to my children for many things, one of which is Carol Dweck’s book “Mindset”. ...
So now I see myself trying a few new things here and there. I hear myself telling colleagues and my children, “Help me with this one. I don’t know much about it.” As a result, I learn new things and gain new expertise to share with others. I smile when I reflect on how I mistakenly thought I was all done with learning when I finished graduate school. I will always be learning but now with more joy and less fear. Show less

While big data value is clear, picking an execution strategy is tricky. Do we aim small but quick, or big but may be slow? Technology leaders should be mindful of the advantages and disadvantages of both centralized and departmental approach, thus orchestrate a hybrid approach with a common big data engine carefully so that enterprises can benefit from early wins followed by the economy of scale.

CA’s Jin Zhang was named one of Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Women of Influence for 2017. We asked her a few questions about her career. She told us about why role models and encouragement matter for women in tech.

How should companies overcome the challenges to make their data analytics investment count? This article discusses the value of focusing on a real business problem supported 3 strategic steps in order to accelerate time to value.

In this annual ITOA prediction focusing on hottest technology trends, Jin advocates the value of focusing on REAL business problem, whether existing or new, in order to get analytics investment truly justified with quick time-to-value.

Failure should be celebrated! Read to find out why.

"The Best of..." Track of Grace Hopper Conference, Houston, 2016, a panel originated by Jin Zhang, of industry experts on the topic of Artificial Intelligence.

This interview spotlights Jin Zhang, a CA Technologies intrapreneur and head of the forty2.io team within the CA Accelerator – a program that focuses on creating solutions utilizing emerging technologies.

A virtual chat hosted by CSC on data career - opportunities, unique traits, skills, future of the field, and how to succeed. Joined by my fellow panelist Jerry Overton @ CSC.

A Google Hangout talk hosted by CSC on why data is such an exciting field, how to stand out on this path, and why diversity matters big time. Joined by my fellow panelist Jerry Overton @ CSC.

"How to enlist the support and help from men in your network", Jin Zhang presented this topic at the monthly speaking series for Atlassian employees