This installment of the Meet the Db2 for z/OS Team blog series focuses on Katherine Soohoo. Kat represents a new generation of technical leaders who bring their creativity and enthusiasm to the Db2 for z/OS development team. In a relatively short period of time, Kat has distinguished herself as somebody who is not afraid to take on the big challenges, whether that be on the tooling modernization side of the house, on the core Db2 engine, or on specialty assignments, such as the watsonx Code Assistant for Z COBOL-to-Java project. Kat recently sat down with us to talk about her Db2 for z/OS journey. Tell us about how you joined the Db2 for z/OS team. I was getting close to completing my degree in Computer Science at San Jose State University, and I was taking a software engineering course taught by Frank Butt, who also happened to work at IBM on Db2 for z/OS. He told me that an internship was available and that he thought I would be a good fit. So I applied and was accepted, and started off in the DDL team in 2017. Then, in 2018, I took a full-time regular position at IBM.

What attracted you to pursue a career in technology?

I loved playing video games when I was younger so when it came time to choose a major in college, I naturally leaned toward video game-related careers. I also considered graphic design and music, but I was better at computer science out of the three. That's pretty much how I got into technology as a career. But after being in the industry for several years, I can thankfully say this field fits my personality well since I'm very detailed-oriented and I like to figure out how things work.

I’m guessing that you weren’t exposed to Db2 for z/OS or even general mainframe technology in college. Was it challenging to get up to speed with these technologies?

Yes, I didn't know about Db2 for z/OS or the mainframe until I joined IBM. It was a little intimidating at first, but everybody who I worked with really helped me to understand the tools and basics of the technology so that I could become productive and start contributing. It was my first time working with the green screen, but now I use it all the time for work.

I think everyone on the Db2z team understands that most new hires aren’t going to know much about mainframes or the applications that run on them, so there’s a culture of patience and support with respect to helping new developers grow their skills. Another challenge is that there’s not a lot of publicly available training materials, so I relied quite a bit on our internal documentation and asking questions to help me learn.

Give us a rundown of the projects that you’ve been involved in.

I started off as a co-op on the DDL team where I first got exposed to Db2 for z/OS and the z/OS development environment. Then, when I became full-time, I joined the DevOps team where I worked on automating Db2 application deployments and developing IBM Db2 for z/OS Connector on IBM Cloud Pak for Data. From there, the team got repurposed to build Db2 Developer Extension from the ground up. I spent most of my career working on the extension and reimagining Data Studio workflows. Now, I'm currently on the Authorization team since last year learning about the component and working on customer cases and new features.

Db2 Developer Extension is where you got your first leadership opportunity, is that right?

Yes, I eventually had the opportunity to lead the Db2 Developer Extension team after working on it for a few years. It was quite a big change from my day-to-day responsibilities. Instead of focusing on my own tasks, I had to review everyone else's work and look at the product from a bigger picture. It was challenging taking on this new role knowing that people are looking up to you, but I knew I was the right person for the job at the time. I learned all about the logistics to get a product delivered and how to trust in my team rather than taking on everything by myself.

Talk a little bit more about the watsonx Code Assistant for Z COBOL-to-Java project.

While working on Db2 Developer Extension, I was recruited to work on the initial release of watsonx Code Assistant for Z. I was put into an ad-hoc team tasked with creating the frontend for COBOL to Java conversion using generative AI. We had tight deadlines, teams in different time zones, and new things to learn. I didn't work on the generative AI part itself, but it was a fun experience working with an emerging technology and seeing what it was capable of.

So far in your Db2 career, you’ve contributed to a wide variety of projects and had a wide variety of experiences.  From what you’ve learned, what advice would you give to a developer who is just starting out at IBM?

From the perspective of working on a product that's been out for decades, I would say don't be afraid to ask a bunch of questions and get as much hands-on experience as possible. At least for me, there's only so much I can retain from reading documentation. I learn and understand concepts much better when I try things out myself.

And flipping the script a bit, is there anything that you wish somebody had told you during the first months of your career that would have been valuable or made your life easier?

The first months were enjoyable at IBM. You don't have as much responsibilities as a newbie and everything is a new experience. After about a year or two, I wish somebody had told me to take it easy. I was quite the workaholic back then and eventually burnt myself out. I learned a lot to be more productive at work, but I wasn't taking care of myself. Nowadays, I have a much better work-life balance.

How do you spend your time away from SVL?  Maybe describe what an ideal weekend would look like for you.

Outside of work, I enjoy going to concerts, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. My ideal weekend would be getting enough sleep, then going for a morning walk. Afterwards, I would eat a home-cooked meal paired with loose leaf tea. Throughout the rest of the day, I may meet up with friends, play guitar, play games, or take a nap. Then, I would end the day relaxing before going to sleep. I’m very much a homebody so a day mostly at home sounds great to me.

I know that you’ve got a long way to go in your career, but do you have a particular achievement or maybe even a bucket list of achievements that you’d like to check off in the coming years?

This might be a bit unconventional, but I don't have a particular achievement in mind. If I can positively impact customers while enjoying my work, I would say this is an achievement.