Meet Giang Phan, a Technical Support Specialist who’s been part of the JK Moving team for two years as of this July. Originally from Florida, Giang moved to Virginia in August 2021 and brought with him a winding career path, a love of technology that goes back to childhood, and a family he counts as his biggest source of pride.
A career built on curiosity
Giang grew up around computers and electronics, and the pull toward a tech career was there from the start. But his path getting there wasn’t a straight line. Before landing in IT, he worked as a sushi chef and spent about eight years helping run his mother’s nail salon – experience that, in its own way, taught him plenty about problem-solving under pressure.
When he eventually turned toward tech full time, he did it later than most people in the field typically start. It’s something he’s proud of rather than self-conscious about. “I have worked hard to pursue something that I have always wanted to do, and it has gotten me to where I am today,” he says.
Finding a home at JK
Giang found his way to JK Moving after seeing consistently positive feedback about the company (and about JK Founder and CEO Chuck Kuhn) while job hunting. Two years in, what’s stuck with him most is the team around him.
“Each and every one has been welcoming and makes my work day more enjoyable,” Giang says, giving particular credit to his manager, LeMar Pollard, who he describes as amazing from day one.
Life outside of work for Giang
At home, Giang shares life with his wife, Carrie, and a big, blended family: four daughters between the two of them, including 14-year-old Salina, twin bonus daughters Emilee and Kristin (29), and Sierra (26) – plus five grandchildren: Isla, Sarati, Lucas, Leah, and Layla. Family is at the center of what drives him. “My goal in life is to be able to provide a wonderful life for my kids and grandkids,” he says. “They are my true joys in life. We only get to live once, so enjoy every moment, as we never know when it’s our last.”
Professionally, Giang isn’t done climbing. He’s focused on continuing to build his skills with an eye toward eventually moving into a Lead or Director role.
The fun facts
Ask Giang’s coworkers and they might not know he was once a serious MMO gamer, leading top guilds in games like World of Warcraft, Eden Eternal, and Black Desert Online. These days, with those time-intensive guild responsibilities behind him, he unwinds with first-person shooters like Apex Legends after a long work week.
And if you want to know what’s shaped him most, look no further than the movie theater: Giang names Armageddon as his all-time favorite film – the reason, he says, he once dreamed of becoming an astronaut.
Giang’s advice for the next generation
For anyone starting out in tech support or IT, Giang’s advice is simple: keep learning. “Push your knowledge and learn more. Gather more certs or a college degree, and jump in,” he says. “The only way to go is up.”
It’s advice that mirrors Giang Phan’s own story: proof that a career built later in life, one certification and one opportunity at a time, can still take you exactly where you want to go.
If you’re interested in a career with JK Moving or know someone who might be, please visit our Careers site for more information!