Lang Black

Background

About Lang Black

My path into the working world began at a very young age when I realized that my parents came into this country with barely two pennies to rub together and zero ability to even speak the language. To witness how hard they worked to provide for us while sacrificing their own selves fueled my work ethics. By the tender age of 4, I already knew money did not come easy and the $0.25 my mom was able to scrounge up to buy a popsicle for my sister and I to share did not grow on trees. She had to work really hard to even give us that small treat. The only toys and clothes I had were hand-me-downs but I did not care. To me, they were new and I appreciated every little thing I had. Fast forward to my teen years and although I still didn’t have much, I was able to acquire more by getting jobs at fast food restaurants and retail stores. But of course, this was not where my journey would end. They were mere stepping stones pushing me to where I wanted to go. Eventually I landed a position as an Optical Assistant which opened up my eyes – pun intended – to the world of vision. Although I enjoyed helping patients restore their eyesight, after a few years, I found that this was also just a mere stepping stone. To where, however, I simply had no idea. Through much luck, I landed a position as a receptionist for a manufacturing company. Within a month, I was promoted to Project Manager. I continued on this path for over a decade and after taking some time off to care for my own physical and mental health, I was referred to my current company and subsequently hired on as a PM. As fate would have it, a new position had opened up and I was offered the opportunity to knock down that door and essentially shed my Project Management role and kickstart my career into the Quality Assurance world. You know those phone calls we all make that starts off with the pre-recording of “This call may be monitored or recorded for Quality Assurance purposes…”? I used to roll my eyes, but now, I understand the importance of them. Have I completely conquered my role as a Quality Assurance Manager? Absolutely not. Far from it. Matter of fact, I highly doubt there is an end game to this career path and I look forward to growing and expanding within the industry. My true goal was never to simply succeed – it was to make sure that I make my parents proud and to guarantee that their sacrifices were not for naught. And on that note, I believe I am well on my way.