Interview with Hazzy He, Project Manager and experienced Technical Writer

Could you introduce yourself and tell us about your current role??

I’m Hazzy He and have been working in our documentation team for our large telecommunication project for eleven and a half years. I was hired as a technical writer by Sigma in the Shanghai office. Four years later, I relocated to Gothenburg, then I took over as project manager.? ?

Do you have a background in technical writing??

Yes and no. I studied information systems and computer science at university. After I graduated, I worked as an IT support engineer for a while. And then I started developing documentation for ISO 9000. Then I joined Sigma and became a technical writer in telecoms. So I will say I didn’t study to become a technical writer in university, but there I had courses in computing, coding, business and marketing, and also finance.?

In your journey into technical writing, would you say that you have faced any challenges that others may not have experienced??

That's a very big question.?I will say it's not just limited to technical writing itself, it's more like the IT industry. In the beginning, when I worked as a support engineer right after I graduated, I was about to take over the IT support for a small company, from the guy who was leaving. He saw me.??

“Oh, so you're a woman. You're a very young woman. You just graduated. So I assume you know nothing.”?

So my daily work there was basically fixing everyone's computer: whoever could not send an e-mail, talked to me. If the whole network was down in the office, it was also on me. I even needed to figure out how to solve the overheating problem in their tiny server room because it's impossible to install A/C. We brought dry ice to the room in a hot summer! Anyway, it covers all kinds, anything you can think of that's related to daily work. But I worked hard. And I really don't think gender defines what you are capable of. But after a while I proved myself, and I think I earned the respect of everyone working in the office.?

So if I understand correctly, your gender was the barrier there, your sexuality didn't even come into it???

No, it wouldn't have mattered. I was in the closet for many, many years. Nobody knew back then. I was young and people just kept asking, “Oh, do you have a boyfriend? You know, I just happen to know a guy. Are you interested in dating, like maybe just meeting up?”. Everyone at work, most of my friends, and my family, just tried to find me a male date. I didn't say anything because I knew they wouldn't like the answer.

So maybe this is a silly question, but could you tell me about the difference that happened after moving to Sweden and being more open??

Huge difference! When I worked at Sigma in Shanghai, I really wanted to relocate to Sweden because I wanted to be gay openly and date without hiding. Without the need to lie in my daily life.? My unit manager in Shanghai was actually Swedish. I still remember it. I think it was my birthday in the Shanghai office. If it's your birthday, your unit manager will send you a small happy birthday gift which is around 100-200 sek, like a gift card for Starbucks. [editor’s note – sadly we don’t really have Starbucks in Sweden so I don’t think this idea would catch on…] So she sent that e-mail to wish me a happy birthday. I remember she attached a huge picture of a rainbow cake.?

If that picture came from a Chinese manager, I wouldn't overthink. “Oh, it's just a picture. It's a colorful cake”. But coming from a Swedish manager, I knew she knew. So then I said to her, “Thank you so much for the gift and also for the happy birthday picture”. You know, like I try being a little bit probing. She replied, “Yeah, of course. I knew the first time I saw you”. She also helped me a lot to move here. I already felt like this was going to be a big change. My life was about to become completely different. I was going to have a normal life in Sweden.?

After I moved to Sweden, I remember the first week I walked into the Gothenburg office, people asked me, “Why did you want to move to Sweden?” I was like, “I want to be gay”.? That's my answer. I really don't feel like I need to hide it anymore. I used to be scared that people might say bad things about me. People might discuss me behind my back. What if my manager will never give me a promotion? But now my manager is also gay. So I feel very, very safe.?

Sigma is very big on diversity and inclusion. Those might just be some buzzwords that we use in a corporate setting, but what do they mean to you in your day-to-day life at Sigma? ?

I never feel like I’m being excluded from anything just because I came from a different country, or my sexuality, or my gender. I never feel this way. Well, of course my manager won't send me to lift heavy stuff. It's just because I'm weak, I'm physically weak in general, not because I'm a woman. So I never feel like I'm being excluded in any way. I feel like the culture in Sigma is very welcoming and I don't feel judged or anything at all.?

Do you have any interests outside of work or any hobbies??

I will say I'm a very indoor person. In my free time, I usually just stay home, watch TV series, also play video games and… I like food. I cook food at home, or just go out and find a new restaurant to try different types of food.?

Finally, do you have any advice for anybody who might find themselves in your situation at the beginning of your story??

I feel like the world is a big place. Life shouldn't be that hard. You know, sometimes as an individual, you feel so powerless to make a change, especially when it comes to this topic. So if you can’t change the society or the law, just move to a country they already have everything ready for you.? Don't limit yourself to being unhappy every day just because you feel like you have to suffer and you are doing something wrong. Just look outside. There's somewhere else that will be more accepting of you being who you are.? After I relocated to Sweden, I kept doing exactly the same job I was doing in Shanghai, but with a huge difference in my life.?

Interviewer Robbie Bankel