Life at DeepMind
Today we caught up with Aliya Rysbek, a software engineer on the Platform team. She told us about her journey from Central Asia to DeepMind and her endless curiosity about learning.
What does a software engineer do on the platform team?
Our team is working on a custom project management system to organize all of DeepMind’s research projects. I’m a full-stack developer, so I build components of the system, such as showing the team structure and various backend services, to add and improve product functionality. This system helps plan and track projects, see who’s working on what, and connect people. The goal is to make it easier for all DeepMinders to do their jobs.
Could you tell us what your typical day is like?
My day can vary depending on the phase of the project I’m in. Let’s say we want to add a feature to our product – my tasks could include designing solutions and working with the team to find the best solution, deploying recent features to production, and performing maintenance. Along the way, I’ll be communicating changes to our stakeholders, writing documents, coding and testing solutions, creating analytics dashboards, cleaning up aged code, and fixing bugs.
I usually work in an office, so after a quick snack or breakfast, I try to focus on critical work for about two hours. Then our team usually has lunch together, which is really nice after working remotely for so long. My afternoon hours are my most productive, so I put on my headphones and dive into coding.
The end of the day usually consists of a break, a chat with the team and a walk around the office to work through solutions or get inspired. We have such a handsome library in our office. It is inspiring to just look at the huge selection of books and be reminded of what else there is to do in life – there is still so much to learn and so many complicated problems to solve.
What are you particularly proud of in your career?
Before joining DeepMind, I mentored engineering students and high school students in my free time, helping them prepare their resumes and conduct mock interviews. After I started working here, many nonprofits and local projects approached me to do the same. I really enjoyed it and feel like I have more of an impact than ever before.
Some of the people I helped are already working at different tech companies, including two interns starting at DeepMind this month – hooray! I really enjoy sharing my resources, time, and skills with the community. As a software engineer from a developing country, I know how significant it is to bring more diversity and inclusion to the workplace.
Can you tell us about your path to DeepMind?
I come from Kyrgyzstan – getting this role was such a massive deal for me that I even got into the program local news.
English is not my native language and is rarely taught in my home country, if at all. But I was very lucky indeed. Back home I received various scholarships that paid for my time at a private high school where, thanks to my wonderful teachers, I was able to improve my English in a few months and further explore my interest in mathematics. I even ended up competing and placing 5th in the national Olympic competition while I was there.
Then I decided to study computer science and eventually earned a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the Middle East Technical University in Turkey and a master’s degree in computer engineering from the Budapest University of Technology in Hungary. Studying abroad would not have been possible without scholarship support from the Turkish and Hungarian governments.
After graduating, it was time to find a job, which was tough. Luckily, I had a mentor who was a former Googler, and for months they helped me prepare for interviews and survive over 70 rejections from different organizations. In the end, we also managed to celebrate five offers!
How did you prepare for your interview at DeepMind?
With my background in computer engineering and my internship, I felt prepared for the process. I spent a lot of time focusing on coding interviews and these resources were really helpful:
What do you do outside of work?
I’ve always loved cooking and baking, but I wanted to improve my skills, so I recently signed up for advanced baking courses – it went really well! I made delicious pavlovas, croissants (real ones, with lots of butter), tarts and complicated cheesecakes. My friends who were in charge of the tasting were really excited about my improved skills – I even became DeepMind’s Star Baker this year!
I also got back into practicing dance and aikido, a contemporary Japanese martial art. Both of these things keep me really busy, which is significant when you spend a lot of time in front of a computer. Finally, I also got inspired to learn calligraphy and pottery. At DeepMind, you can take courses that don’t have to be related to your job—a dream for someone who loves to learn.
What impact do you expect DeepMind to have on the world?
Overall, I would like to see equitable access to high-quality education worldwide, and I truly believe that DeepMind is in a position to contribute to that. There has been so much work done in scholarship program AND Summer school support, but we can always do more. Global access to education is so significant because it will unlock a huge amount of undiscovered talent and raise the overall quality of life.
Do you have any tips for people who want to become DeepMinders?
Make connections! If you see something that interests you, do your due diligence and reach out to learn more about the company, role, or project. The relationships you build are invaluable and can facilitate you find the perfect fit for your skills, interests, and values.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Ask questions. I believe that people naturally want to facilitate others and will welcome curiosity. I was once told during a career interview that the default state of a human being is “not knowing.” I really liked that and it made me realize that we shouldn’t be tough on ourselves for not knowing something, but rather be grateful and feed our curiosity by learning from others.
Learn more about engineering at DeepMind and apply for open positions today