A Google engineer who moved from Bengaluru to California says one factor has shaped his career more than anything else: having the right mentors.
Speaking to Business Insider, Deep Shah, who has been a Google employee since 2018, recounted his journey from playing computer games as a child to working at the tech giant’s Mountain View headquarters, and the lessons that helped him navigate both the tech world and life abroad.
“Since I joined Google in 2018, it has been amazing to see the impact I've had,” Shah told the outlet.
He shared that he joined Google Bengaluru, where he worked on applying machine learning and AI to Google Maps. Then, after three years in India, he relocated to the company’s Mountain View office in 2021 to contribute to Search-related projects.
This transition, he said, was eased by Google’s similar work culture across countries, but everything else required guidance, and that is where mentors made all the difference.
{{/usCountry}}This transition, he said, was eased by Google’s similar work culture across countries, but everything else required guidance, and that is where mentors made all the difference.
{{/usCountry}}“I've learned that mentors are one of the greatest things to have. Good mentors have changed the way I approach problems and have impacted the engineer I've become,” he said.
Shah's journey from India to the US
Shah shared that his tech journey began with a childhood dream of making his own computer games, which prompted him to pursue computer engineering. During his bachelor’s programme, he took up competitive programming, which led to job opportunities with leading tech companies. His first role was at an AI and machine learning team supporting advertising clients. After a year and a half, he applied to Google and cleared the intensive Big Tech interview process.
He said that then relocating to the US was a “big transition” for him, but added that the opportunity to work on improving Google Search made the move worthwhile. Senior peers and friends in the US then helped him adjust to life outside India, he said.
Shah also shared that he believes mentorship is one of the most underrated assets for students and young professionals, and one that can change the course of a career. “I've been fortunate to have had a lot of great mentors throughout my career, as well as in my undergrad, who actually supported me and gave me good ideas,” he said.
“College students should try to be involved with a professor or someone who can give them exposure to any machine learning or AI problems they’re excited about, no matter how small or large,” he added.
According to him, this helps build confidence and ownership and becomes a strong addition to a resume. “My mentors taught me how to navigate organizational dynamics and influence stakeholders - skills that are rarely learned just by doing the core work,” he said.
Techie's advice for college students
Shah also advised college students to be intentional. “It should be very clear what specific things you'd like to use your mentor for, and I recommend having a proper agenda to go over together. It helps them give you the right advice, and you can have clearer expectations,” he said.
“Each mentor will teach you different things, and the person doesn't necessarily need to be a professor. They could be an alumnus or someone who's more senior at your college. It doesn't matter how you find them, but they should be someone who you think is a good role model,” he added.