Beknazar Jamangaraev is one of our compatriots, who successfully develop their careers in the United States of America, occupying good positions at global companies. He worked at Yahoo, Apple Inc., Motorola Mobility, now works at Google and lives with his family in Mountain View, California.
Beknazar was born in Bishkek, graduated from a school in Jumgal district of Naryn region of Kyrgyzstan. It is interesting that his first profession is not a programmer, but an orchestra soloist.
Beknazar Jamangaraev told 24.kg news agency how he managed to move to America at the age of 34, independently master digital technologies and get a job at the world’s leading companies.
— Beknazar, are you a soloist of an orchestra by your first profession?
— Yes, I graduated from M. Kurenkeev Music School in Bishkek, obtained a diploma of a music teacher and an orchestra soloist. Then I studied banking management at the Faculty of Economics of the Kyrgyz State National University.
But I have never worked as a music teacher or a financier. English language, which I learned in 1995-1996, turned out to be more useful for me. At that time, many tourists began to visit Kyrgyzstan; one translation company needed employees with knowledge of the English and Kyrgyz languages to accompany foreigners to the regions of the country. So I got a job. After it, I worked at a project and later opened my own travel company. We invited foreigners and organized tours to the most beautiful places of Kyrgyzstan. We sent our youth to study abroad.
— You had your own developing business and a family in Bishkek. Why did you leave?
— I left for America with my family, my four-year-old son and, one might say, without anything.
In 2009, I was forced to leave the country. Yes, I lived well in Bishkek at that time: I had a business, house, family.
But I had to think about my own safety, as there was persecution from the city administration and other persons, but I cannot tell all the details.
— Tell about your first days in the foreign country: did you have any difficulties during adaptation, with the search for work, housing, friends?
— When you arrive at a new place, the search for housing, work is a routine chore. It was hard at first, especially for the spouse and my child, they did not speak English. My son did not communicate with anyone at school for six months. But children adapt quickly. It was easier for me. I have spoken English since 20 years old, I found a job, could communicate with the locals.
Having arrived in the USA, we lived at friends’ house for 10 days. Then we rented an apartment. But we had no furniture, no carpet, slept on the bare floor. Only then, with the help of my friends, we bought some furniture. So we began our life in America.
I was acquainted with the representatives of the Kyrgyz diaspora, I also met the natives of Kyrgyzstan. Now we are already very close friends, we meet on holidays, we organize various events on Nooruz, Independence Day.
— You have worked in leading companies in the USA: Apple, Yahoo. How did you come to this area?
— I say to everyone: if you do not like your profession, your job, you can study and change your occupation.
My knowledge in IT sphere was limited to website creation and other basic skills. When I decided to master this sphere, I studied through the Internet, then I started my study at a computer school. The first place where I worked and got experience is a gaming company. Six months later, I began to send my resume to various companies.
After some time, I got a call from Yahoo and was invited to an interview.
I had worked for Yahoo for a year and got a job at another company. Then I worked at Apple Inc. By the way, I worked there when the company cost $ 1 trillion. Then changes began at Apple Inc., I left it and came to Google.
Beknazar Jamangaraev
— What are you doing at Google? What are the company’s requirements for its employees?
— Google has the same requirements like other companies in America. The main thing is to be competent, adhere to corporate ethics and meet the deadlines. I manage projects, almost all of them are successful. I deal with androids, which will be used on car displays.
We have a free work schedule. Employees themselves decide when to come and go home from work. It is not like in the post-Soviet countries, where people come in the morning and leave in the evening.
The company has created good conditions for its employees. There are fitness clubs, gyms, jacuzzi, free meals.
Each building has cafeterias, restaurants where you can eat three times a day for free and take food home. By the way, there is different cuisine, as the company is multinational.
— Several our compatriots work at Google. Do you communicate with them? Are Kyrgyz IT pros in demand in the USA?
— Yes, Kyrgyz IT specialists work at both Google and Apple. We communicate, meet.
Our guys, girls work at good positions, are appreciated. I met IT specialists from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, several from Uzbekistan. But I did not meet representatives of other Central Asian countries.
— You have two children, is their schooling expensive?
— No, my children go to a public school, they have absolutely free education. By the way, they go to one of the best schools in our region.
— I miss my friends, relatives, people with whom I grew up, and also our beautiful mountains.
— What are your plans for the future?
— Of course, it is to grow further, to head successful and interesting projects. I want to make a contribution to the development of our country.
Hopefully, I will manage to do something useful for Kyrgyzstan. Perhaps, my experience in managing people and projects will come in handy. I think corporate time management methods need to be introduced in our state structures in order to increase their effectiveness.
We need to work with our programmers, raise their level. With such talented specialists, Kyrgyzstan will be able to turn into a small Silicon Valley.
Beknazar Jamangaraev
