This Meet the Trulian features Rishita Singh, senior software engineer at Trulia. Rishita began her career as a program analyst, before earning her graduate degree from the University of California, Riverside, and joining Trulia in 2015. Read on to learn more about her.
What’s your role at Trulia?
I am a senior software engineer on Trulia’s footprint team, recently renamed “Falcons.” Our team is responsible for understanding consumers’ unique preferences and search criteria. We collaborate with different teams across Trulia engineering, like data science and email communications, to provide a personalized home search experience to consumers.
What inspired you to get into your role?
I have always been intrigued with data and the insights it can provide. I was fortunate to gain exposure to big data systems during my Master’s Project at UC Riverside, where I got to see firsthand that analyzing and profiling data can solve complex problems. In my previous job at MarkMonitor, I designed and developed a system for comprehensive detection of pirated content. I was inspired to join Trulia because the role provided the opportunity to combine my love for working with big data with the chance to work alongside a great team to offer a better, more personalized experience for consumers going through one of the more daunting experiences in their lives: searching for their next home.
What was your dream job growing up and why?
I didn’t have a specific dream job growing up, but rather a wide range of dreams, like being a doctor, scientist, speech therapist, dancer, and so on! However, when my older brother brought home our family’s first computer, I was hooked. Initially, I just played games, but as time went by, I slowly got interested in programming.
What’s the one gadget or personal tech item you cannot live without and why?
My phone, or, more specifically, the apps on it, like Facebook and WhatsApp, that make life much easier and help me keep in touch with family and friends back in India.
If you could have drinks with one tech luminary – dead or alive – who would it be and why? And, what would your first question be?
Steve Jobs. I have always looked up to him as an innovative leader with a great vision and admire his ability to stand tall in adversity. I would ask him what made him come back to Apple, and who is one tech personality he was inspired by.
What was the last movie you saw or book you read, and what – if anything – would you change about the ending?
I recently watched “Get Out,” a crushingly smart thriller that offered twists and turns until the very end. It’s about Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), who are visiting Rose’s parents for a weekend getaway. As the story unfolds, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead Chris to a truth that he never could have imagined. I don’t want to spoil the ending for those who haven’t seen it yet, so I wont give it away here, but it’s definitely a must-watch!
If you could master one talent or skill that you don’t have now what would it be and why?
Public speaking. I would like to master the ability to express clear, organized thoughts in a precise and confident manner.
If you could have one superpower what would it be and why?
Given that learning new languages comes as a challenge to me, I would like to have the superpower of omnlinguism, the ability to understand and utilize verbal or non-verbal communication without any prior knowledge of the language. That way, I could travel around the world, interact with people from all different backgrounds, and learn about their culture, without having to worry about a language barrier.
If you could time travel, would you go into the future or past and why?
I would love to go into the future. I am fascinated by technology and would love to know if we will have maintained the momentum of innovation we have now, and if have we been responsible with it.
