At Duolingo, we pride ourselves on hiring individuals who are passionate about our mission and want to use their expertise to change the world for the better. To give you a peek into what it’s like working for Duolingo, we’ve asked our team members to share more about their experience at the company!
The Duolingo English Test is where our company’s mission truly shines: by using AI to make English proficiency testing more accessible, we’re opening doors and unlocking opportunities for test takers around the world. But what's it like to work here? We asked members of the DET team to share why they chose Duolingo—and specifically why they chose the DET!
International roots, global perspective
The DET team is a multi-talented, multi-national group of experts working to make a global impact in the world of higher education.
"It's a very international company, with an American touch," says Rogelio Alvarez, who moved to Pittsburgh from Guatemala seven years ago to head up the business unit as Vice President and General Manager of the DET.
The team Rogelio has built is driven to reimagine language testing for the digital age in large part because of their own experiences as international test takers.
“It really aligned with my vision and my values as a researcher and an educator,” says Masha Kostromitina, who started working on the DET as an assessment science communications manager shortly after earning her PhD in Applied Linguistics.
Basim Baig, head of DET Security, hails from Pakistan. Like Masha, he chose to join Duolingo because of the DET. As a sought-after expert in cybersecurity, Basim could have gone to San Francisco, Seattle, or New York, but he decided to come to Pittsburgh because of the DET and its mission.
“It's everything that I had wanted 10 years ago, when I was coming to the U.S. for studies,” says Basim. “How many schools I could apply to was directly based on my parents' income, which was not that much. And I really felt that I was being held back because of something that was not in my control at all.”
Agility meets stability
The DET is built differently — and so is our workplace! As a smaller business unit within the larger Duolingo ecosystem, DET combines the best of both worlds: the close-knit camaraderie and agility of a small team, and the stability and resources of an established company. Duolingo gives us access to cutting-edge technology, top-notch talent, and a diverse network of partners.
This unique blend allows us to innovate and grow while maintaining a solid foundation, which is precisely what drove Ravi Bhushan to join the team as Lead Business Development Manager for our test taker markets:
“The DET is a startup within a much larger startup, and that's exciting because the scope of what you can do and achieve, and the impact you can have is absolutely immense,” says Ravi.
And he’s right! As the DET team continues to grow, so does our worldwide impact on language testing. Carrie Wang, Head of the Duolingo English Test and Regional Business Lead in Asia, is excited for the future.
“There's a huge opportunity for us across the world—there are millions of international students who come from hundreds of countries, and they have no idea that the DET can be an option for them,” she says. “So I'm excited to continue building an international team that can serve test takers along their educational journey.”
We’re changing the game!
With our tech-first approach and AI-powered solutions, we're revolutionizing the testing experience for learners worldwide. If you’re passionate about making educational opportunities available to people around the world, join our team and be a game-changer with us!