Babbel’s endgame is getting people to have conversations with other people, in a new language. There are fantastic folks here making that possible. So we sit down with them from time to time, to provide a glimpse into who makes it all work, what they do, and where their heads are at.
What’s your role at Babbel? What do you do in a typical day?
I just finished my studies a month and a half ago and started working as a Junior Fullstack Engineer. I’ve been working here for quite a while. Three and a half years ago, while I was studying computer science at TU Berlin, I started as an assistant working student to the Product & Engineering team. After a year and a half, I switched into a working student engineering role. Now I’m finally done with my studies and I’m working as a full-time developer.
My typical day starts at 10am with a coffee. I check my email and then start a task from our current sprint which is a time-boxed iteration of a continuous development cycle. Since I’m a junior, I mostly pair with someone from my team either on features, bugs or specific learning topic.
This is a pretty international workplace. How does that influence your work?
I feel super lucky to be in such a diverse and international environment. We all have different backgrounds, come from different cultures, and everyone brings something different to the table. And I think that’s also reflected in the app in a way, that engages with millions all over the world.
Are there tools you’ve brought with you that you find surprisingly useful?
Not really. Hahaha. Maybe I’ll discover something!
What challenges are you most animated by?
We have lots of users and we need to think through our engineering solutions in-depth so that everyone has a smooth user experience. That can sometimes be really challenging because you need to prioritize the scalability of your app. I’ve been really coming to terms with and learning about that, in my work. When I was doing projects at university, I didn’t think about the fact the app that –my app– could be used by millions of people, so it has to be prepared for that and not crash. For me, having a chance to think about these kind of contingencies and come up with solutions is exciting and the fun part of software engineering.
What learning/growth opportunities have impacted you most?
Babbel has a huge impact on my life. It’s my first job and I have grown a lot, here. I’m super happy to have this experience and grateful for having wonderful colleagues around me to learn from every day. Throughout my studies, whenever I had a question or needed some help, I found it here. It really is a learning company from top to bottom. I can confidently say I’m a fullstack engineer and that’s thanks to the years I’ve spent here.
How does working in a purpose-driven product affect your workday?
I think it offers a lot of motivation to do your best work. I’m also a Babbel user; I’m learning Spanish and I think it is just cool to work on something I value and use in my spare time.