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?
I recently joined Babbel as a Product Manager on the Marketing Tech (MTech)/Impressions Team. Within MTech, I’m on the Content Delivery Team, which means I get to work with a very awesome group of Engineers and Marketers to make sure language learners have a great experience from the moment they land on Babbel’s website.
What do you do in a typical day?
As a new joiner, I’ve mainly been spending my days getting to know the company, the people, and the product!
So far, there hasn’t been a typical day. On my first day, the other new starters and I had Babbel Take Off where we learned more about Babbel and what to expect in the coming weeks, got set up with the help of IT, and met our buddies (AKA our go-to people for any and all questions; they’re here to make sure we feel at home).
Since then, I’ve been busy meeting with my new colleagues and bombarding them with loads of questions! There’s a lot to learn, but luckily people here are incredibly open and more than willing to take the time to bring me up to speed.
What were you doing before Babbel?
I was working as an SEO Product Manager here in Berlin for a travel tech company.
Before that I was living in Barcelona where I got my MSc in International Business.
What drew you to Babbel?
Two main things drew me to Babbel –– My own experience as a Babbel user and the purpose behind the company.
I’ve been using Babbel for a few years now and really love the product. On top of that, the purpose that drives Babbel resonates with me. While I was an undergraduate student I taught English as a second language, and I interned at an educational non-profit organization, so finding a tech company that’s driven by language learning and education AND has a product that really works completely drew me in.
What do you think makes Babbel stand out as a product?
There are so many things that come to mind, I don’t know where to start!
One thing that has always stood out to me is the level of customization and localization within the product.
For example, courses are tailored to your native language. So I, as a native English speaker learning German, would have a totally different set of courses than a native Spanish speaker learning German. To have that sort of tailored experience in a language learning app really demonstrates just how focused Babbel is on the learners’ needs.
What’s most exciting at the moment?
Besides the excitement of recently joining, I’m excited about working with my team to plan the next quarter’s goals. I can’t wait to see what we come up with and deliver!
What has surprised you most so far?
I was surprised to see just how many learning opportunities are offered on a daily basis. While I knew learning was at the core of the product, I didn’t realize it was also at the very core of the company culture.
Already in my first week I’ve been invited to multiple sessions from Babbel Academy, the internal initiative in place to help employees develop and learn. I also attended a knowledge exchange session where the engineering teams showcased their recent work and answered questions about it. I’m very much looking forward to attending and learning from more educational sessions and workshops!
What do you want to do/accomplish/pursue at Babbel?
Role wise, I’m aiming to leverage my product and SEO experience to help drive organic growth while delivering engaging, high value content to our users.
Personally, I also want to focus on my own development. I’m looking forward to taking on challenging tasks, learning from my new colleagues, and pushing myself to the next level.
Where did you move from? How was your relocation to Berlin?
I’m from the US and actually relocated to Berlin three and a half years ago.
Thinking back, I remember there was a lot of paperwork and bureaucracy involved, but overall relocation went pretty smoothly. For anyone relocating to Berlin, I definitely recommend connecting with people who have already been through the process and asking for guidance and advice!