A special congratulations to Kalyani Madan!
She shares her exciting journey and her success story as a German Language Expert on UrbanPro. Given below is the transcript of the interview:
Q. How and when German language was introduced in your life?
Ans. My fascination with Germany started way back in 1990, when I was still a student doing M.A. in English Literature in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Those days, I was associated with several NGOs and voluntary work. During that time, one day I was asked by the Local Coordinator of SEWA (Ila Bhat) to work as an Interpreter for a visiting German delegate. They were looking for someone who was good in both Hindi and English. I readily agreed.
The delegation comprised of four young, tall and beautiful women who were collecting data for their doctoral thesis on various aspects of 'The Living Conditions of Working Women in the Third World Countries'. I was fascinated by their courage and conviction to travel so far and mingle with the locals so easily. At the end of the 4 days of interviewing, they came up with a report and appreciated my help, and one of them suggested that if only I knew German, I would have written more useful information for them.
Young as I was, I started looking for the possible places where I could apply for German classes. And finally, I landed up at Max Mueller Bhavan, Pune and learned German up to the Intermediate Level (M II).
Q. What made you start working on your own?
Ans. After my marriage, I joined the M.A. German Studies Program at JNU, New Delhi. In Delhi, I got a chance to work at the South Asia Office, one of the leading German magazine ‘Der Spiegel’.
Due to health issues, I started thinking of self-employment. After working at the German desk of a leading Business house, I finally started working from home and since 1999 I have been one Woman Army. I got a huge Translation and Transcription assignment from a British Ph.D scholar, who had done her field work on ‘Empowerment of Girl Child Through Schooling'. This way, I started my self-employment journey.
Q. How you came across UrbanPro?
Ans. All was hunky dory, when we decided to move to Bangalore. I was unhappy and jobless. I had to start again from the scratch and build brick by brick. I guess being uprooted is a woman's destiny. On one auspicious occasion, I bumped into UrbanPro (then it was named as ‘ThinkVidya.com’). Since then, I have never looked back and have been a part of this amazing family.
Meeting Mr. Rakesh Kalra, Founder & CEO of UrbanPro and his young & energetic team was most reassuring. I started getting quality leads from UrbanPro and slowly started to settle down in a new city.
Q. What was the turning point in your career?
Ans. I feel coming to Bangalore, finding UrbanPro.com website and registering on it as a German Teacher and then meeting Mr. Rakesh Kalra and his team had proved to be a turning point in my career. UrbanPro in its new Avatar, is more driven and streamlined now and its role as a facilitator between the teachers and students is simply invaluable.
When I look back, I wonder if I could ever establish myself as a successful German teacher in a new city, a new cultural milieu without UrbanPro. Through UrbanPro, I connected with students from China, Korea, Germany, Switzerland, Slovakia, Austria and England.
Q. How UrbanPro platform helped you to expand your German classes?
Ans. Just as I was planning how to expand my German classes, I got a call from an Indian couple in China, who wanted to learn German. They got my reference from UrbanPro.com. This young couple taught me how to teach online and since then there is no looking back. UrbanPro has given me the amazing platform through which students can reach out to me and vice versa and start classes online. The platform has helped me to gain greater visibility among potential students and the opportunity to expand my German classes rapidly.
Q. What do you think you wished you had known early on UrbanPro?
Ans. I wish I had known the importance of customers’ reviews on UrbanPro. Reviews are the yardstick on which most of the new customers decide your value as a quality service provider. It also helps them to choose the right Provider.
Q. What percentage of your work comes from UrbanPro?
Ans. 90% of my work comes from UrbanPro. Many students, whom I have taught German gives my reference to their colleagues and contacts. My students include husband-wife, father-daughter, and mama-bhanja teams.
Q. What do you think makes a good German language instructor?
Ans. I realized that a good teacher has to be a good communicator. His/her knowledge of the subject and experience of teaching, benefits the students greatly. In 2010, I went for a Teachers’ Training course and learnt useful insights into meaningful planning and teaching German. A language, which is foreign and a bit complicated. I think, when you are a language instructor, you need to brush up your teaching skills by reading books to contribute more as a teacher.
Check out Kalyani Madan's profile
Kalyani Madan, is an excellent German Teacher with rich teaching experience in prestigious institutes like IIT, DPS and Welingkar Institute of Management. Her holistic approach of teaching the German Language has helped students learn the basics of German along with various socio-cultural aspects of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. She holds a Master of Arts from J.N.U, New Delhi. Kalyani has a solid profile on UrbanPro with 97% positive feedback.
You could be the next 'Pro of the Month', don't forget to send your entries today - rachna@urbanpro.com
