Meet Steve, 27, an SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) assistant working at PrettyLittleThing, based in Manchester. Find out more about how he uses French in his role. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Originally born in Cameroon, Steve was brought up speaking French and went on to live in France, before moving to the UK when he was 11. Even though English has become his primary language day to day, French still plays a major role in his professional life and is one of the skills that secured him employment.
The fact it was a big company and I was able to use my language skills, it was a no-brainer!
Steve:
Je m'appelle Steve, je suis assistant SEO et rédacteur. - My name is Steve, I'm an assistant SEO and copywriter.
My name's Steve. I'm an assistant SEO and copywriter.
Le côté bilingue, ça fait un peu jeune. - Keeping it bilingual gives it a young feel.
Je vais faire les optimisations et je te les renvoie ! - I’ll do the optimisations and send them back to you!
Steve’s employer:
Ok, super ! Merci ! - Ok, superb! Thank you!
Steve:
As an SEO assistant, I make sure that our products show up as high as possible into the search results when customers look for something, and as a copywriter, I have to make sure that our brand's tone of voice is portrayed and relayed over to the customer, in terms of product descriptions, landing pages on our website and also email campaigns.
Mon clavier n'est pas branché ! - My keyboard is not plugged in!
So on a daily basis, I'll normally look at lots of keyword research, looking at what customers are looking for on a weekly basis, and include that into the objects as how we're trying to deliver for that week.
Je vais utiliser quelques mots du lexique. - I’ll use a few words from the lexique.
Steve’s employer:
Ok, super. - Ok, great.
Steve:
I also translate and write fresh copies for our landing pages, product descriptions and email campaigns.
On garde toujours un peu d'anglais dedans ! - We always keep some English in there!
Steve’s employer:Ok, ça c’est bon ! - Ok, that’s good!
French is used pretty much every day in my role. I work in the French team, so I use French for literally everything, including the content.
On ne l'a seulement fait que deux fois en plus ! - We’ve only had to do it twice!
I enjoy pretty much everything to do with my job really, but using French is definitely number one. I love copywriting in French because it is very creative. It has very few restrictions on how we write. It's just really fun.
French is my first language. I was born in Cameroon, so I grew up speaking French. I moved over to France when I was younger and came over to Manchester around the age of eleven. After moving to the UK, I still kept the language skills, speaking with friends, family members.
I also did French at A-level and also in GCSE. French has always been a part of my life one way or another. My first degree was a bachelor's in International Business at Leeds Beckett University. I really enjoyed the marketing modules a lot more than the others, so I decided to pursue a master's degree at Manchester Metropolitan in Digital Marketing Communications.
When I applied for my current role, I was invited for an interview, which was entirely in French. It was completely different to what I've experienced before. It was lovely, I really enjoyed it. From there, I had to do a French test to gauge my writing and speaking skills, and also my knowledge of SEO. From there, I was offered the role. The fact that it was a big company and to be able to use my language skills was a no brainer for me, so I decided to take on the job.
Steve’s employer:
Steve was the perfect candidate for the role that we have here because of his SEO skills, his problem solving skills and the copywriting aspect, especially the French language. It was the perfect combination for what we needed. He was a good fit with his personality, with the team and that's also very important.
Ça sera bon ! Je vais les faire avant la fin de la journée. - It’ll be all good! I’ll get them done before the end of the day.
Steve’s employer:
Ok, super ! - Ok, great!
Steve:
One of the key skills in this role would definitely be communication. You have to be able to communicate with various different teams and also be very proactive whilst doing so. I wish I'd known not to put too much pressure on myself from the beginning. There'll always be something they can learn, something you can get better at. So don't stress yourself out thinking, you know, I don't know this bit, I don't know that bit. My top tip for young people trying to get into SEO would be definitely to be adaptable, be humble, be willing to learn. In terms of the language skills, there's no negatives to learning a new language, learning new words is always a plus.
- The main skills Steve uses in his job include both written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to work under pressure
- As an SEO assistant, he makes sure products sold by his company appear as high as possible in the search results, when a customer looks for something online
- As a copywriter, Steve ensures the brand's voice is portrayed and relayed over to the customer accurately, in terms of product descriptions, landing pages on the website and email campaigns
- After graduating with a bachelor's degree in International Business, he decided to pursue a master's degree in Digital Marketing Communications and during that time, secured some internships that helped him to narrow down his focus on SEO work
- When he moved to the UK, he kept speaking French with his family and remotely with his friends so he never lost his language skills. He also did French at GCSE and A-level, which strengthened his love for the language and ultimately, led him to seek a job that involved communicating in it everyday
- As Steve works in a team that focuses on making French content online, his ability to read, write, speak and translate the language is essential. For example, his extensive knowledge of French vocabulary is particularly useful when it comes to doing any keyword research, in which he looks at what customers are looking for online on a weekly basis. Even his interview for the job was in French, which he really enjoyed
- Steve says using French is the best part of his job. He particularly loves copywriting in French because it's very creative and there are very few restrictions on the style in which he writes for the website.
Top tips
- Having strong communication skills can go a long way so be pro-active and build those positive working relationships from the outset
- Don't put too much pressure on yourself. There's always something you can learn and get better at, so don't worry if you don't know the answer to everything
- Be adaptable, humble and willing to learn. Having a mindset of wanting to develop and be the best version of yourself will take you far. Learn from those around you and have fun!
An SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) assistant can also be known as a web content manager. Web content managers are responsible for the words that go on an organisation's website.
What to expect if you want to be a web content manager
- Web content manager average salary: £25,000 to £55,000 per year
- Web content manager typical working hours: 35 to 40 hours per week
What qualifications do you need to be a web content manager?
You could get into this role via a college course, an apprenticeship, a university course or working towards this role.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
Kate: a travel consultant. video
Kate is a travel consultant and organises school trips all around Europe.
How I use modern languages in my career. collection
Find out more about careers that use modern languages.
Will: cabin crew. video
Will is cabin crew for British Airways based at London Heathrow Airport.
