Meet Yifei, 31, a digital transformation lead working at Sanofi, a pharmaceutical company based in Reading. Find out more about how she uses French and Mandarin Chinese in her role. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Yifei works as a project manager, overseeing new digital healthcare solutions for patients. She was brought up in China and lived in France during her master's degree. Her Mandarin Chinese and French skills have enabled her to build relationships with lots of colleagues and clients from around the world.
I use my Mandarin Chinese when doing research about new technology. I can read local news reports without having to wait for English translations, so I¡¯m ahead of the competition!
Yifei:
Hi, ÎÒÊÇÒÕö£¬ÎÒÊǽ¡¿µµç×Ó»¯·½ÃæµÄ²úÎï¾Àí - Hi, I'm Yifei and I'm a digital transformation lead for digital healthcare.
Je m'appelle Yifei. Je suis responsable de la transformation num¨¦rique pour les soins de sant¨¦ num¨¦rique. - Hi, I'm Yifei and I'm a Digital Transformation Lead for digital healthcare.
Vous avez planifi¨¦ des vacances dans le future ? - Have you planned some holiday in the future?
ÄÇÄã³ÔÁËʲô - What did you have (for lunch)?
I work for a pharmaceutical company as a project manager, overseeing exciting new digital healthcare solutions for patients.
On a un peu film¨¦ dehors, genre l'environnement¡ - We did some filming outside, about the environment¡
Typically, my day is full of meetings with colleagues and our external partners to discuss the progress of projects.
Les parents de mon partenaire¡ - My partner's patients¡
My language skills come in useful as my company has offices all over the world.
Jason:
Yifei has been really successful in our global headquarters, which were based in Paris. She has been able to make lots of relationships with people from all around the world, which has been really important for the work she does now in the UK in digital healthcare.
Yifei:
ÄãÖÐÎç³ÔÁËÂð? - Have you had lunch?
Although our main working language is English, I often use French to begin meetings with my French colleagues in the UK and global offices.
¡de nous voir. Et on est rest¨¦s¡ - ¡to see us. And we stayed¡
I use it to build a rapport with people, because it's easier to develop a personal connection when you speak their language. I use my Mandarin Chinese when doing research about new technology. I can read the local news reports without having to wait for English translations, so I'm ahead of the competition. The thing I love about my job is that I'm learning new things everyday. I think the biggest challenge is that digital healthcare is such a new industry. Not everyone fully understands what you're doing. I was born in China and grew up speaking Mandarin. I learnt French in university as my second major, but I really improved it when I moved to France to do a master's degree and got to use that language everyday. I started learning English when I was ten years old. I now live in the UK, which has continued to help me develop my English skills. I originally learnt a very formal version of French, which meant I could understand things like the radio, but wasn't very good at speaking it in real-life situations. Also, I had to change my professional mentality when moving abroad. Communication skills are an essential part of my role, because it involves coordinating with people from all different areas. You need to be curious and open to learning as it's such a rapidly changing industry.
³Ô·¹ÁËÂð? - Have you had your meal?
My advice for my younger self is to be more patient. I would tell myself to recognise that others have different ways of working and that things will get done.
Moi, je suis en vacances vendredi l¨¤, vendredi soir. - I will be on holiday starting from Friday evening.
Donc, pour GenMed? - So, for GenMed?
My top tip for students is not to be put off from applying for opportunities in technology if you've not studied STEM subjects at school.
I would encourage people to learn a language as it can help open your mind and change your mentality. I've had to learn how to deal with situations when I'm not speaking my mother tongue, which has made me open to trying out new things.
- Communication skills are an essential part of Yifei's role because it involves coordinating with people from all different areas. Being curious and open to learning is also important, as it¡¯s such a rapidly changing industry
- Yifei was born in China and grew up speaking Mandarin. She learnt French in university but she really improved when she moved to France to do a master¡¯s degree, where she got to use the language every day
- She started learning English when she was ten and continued learning through secondary school and university. Most of her master¡¯s in France was taught in English so she learnt how to study in her second language. She now lives in the UK, which has continued to help her develop her English skills
- Yifei's language skills have been particularly useful because her company has offices all across the world, including a head office in France and a large office in China
- Although her main working language is English, she often uses French to begin meetings with her French colleagues in the UK and global offices. She finds this helps to build rapport with people because it's easier to develop a personal connection when you speak their language
- She uses Mandarin Chinese when doing research about new technology at work. She can read local news reports without having to wait for English translations, so she's ahead of the competition!
Top tips
- Don't be put off from applying for opportunities within the technology sector if you've not studied STEM subjects at school
- Learning a language can help open your mind and change your mentality. For example, Yifei had to learn to deal with situations where she wasn't speaking her mother tongue all the time, which encouraged her to try new things.
A digital transformation lead can also be known as a business project manager. Business project managers plan and organise people, tasks and resources to complete a project on time and within budget.
What to expect if you want to be a business project manager
- Business project manager average salary: ?28,000 to ?75,000 per year
- Business project manager typical working hours: 37 to 39 hours per week
What qualifications do you need to be a business project manager?
You could get into this role via an apprenticeship, a university course, working towards this role or a graduate training scheme.
Sources: LMI for All, National Careers Service
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
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