Vienna Calling: My Turing Scheme Adventure Abroad
- Curtis
- June 24, 2025
- Work Experience
- 0 Comments
Introduction
As part of an incredible opportunity funded by the UK Government’s Turing Scheme, I’ve spent nearly two weeks in Vienna, Austria, gaining hands-on experience at a digital agency called SEOFox.
This placement is separate from my T-Level course requirements — it’s an additional experience designed to help me grow professionally, sharpen my digital skills, and get a feel for what it’s like working in an international setting.
Over the course of my time here, I’ll be working at SEOFox for around six days (because of weekends and bank holidays), developing my understanding of SEO and online marketing through hands-on activities and guided tasks. Whether it’s simulated projects or training exercises, each day is designed to give me a clearer view of how digital agencies operate and what skills are required in the field.
This article will focus on my experience at the agency — what I’ve learned, how I’ve engaged with the tasks provided, and how it’s helping me grow as a digital student and aspiring professional.
If you want to learn more about the scheme that made this possible, check out the official Turing Scheme page on GOV.UK.
Day 1: Extracting Product Data for SEO Analysis
Date: 16th June 2025
What I Did
Today, I worked on a project involving a retail website. The site displayed product descriptions for each product, alongside a table that was missing key details. My task was to carefully read each product description and fill in missing data points into an Excel spreadsheet. This process helped ensure that important product information was accurately recorded and ready for use in SEO or inventory purposes.
Skills I Used / Developed
Detailed content analysis and data extraction
Using Excel for data entry and organisation
Understanding product specifications and technical terminology
Focus and accuracy in transferring information
Reflection
This task was a great introduction to how detailed product information is gathered and organised behind the scenes of an ecommerce site. I learned to pay close attention to specific technical. I felt as if this task was an important foundation that I’m excited to build on as the placement continues.
Day 2 - Writing SEO-Friendly Product Content
Date: 17th June 2025
What I Did
Today, I focused on improving product listings by making them more SEO-friendly. Working from a set of provided requirements that the plugin specified, I edited and structured product information to match best practices for online visibility. This included ensuring relevant keywords were used, content was clear and concise, and formatting aligned with the SEO guidelines.
🔧 Skills I Used / Developed
SEO-focused writing and editing
Applying structured content guidelines
Keyword awareness and placement
Attention to detail in content optimisation
Reflection
This task gave me a better understanding of how even small changes to product descriptions can impact how a website performs in search results.
Day 3 – Introduction to Elementor and Web Design
Date: 18th June 2025
What I Did
Today was a more theory-based session. We started watching a YouTube tutorial introducing the basics of website creation using Elementor Pro, a popular drag-and-drop page builder for WordPress. Although we didn’t finish the full video, it covered key concepts like layout structure, responsive design, and Elementor’s role within the WordPress ecosystem.
Skills I Used / Developed
Strengthened understanding of visual web design
Deeper insight into Elementor Pro features
Refreshed knowledge of WordPress page building workflows
Reflection
Since my own portfolio site is built using the free version of Elementor, I was already familiar with the basics, such as: section layouts and widgets. However, today helped me build on that foundation by showing what’s possible with the Pro version, especially when it comes to customisation and more advanced design options. It’s given me ideas for how I could enhance my own site in the future.
Day 4 – Continuations
Date: 20th June 2025
What I Did
Today we continued watching the Elementor Pro tutorial video to get a better feel for how it works. After that, we had another task where I spent some time reviewing product details and ticking checkboxes based on the information we analysed. It was a straightforward task, but it helped reinforce how data is organised behind the scenes on a website.
Skills I Used / Developed
Basic website builder concepts (Elementor Pro)
Attention to detail when reviewing content
Simple data categorisation and organisation
Reflection
It wasn’t the most exciting day, but it was good to have some time to absorb the basics and get familiar with simple data tasks. Sometimes, small things like this are important for keeping projects on track.
Day 5 – Continuing Elementor Learning
Date: 23rd June 2025
What I Did
Today was another continuation of the Elementor Pro tutorial. We spent the session watching more of the video to build a better understanding of how to create websites using the platform. There wasn’t any hands-on work. It was mainly focused on following along and picking up more of the basics.
Skills I Used / Developed
Elementor Pro fundamentals
Understanding visual web design tools
Patience and independent learning
Reflection
It was a fairly quiet day, mostly focused on theory that hopefully I can apply in the future.
Day 6 – Updating Data on a Staging Site
Date: 25th June 2025
What I Did
On my final day, I worked on a more practical task involving a staging website. My job was to update product data on the staging site using the latest information from the live version of the website. This involved carefully checking, copying, and updating key details to ensure the staging site reflected the correct and current data.
Skills I Used / Developed
Website data management
Understanding of staging vs. live site environments
Careful content transfer and attention to accuracy
Basic familiarity with WordPress backend processes
Reflection
It was good to finish the placement with a more hands-on task. I learned about the importance of staging sites in web development and how they’re used to safely make updates before going live. This final day gave me a useful practical insight into managing website content in a controlled environment.
Final Thoughts
Looking back on my time at SEOFox in Vienna, I’ve gained valuable exposure to the day-to-day work within a digital agency. Although some tasks were simple and some days were slower than others, everyone has got to start somewhere. The experience gave me insight into content management, SEO basics, and how product data is structured behind the scenes of websites.
One of the biggest takeaways for me was learning about the processes that keep websites accurate and up-to-date. Especially the importance of carefully managing data when working between staging and live environments. I also built on my existing Elementor knowledge, which I can now apply to my own projects.
Beyond the work itself, the opportunity to complete this placement abroad, supported by the Turing Scheme, helped me grow personally. I adapted to a new environment, worked with people from a different culture, and took a step outside my usual routine. These are experiences I’ll carry forward as I continue developing my skills in the digital industry.
Overall, it’s been a valuable addition to my portfolio and a great chance to broaden my horizons — both professionally and personally.
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