In my final year at university, I spent a lot of time looking around at the various graduate schemes on offer. Mandate really jumped off the page for me – a successful company with a range of interesting clients and the promise of all the support I’d need in building my career. I applied, was lucky enough to be successful, and started in July 2005.

Right from the off, Mandate has delivered on the promise that attracted me in the first place. In my first year, I learnt a huge amount. I was given training, both formal and informal, on all the key skills I needed to hone. Writing, media relations, media analysis, client handling, report writing, issue monitoring…the list goes on.

The key thing for me, though, has been the balance between theory and practice. I have friends with other companies who spent most of their first year on admin. At Mandate, there’s an emphasis on giving graduates the chance to see their efforts through – yes, I spent a lot of time pulling together media lists and reading trade press, but I was also given the freedom to use the media lists and use my knowledge of all the issues I was coming across in my reading.

The support has always been there if I need it, but so has the chance to really take ownership of things. Understanding the needs of a client, spotting the opportunity for us to help, drafting the materials that are needed, working with journalists and politicians to communicate the message and evaluating what comes out at the other end – it’s the nuts and bolts of being a great consultant and it’s what Mandate teaches so well.

The support is ongoing as well. As I’ve moved on in the business, I’ve been given the training and tools I’ve needed to step into each new role successfully. It’s why I’m still here and it’s why I’d recommend Mandate to anyone looking for a career in public relations or public affairs.