My path to Blakeney was unique, to say the least. I left school at sixteen to do an apprenticeship in plumbing with an award-winning plumbing and heating company. After finishing my apprenticeship, I quit my job because plumbing wasn’t my passion and went to university to study politics. Since then, I’ve had work experience at the Royal College of Podiatry. I also successfully campaigned to cap football ticket prices for away matches in the Premier League - my first taste of an effective communications campaign and the catalyst to join a communications agency.

I joined Blakeney in January on a three-month Communications Internship programme. With company-wide one-to-one meetings, I was instantly made to feel welcome and part of the team. I was given a mentor responsible for my development, offered ‘Recharge Days’ for my mental health, and invited to (not to be missed) after-work socials and company events. Most importantly, I learnt from the most senior and experienced people in the industry, have been exposed to a wide range of clients, and experienced a variety of tasks, including political and media monitoring, researching and writing briefing materials, constructing media and stakeholder engagement lists, and helping brainstorm creative campaign ideas.

At the end of the internship, I was delighted to be offered a permanent role as Account Executive. I am now getting experience in primary forms of copywriting, developing a comprehensive understanding of client businesses and the challenges they face, and establishing impactful relationships with members of client teams. The transition from Intern to Account Executive has been extremely smooth, and the skills and experiences I gained during the internship have proven invaluable.

I am looking forward to building my career in comms and am extremely lucky that Blakeney is one of the best places to do it. I would encourage anyone considering applying to do so; you would be joining a fast-growing and ambitious team comprising former Special Advisors, civil servants, researchers, journalists, campaigners, and most exciting of all – a qualified plumber!