Once the excitement of learning we had made it onto the graduate scheme began to settle, ‘first day’ nerves began to kick in. Now I’m sure anyone who’s spent time somewhere as an assistant or as the ‘work experience kid’ knows exactly how we were feeling as we joined our first departments. Knowing we were only with each team for just three weeks, we pondered what tedious tasks could potentially lay in wait… making tea round the clock, photocopying into the dark hours…

Surprisingly the answer is none! Whilst we’ve all done our fair share of media monitoring and media lists we’ve also had the opportunity to get really stuck into some exciting accounts and try our hands at a variety of the different tasks which make up the job.

And it’s not all about press releases! The last two months have really opened my eyes and imagination to the full potential of PR, despite having worked in an agency prior to Edelman!

With each new department comes a new language, a new perspective and a new set of drinking buddies at the bar. It’s no exaggeration to say that there’s a real sense of community here at Edelman and everyone makes you feel part of the team.

If you’re looking for a chance to get a foot (and a leg) through the PR door that strikes the right balance of training and on-the-job learning whilst sampling a taste of the many disciplines of PR, then this really is the place to do it!

In addition to the obvious benefits of free booze and food, we’ve enjoyed kick-starting our professional careers in Edelman’s brand new, rather swanky offices. Our jaws almost dropped when we first arrived back in September to be confronted with lots of stylish black leather, interesting features and acres of glass. I remember one visitor asking, ‘are these the offices of a new design company?’

In our new offices you’ll find not only a stylish bar where Friday’s free drinks await, but also a delicious subsidised café where free breakfast is held and various meeting rooms for all requirements (our twice-weekly subsidised massages are usually held in one of these rooms!) I’ve added a few photos of our new office to this blog post to provide you lovely prospective grads with a feel for our beautifully decorated working environment.

Moving on from Edelman’s snazzy interior design, we’ve also been enjoying the chance to rotate around Edelman’s main London departments as well as attending a jam-packed varied training schedule. These rotations and training sessions are set to mould us into well-rounded PR consultants by equipping us with all sorts of necessary media and PR basics and experience.

In fact, it’s the PR experiences, or rather the two client events I’ve attended so far, that I’ve personally found to be the most rewarding and interesting of all the perks of PR. A few weeks ago the Corporate Department kindly took me along to watch Lee Evans at the O2 in one of our client’s corporate boxes. Not only did I end up crying with laughter, but this occasion provided me with a fantastic opportunity to meet one of Edelman’s clients in a friendly, informal and fun atmosphere. Since starting work at this company I’ve started to realise that meeting clients and journalists in an informal social situation is paramount to establishing a strong and enjoyable working relationship.

This last point was reinforced when I attended the match100 event for match.com. This event was set up to celebrate the fact that match.com has made over 1bn connections on the site and in some cases allowed people to meet their future husband/wife who have subsequently gone on to have lots of beautiful ‘match-babies’. It was lovely to not only hear people’s interesting stories, but also gain the opportunity to meet the lovely Adele Parks and some journalists from top publications. Again, by fostering a fun and informal atmosphere, this event encouraged people to relax and engage in an interesting conversation about the client, which, essentially is at the heart of what PR hopes to achieve!

Best of luck with all your applications!