Kayleigh Hadjimina
Adam: What’s your current role?
Kayleigh: I am a Parliamentary Campaigns and Engagement Manager currently specialising in the built environment. My role is to develop and implement successful political engagement strategies for the organisation I represent.
Adam: What do you want to achieve from the CiC-Start mentoring programme?
Kayleigh: I welcome all advice and guidance with respect to progressing my career. CiC-Start mentors are extremely talented individuals, all of whom have impressive careers to date, so any support they can give is invaluable and hugely appreciated.
Adam: Where do you want to be in five years’ time?
Kayleigh: I want to be working on campaigns either in-house or for an agency. Ideally, I would be operating at (or approaching) director level. I love the buzz of starting a campaign, pulling together the strategy and looking at innovate new ideas.
Adam: What’s your advice for young people hoping to get into the profession?
Kayleigh: Make sure you have mentors, even if it means reaching out to someone you’ve never met. I know it sounds like a cliché because of the scheme, but it’s essential. My first mentor was the head of the policy and public affairs team where I aspired to work. During that mentoring, I expressed an interest in opportunities to shadow colleagues and get involved in projects all of which added to my experience when first getting into the profession.
Adam: What is your favourite campaign slogan?
Kayleigh: Margaret Thatcher’s “Don’t just hope for a better life. Vote for one.” during the 1979 campaign. I think this is the strongest, most powerful political slogan ever used. Whether you’re a traditional conservative voter or not, it calls you to action and entices you to engage with politics.
Chantelle de Villiers
Adam: What’s your current role?
Chantelle: External Affairs Adviser at the British Retail Consortium (BRC) which is the go-to trade association for all retail businesses in the UK. My role is to represent the industry to Government by telling the story of retail, to drive positive change and create an economic and policy environment that enables retail businesses to thrive.
Adam: Why did you join the CiC-Start scheme?
Chantelle: I always strive to reach my full potential and I am committed to developing my skill set. The CiC-Start scheme provides a fantastic opportunity to learn new skills from more experienced professionals and think differently about approaches to political or communications campaigns.
Adam: What do you want to achieve from the mentoring programme?
Chantelle: I’m interested in ‘doing’ public affairs differently, particularly now as we have all had to adjust to a new way of working and engaging with stakeholders virtually. I hope to get a different perspective as to how to deploy and utilise strategic communications to help achieve a campaign objective.
Adam: Where do you want to be in five years’ time?
Chantelle: At some point I’d like to try agency life and get more exposure to working in different industries. I have a passion for campaigning and so I hope in five years I have achieved some big campaign wins and can move into a more advisory role.
Adam: What is your favourite campaign slogan?
Chantelle: The three most famous words of 2016, “Take Back Control,” that made what many thought was the impossible, possible. It was a genius strategy which packaged up many issues into one and resonated with a lot of people from different walks of life.
Alex Cassells
Adam: What’s your current role?
Alex: I’m an Account Manager in the corporate team at 3 Monkeys Zeno, a global communications firm. While my background is in public affairs and politics, I support a range of clients within the consumer technology, finance as well as recruitment industries; offering various aspects of corporate communications support. My goal is to become a leader that junior colleagues aspire to be and that senior colleagues know they can depend on.
Adam: What do you want to achieve from the CiC-Start mentoring programme?
Alex: We learn through observing and listening to those around us. 3 Monkeys Zeno has many positive leaders who I learn from each day, however, I’m always open to broadening the range of mentors that influence my career trajectory. I truly believe my assigned mentor is one of the best the industry has to offer, and I can improve as a consultant through taking on board the lessons they offer me.
Adam: Where do you want to be in five years’ time?
Alex: Personally, I try not to plan too far ahead, as I think it has the propensity to alter your judgement on the immediate situation you are in and the opportunities that lie in front of you. Whatever road I do take, I aim to be pushing career boundaries and be proud of the achievements I’ve had by that stage in my career.
Adam: What’s your advice for young people hoping to get into the profession?
Alex: It is tough starting on the career ladder (especially in communications), but I cannot stress enough the importance of building your network. There is no benefit of being shy at a networking event, so get out there and meet people. You never know what opportunities might come out of just talking to new and old connections. Also, when crafting your CV, focus on those few things that make you unique from the other 100 CVs that your future employer may look at.
Adam: What is your favourite campaign slogan?
Alex: “Yes We Can” from Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. This is my favourite slogan because it is concise, simple to understand and inspires both hope and patriotism. Communications involves conveying a message to an audience in the easiest way. However, at times, it’s also about having your message create an emotion that results in a clear action. These three words do just that and contributed to his decisive victory.
Samir Dwesar
Adam: What’s your current role?
Samir: I’m a Senior Account Manager at Cavendish Advocacy, where I support our directors in managing client accounts across many sectors, including the environment, technology and travel. I also help the consultancy secure new business and work closely with junior colleagues on their professional development.
Adam: Why did you join the CiC-Start scheme?
Samir: Having only worked in an agency environment for a year (I have an in-house background), I was very keen to learn from someone who had considerably more consultancy experience. I also see the scheme as a hugely valuable opportunity to think a little outside the box about what I want to achieve in terms of professional and personal development.
Adam: What do you want to achieve from the mentoring programme?
Samir: During the introductory meeting with my new mentor, I outlined how I was keen to focus on tips and strategies for generating new business, how to successfully build and develop client relationships as well as how to become a trusted colleague and go-to person for my areas of strength. I would also like to build my confidence when it comes to writing proposals and pitching.
Adam: Where do you want to be in five years’ time?
Samir: This is always a tricky question! Leaving in-house for agency was absolutely the right choice for me, and I hope to thrive and remain in this environment. In five years’ time, success for me would of course be a more seniority and a few new business wins, but above all having clients who I love working with and a continued supportive workplace environment.
Adam: What is your favourite campaign slogan?
Samir: “It’s Morning Again in America” from the 1984 presidential election. Not only does it come from one of the most effective campaign ads in US political history, it evokes a sense of optimism, patriotism and success.
Phoebe Sullivan
Adam: What’s your current role?
Phoebe: I’m an Account Manager within the growing public affairs team at Built Environment Communications Group (BECG). I help develop stakeholder engagement strategies and project management across London and further afield. My day-to-day projects range from masterplan housebuilding to DCO consultations. I’m also reaching the end of my master’s degree in global diplomacy.
Adam: What do you want to achieve from the CiC-Start mentoring scheme?
Phoebe: BECG has really helped me understand the role and importance of communications within the business framework. Many of the directors have already assumed the unofficial role of mentor, however I appreciate the value in learning from others beyond my immediate BECG network. I believe my assigned mentor from this programme will provide invaluable insight, which I can relay onto others one day.
Adam: Where do you want to be in five years’ time?
Phoebe: I’d like to progress my career and gain new experiences in larger, more diverse projects and campaigns as well as develop further skills in both management and strategy. I’m grateful for the opportunities I’ve received so far and am looking forward to meeting more people in our field and getting further involved in different organisations and think tanks.
Adam: What’s your advice for young people hoping to get into the profession?
Phoebe: Practice great time management… every day. Having a full-time job, completing a master’s degree part-time and being heavily active within my local association (or any extra-curricular for that matter) can be straining at the best of times. However, it’s all worth it in the end and one must diversify when our CV’s may not be as solid as others. I would advise participating in as much as is possible, going for the difficult projects, the extra qualifications or getting more involved in your local association. In order to do this, we must practice the art of great time management – although that’s easier said than done!
Adam: Who inspires you and what one tip can you share?
Phoebe: My current favourite quote: “Do the best you can in every task, no matter how unimportant it may seem at the time. No one learns more about a problem than the person at the bottom” – Sandra Day O’Conner, Former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States.
One tip which I’ve found useful: The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand, we listen to reply. I only have limited experience, but I have found that when you’re starting out it’s imperative to listen to understand and not simply just reply.
Oliver Hazell
Adam: What’s your current role?
Oliver: I’m a Senior Account Manager at Cavendish Advocacy, where I support a range of clients to assess what they need to promote or defend their interests. I also support our team with various new business opportunities. My aim is to develop into a colleague who directors can trust to deliver high-quality proposals as well as guide junior colleagues on strategic queries.
Adam: Why did you join the CiC-Start scheme?
Oliver: I want to continue developing professionally, and that means discovering new ways to innovate, think differently and add real value for clients. Cavendish Advocacy offers excellent development opportunities, however I believe it’s useful to utilise industry networks too.
Adam: What do you want to achieve from the mentoring programme?
Oliver: I want to rethink about my professional development i.e. my career is more of a journey I will go on – with employers supporting me. I’ve had my first mentoring session and we’ve already set personal goals for me to achieve, which is really positive.
Adam: Where do you want to be in five years’ time?
Oliver: My mentor posed this exact question during our first session. I thought I had this mapped out in achieving a certain level of seniority. But through our discussion, I realised I need to look at which internal and client-facing roles I enjoy the most and what managerial skills I really want to develop.
Adam: What is your favourite campaign slogan?
Oliver: The Tory Party’s 2015 “Long-Term Economic Plan”. Having worked on that election campaign and seen firsthand the message discipline, it was a real learning opportunity.
