Mia Donovan 

When Mia Donovan first walked through the doors at Tangerine Communications, she was eager to break into the fast-paced world of public relations. Like many embarking on a new career path, building the confidence to lead client conversations and pitch stories to busy journalists takes time, practice, and the right environment to grow. By pairing hands-on agency work with a structured PR & Communications apprenticeship via Apprentify, Mia found the perfect catalyst for her development.

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For Mia, the classroom provided more than just a theoretical framework, it offered immediate, actionable techniques she could apply at her desk the very next morning. In particular, mastering media relations and reporting proved transformational. Learning how to dissect campaign metrics meant Mia was not just executing tasks, she was learning how to prove their worth.

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"Writing reports analysing the impact of PR activity was thoroughly useful in helping me understand the value of my work and helped me with drafting reports demonstrating this value to external stakeholders," Mia reflects. "Additionally, the classroom learning was really great for me to hear other people's inputs and consider new approaches to tasks, particularly the press release writing session, as this gave me insight into what journalists prioritise when reading through the many releases they are sent each day."

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It was not long before Mia's training directly impacted Tangerine’s client output. While preparing for her End Point Assessment (EPA), Mia took a deep dive into the agency’s work on a biophilic design campaign for client Interface. Analysing what drove the campaign's success, specifically how real-life case studies helped unlock top-tier press coverage, she took those insights straight into an in-person client meeting. Rather than just sitting in, Mia actively contributed to refining the agency's ongoing media strategy, demonstrating the kind of strategic thinking usually reserved for senior team members.

 

For her line manager, Elle Spencer, watching this evolution unfold was one of the most rewarding aspects of the programme.

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"It's been a pleasure to watch Mia's confidence and capabilities grow over the course of the apprenticeship," says Elle. "Particularly where we've seen examples of her taking learnings from the training and classroom sessions and applying them directly to her work within the agency."

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As the months progressed, Mia’s role expanded across both the Consumer and B2B & Corporate divisions. She quickly established herself as an indispensable team anchor, pitching stories to media outlets, building direct relationships with journalists, and supporting delivery for some of Tangerine’s largest client accounts.

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"I can say with certainty I know what I'm doing a lot more than I did at the start of the apprenticeship! "Mia says. "I now feel confident in suggesting ideas and undertaking different tasks like selling in, building relationships with the media, and many more."

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Her impact was equally felt across the wider business structure.

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"As an apprentice, Mia has sat across both our Consumer and B2B & Corporate teams, really adding to team capacity, supporting colleagues with workload, and playing an essential role in the delivery of day-to-day work for some of our biggest clients," Elle explains. "We're so pleased to now have her joining us as a full-time member of staff."

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With seamless support from her talent coach Sharon and clear milestones throughout the Apprentify course, Mia completed her qualification in style, earning a Distinction across the board. The ultimate validation of her hard work came shortly after graduation, when Tangerine Communications officially brought her on as a full-time, permanent member of the team.

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Mia’s story is a clear testament to what happens when raw talent meets structured learning and agency trust: an apprentice who does not just learn the ropes but helps shape the future of the campaigns she touches.

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