Despite what their name might make you think, Ruder Finn was not founded by someone from Finland with bad manners. They are actually a family-owned public relations firm that was founded in 1948 by David Finn and Wlliam Ruder. Ruder Finn has four specialties – Health & Wellness, Global Connectivity, Corporate & Public Trust, and Life & Style – with many areas of focus within those specialties. The firm’s first client was Perry Como, who was followed by a list of other celebrities; however, Ruder Finn represents more than just celebrities. They work with many major corporations, the United Nations, and they even represented the Bosniaks and the Croats in the Yugoslav Wars. Yes, warring nations choose Ruder Finn to manage their PR – that’s impressive, albeit a bit strange.

Not Quite an Entry-Level Job, Not Quite an Internship

Ruder Finn is obviously well know for their public relations work, but they’re also known for their Public Relations Executive Trainee Program. They run this program thrice annually, and the application deadline for the Fall program was August 1st, but it has been extended (they don’t have a set limit on the number of applicants accepted into the program). We’re not sure how much longer they are accepting applications, so you should probably get your application together as quickly as possible. Before you do that, though, let us tell you a little bit more about the Ruder Finn Public Relations Executive Trainee Program.

This program is not quite an entry-level job, and it’s not quite an internship – that’s why we’re posting it here and on One Day, One Internship. It’s intended for new college graduates, and it’s located in New York City. The program has been running for 30 years, and each session runs for approximately 4 months. Participants are expected to work 35 hours per week and to attend weekly training classes. Ruder Finn pays participants a prorated annual salary of $24,000 (so that should be about $8,000 for 4 months), but does not provide benefits. Participants who excel in the Executive Trainee Program are often hired full-time as Assistant Account Executives. We’d guess that participants who don’t end up getting full-time offers probably go on to work for other great public relations firms.

If you’re a new grad who is looking for a job in public relations and wants to gain experience in writing, media monitoring, media relations, electronic media, special event planning, new business presentation, and more, then the Ruder Finn Executive Trainee Program is a great opportunity. If you can get your act together quickly, apply for the Fall term. If you can’t, don’t fret – they offer this program every spring and summer too. Ruder Finn is very particular about how you apply for this program, so be sure to follow the instructions on their How to Apply page carefully.

Links to Help You Begin Your Research

• RuderFinn.com
• Ruder Finn’s Public Relations Executive Trainee Program
• About Ruder Finn
• How to Apply
• Ruder Finn’s Executive Trainee Brochure
• Ruder Finn’s Blogs
• Ruder Finn’s Executive Bios

Do you know anything about this program? Leave a comment.

We've identified Ruder Finn as having career opportunities in the following categories:

• all employers
• communications
• events
• leadership development
• New York
• public relations
• writing

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