I am a student of Public Relations and Marketing in Scotland, day in and day out I work with Scottish issues and I am heavily involved in the political scene in Scotland – however something I can’t escape is the brand of America.

Now I’ll be clear, when I say “the brand of America” I’m not referring to Jersey Shore and Big Macs. What I refer to is the pull America has as a nation. A nation built on immigration and integration – eventually. Around this time last year I visited one of the top Public Relations firms in America with my Scottish college that firm was 5WPR. Now to say I was impressed is an understatement; I was overwhelmed.

I had never experienced America really in person and only had TV shows to go on, but the design of the offices, the friendly nature of the staff and the knowledge of the impressive character who showed us around. Juda Engelmayer was clearly one of the best in the Public Relations industry and he in the matter of minutes had us all open jawed at his prowess and the popularity of 5WPR as a firm.

Now whilst studying in Scotland it seems we cannot escape PR cases from the states. It seems clear to many of us, that the most exciting PR industry is present in America – now of course our home country has many different clients – but what really gets our blood pumping is America. America has such an array of sectors within PR and is at the frontier, yet again in the Public Relations industry. The key advances are being made in America, the biggest cases develop there and of course – the biggest array of skilled PR professionals is there.

I am now in my 3^rd year of study and it is clear to me, I want to work in America – to pursue that American dream, the “dream” that was surely one of the biggest PR scores for a country, ever.  Why though? Besides the fact that every day in university we are given case studies of American firms, we are told to look at firms like 5WPR and Weber Shandwick for the right way of doing things? Well to put it quite simply – it’s the brand.

Every PR expert knows about branding and attempts not to be pulled in – but America, you have pulled many of us in. In fact I can assure you almost every PR student I have spoken to looks at America in awe and aspires to make it there.

Sure there would be differences, sure it would be a challenge and sure it would be galling; but surely as someone who works in PR that is qualities that should be there anyway? The willingness to overcome challenges, that sheer passion for your industry – and of course networking and taking advice from professionals like Ronn, buying his book (which is better than most textbooks I’ve read recently) and subscribing to his videos.

Dear America, you have one student here – the most influential PR student in Scotland according to the Behind the Spin blog, run by the Chartered institute of Public Relations in the UK and he has fallen for you.

How have you fallen for the brand of America? How do you think it could be improved?

–

Thanks, Kenneth Murray – @Kenny_murray

Today Careercast issued their annual list of the 10 most stressful jobs of 2012 – and guess what, yet again Public Relations is at the top of the list at #7 this year.  The full list may be viewed at: http://www.careercast.com/jobs-rated/10-most-stressful-jobs-2012

In their description, “Public Relations Officers are responsible for creating and maintaining a positive image with the public for companies, non-profits and government agencies. They typically are responsible for giving presentations and making speeches, often in front of large crowds. This very competitive field, which often includes highly visible, tight deadlines, keeps stress at high-levels for specialists. Some PR executives are required to interact with potentially hostile members of the media, especially after a disaster.”

Owning a PR agency, 5WPR, I couldn’t agree more – PR Jobs are tough, non-stop, stressful and tiring.  That said, I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.

2 years in a row as 1 of the most stressful jobs in America – wow.

5W Public Relations, will be hosting a career fair on Tuesday, September 13th from 10:00am – 3:00pm at the Park Central Hotel at 870 7th Avenue (55^th & 56^th St.) 5WPR is experiencing rapid growth and hiring Public Relations professionals at all levels. Attendees will have the chance to learn more about PR Careers and what it is like to work at one of the Top 25 US PR Agencies.

5W Public Relations is headquartered in New York, with an office in Los Angeles. Named to the Inc. 500 list of fastest growing companies, the agency was founded in 2003 and has grown very quickly. The agency is an aggressive full-service communications firm with core competencies in all aspects of public relations. From media relations to corporate communications, technology marketing, consumer goods, Beauty PR, Health Care, Crisis PR, Lifestyle PR, public affairs, social media and special events.

We hope to see you and are always accepting resumes at careers@5wpr.com

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

It was rewarding to speak this week with some of the bright interns whom we have this summer at 5WPR. These young people are so hungry and ready to succeed – a similar energy to the day to day work culture at our NY PR firm offices.

I am very proud that we have developed one of the most competitive and highly sought after internship programs in the PR industry – We receive perhaps 500 resumes for 14 summer positions, and every year a handful of the interns tell us that their academic advisors told them to apply at our PR agency as it’s the place they will learn the most.

The success of our internship program is predicated on the same philosophy that led to the unprecedented growth and success of 5WPR – Work hard, be aggressive, take on and appreciate responsibility. Our interns learn and work in the fundamental skill set required to succeed in this industry. We believe that interns are part of the workplace. Of course every year, we also hire former interns to begin their PR Careers at our firm, and this year was no different. I love the energy that young people bring to the workplace and enjoyed spending time this week with the interns.

On a secondary note, I am counting down the days – there’s only about 3 months until my book is released in October 2011 – “For Immediate Release” will be available in bookstores nationwide, and I am very excited about. Early response from the people who have seen it say it’s a game changer.  Cant wait for all of you to see it.  The book is available for pre-order at:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/For-Immediate-Release/Ronn-Torossian/e/9781936661169?r=1&cm_mmc=Google%20Product%20Search-_-Q000000630-_-Its%20All%20Personal-_-9781936661169

Ronn Torossian

5WPR

So it’s not exactly a news flash for me to say that it’s not the ideal time to search for an entry level public relations job (or any job for that matter). So, imagine my surprise this morning when I got two astounding emails in a row, requesting just that.

The first was sent from a blackberry and literally had no periods.  It contained only one run on sentence, which lasted maybe 10 lines. This person recently moved from another country and worked in real estate, but her “life dream” was to work in PR.  And that was why she deserved a job here.  To make matters worse, she then followed up with two phone calls (which I didn’t return).

The next email was sent from an email address rife with four-letter words, though the attached resume was actually very good, after receiving these two emails, I felt a responsibility to share a word of warning.  Scoring an interview is much more than just a decent resume.

Our PR agency is constantly hiring, but we also turn away countless aspiring publicists.  Suffice it to say, neither of these individuals received a call back.

Now, back to work…

Ronn Torossian

5WPR