I talk to a lot of young people who are interested in finding a job in public relations. They typically fall into two buckets. There are the recent graduates, wide-eyed and earnest, who really just need to catch a break and find that entry-level opening. If they’re lucky, they have some PR-related internships under their belt, and I have a personal prejudice toward those who wrote for their college newspapers, although, sad to say, that is a rarity these days. But between their degree in communications and some extra-curricular experience in public relations, they ultimately just need to find that …
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Read MoreWe like to think of Lindsay O’Bar as our resident employee and community expert. This Hodger has a way with words and is a well-known face in the Richmond PR world. A Philadelphia native, Lindsay moved to the Richmond area at the age of 16 with her family and attended Virginia Commonwealth University. Her interests in writing led her to VCU’s communications school where she found herself at a crossroads about which track to pursue. At the time, she didn’t know much about public relations, but after attending her first PR class, it all clicked for Lindsay. If you know …
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Read MoreRelationships, reading and rejection – these were all important components in my public relations job search. No two people have the same path when it comes to their career – some land their dream job right out of college, while others end up working in a field that has little to do with their major. I’m one of the lucky ones who works a job that aligns with the field I studied in college. But getting there took patience, persistence and dealing with a bit of rejection. Luckily, these experiences translated into some valuable lessons, all of which were instrumental …
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Read MoreMeg Irvin is all about making connections, both for clients and in the community. She spends her days doing community relations and media relations for her clients, both on a local and national level. Clients like Mercy Chefs, Kroger Mid-Atlantic and Virginia Distillery Company look to her for her instincts and guidance on newsworthy and compelling stories. Her work has been featured in outlets including TODAY, Esquire, Forbes, Southern Living and The New York Times. A Pennsylvania native, Meg now lives in Charlottesville with her husband, Taylor, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Max. Her love for community involvement extends past …
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Read MoreInterviews are hard, no matter what level you find yourself in your career. And I swear, phone interviews are the worst. You have a million and two things swirling around in your brain, you’re trying not to sweat through your jacket and you’re grasping at straws to remember every single fact you can about the person and company you’re interviewing with. When Kelsey and I hang up the phone, or regroup after an intern interview, the candidates that make a good impression always leave a smile on our faces. But sometimes, an interview can fall flat – or worse – …
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Read MoreWe know the ins and outs of public relations, content marketing and social media. But when our Creative Services team needs additional arms and legs, or if we’re assigned a major branding project, we call on one of our partners. To help us with our creative needs, we call on DCH Design and its founder, Dana Hoeck. Dana is no stranger to branding and design. Before starting her own creative business last summer, she worked for a small design firm in Washington D.C. for three years and then joined an advertising agency here in Richmond for 14 years. She has …
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Read MoreEvery semester, the internship committee reviews a couple dozen applications, cover letters and resumes. When we look at a pool of candidates, the stellar applicants very quickly rise to the top, mostly by virtue of their attention to detail. For too many others, the smallest mistakes can look like major blemishes, especially in comparison. Here are five frequent mistakes we see on application materials that come across our desks, and truth be told, they that make us feel sad inside. Mistake #1: Misspelled (or improperly used) words During a practice networking event at my time in PRSSA at East Carolina …
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Read MoreIf you have been following The Hodges Partnership, then you’ve probably seen Sean Ryan’s name many times. The recovering journalist serves as the agency’s vice president of media relations, where he has pitched and helped place our clients in news outlets large and small over the last several years. Ryan, born and raised on the northside of Atlanta, studied journalism at the University of South Carolina prior to transferring to the University of Richmond, where he continued studying journalism and played for UR’s baseball team. That love for baseball made him a perfect fit for Hodges – as well as …
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Read MoreIt’s a great feeling coming to work every day knowing we get to work with partners that help make us, and our clients, better. One of those partners that helps expand our capabilities by creating platforms that help our work shine is 28 Media’s Sharif Ewees. Sharif has worked on a variety of websites with us – from our own HodgesPart.com to client sites like Umgås Magazine, StudyECE and eCMMS | Foxconn Technology Group. If you haven’t met him, here’s a chance to get to know him better. Who are you, where do you work and what do you do? …
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Read MoreBehind every successful PR campaign is a strategic mastermind, one who balances big-picture goals with the building blocks that make it happen. At Hodges, Greg Surber is that guy. Recently celebrating his eight-year anniversary with us, Greg has solidified his role as the resident research guru. A self-proclaimed (and proud) introvert, Greg is most in his element reading through data and reports, helping clients connect the dots between their goals and some of the bigger trends and issues impacting their work. A Roanoke native, Greg now lives in the West End with his wife, Stephanie, their two dogs, Butters and …
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