Alumni Spotlight
Rhett Hobart
by: Spencer Smith, PR student intern
Rhett Hobart received his Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a concentration in Public Relations in 2012 from Mississippi State University.
In 2014, Hobart earned his master’s in business administration at Mississippi State University.
Hobart shares that attending graduate school is a great way for students to set themselves apart in a job application.
“Getting a post-graduate degree sets you apart even further when applying for jobs. If you can find opportunities to get experience beyond the classroom as a graduate assistant, in your desired career-path, that makes it even more valuable.”
Hobart grew up in Greenville, Miss., and now works as the deputy athletic director for external affairs at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.
Daily responsibilities for Hobart include overseeing external affairs for Auburn Athletics, including marketing, communication, fan experience, ticketing, creative services, live production and broadcasting, merchandising and licensing, brand strategy, social media, and revenue generation.
Before accepting his job at Auburn, Hobart had experience working for the Mississippi State Athletics as the director of marketing, assistant athletic director for marketing and branding, and executive senior associate athletic director for external affairs. Hobart has also worked as the associate athletic director for fan experience and brand development at Wake Forest University.
Hobart shares that when preparing for the job search, students should get involved as soon as possible.
“Find ways to get involved with your area of study during your college career so that you can get a jump start on involvement within the industry. Involvement and experience beyond the classroom with real-life situations within the industry makes a huge difference when you are entering the job market.”
Favorite memory as a communication student?
I really enjoyed my PR ORGS group and the opportunity we had collectively to work directly with a real organization and gain first-hand experience within the industry. The group we worked with took many of our ideas and implemented them, which was fun to see.
Favorite communication class you took and why?
PR ORGS - Mrs. Karyn Brown
Most valuable lesson learned from the communication department?
My time in the communication department gave me my first opportunity to learn the adobe creative suite, which has paid huge dividends for me working in the communications side of college athletics, while also being educated as I am hiring creatives.
What are you passionate about?
Finding ways to empower those who work for me to make decisions through gained knowledge and experiences.