PRSSA Hosts Don Halcombe

By: Joi Johnson, PRSSA General Body Member

Don Halcombe, a Director of Communications at Netflix, spoke to our chapter about his experience and provided advice on how to make the most out of a career. As a JMU alum, Don reflected on his time at JMU and how his involvement has remained to be beneficial working within the television industry.

Working Experience

Starting from his time at JMU, Don has always been immersed in the media industry. As a student, he was an intern at the local PBS station in Harrisonburg and was a radio DJ at WXJM. After graduating, Don began working in the cable industry at Discovery Channel as a part of their PR team.

Don also went on to work with companies such as National Geographic, TLC, The Oprah Show, and eventually, ended up at Netflix. His most recognized work was launching Steve Harvey’s talk show as well as Dr. Oz and Little People Big World. At Netflix, he began working on series publicity for shows like Grace and Frankie and Orange is the New Black. Don’s current overall responsibility at Netflix is executive visibility, issues management, renewals and cancellations, and PR licensing.

Road to Success

Don shared his life lessons and what led him to success. He explained that networking is the number one way of getting your foot in the door.

“Having a connection is key,” said Halcombe. “Remind people how they know you.”

When it comes to the job search and interviewing process, he said knowing where you want to work is important.

“Doing the research and reaching out to companies you’d like to work for is a big part of networking,” said Halcombe. “People are more likely to say yes than you might think.”

Advice to Students

One important characteristic that a student can have is selflessness and having a good attitude.

“Niceness counts,” Halcombe said. “People want to know that you see them and hear them.”

Another important characteristic is making peace with rejection.

“You are going to get rejected but do not take it personally.”

Lastly, having trust that you’ve hired great people and knowing they can do the work is an important part of vulnerability.

Thank you for your insight, Don!