Become an Event Planner

Secrets for Getting Hired from Employers, Recruiters, and Event Professionals

Matthew James

• Publisher: Plan B Publishing
• Year: 2016
• ISBN:
  9780993497612
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Personal Development
• Subtopic: Careers

Wondering why you didn’t get a reply to that resume you sent out?

Most people trying to break into the events industry go about it in entirely the wrong way; you can't just take a course, graduate, and start applying for entry-level positions. Unlike most professions, a career in event planning does not require qualifications. Employers are looking for people with the right skills, personal qualities, and—above all else—experience. In this industry, getting hired doesn’t involve blindly sending out resumes to get experience; it's all about networking, contacts, and relationships.

This straight-talking, no-nonsense, guide aims to show job seekers the right way to go about it—with practical steps and action points to follow. You will learn:

• Why you don’t need qualifications or certifications to become an event planner
• How to decide if taking an event-planning course is right for you
• How to differentiate between credible and less trustworthy event-planning courses
• How to choose the most relevant event-planning course and how long to study for
• How to network, make contacts, and develop relationships in the events industry
• The specific skills and qualities that employers are looking for you to demonstrate
• The experience employers will be looking for on your resume
• How to get that experience when starting from scratch
• How to present that experience on your resume in the right way
• How to approach and get noticed by employers
• What to say and do in interviews—and what not to

Featuring advice from employers, recruiters, and senior event professionals with experience working for some the industry‘s leading players, including:

Jack Morton Worldwide, George P. Johnson, Imagination, Apple, Microsoft, UBM, Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Linklaters, ACCESS Destination Services, International Travel Group, The Dorchester, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, FremantleMedia, Rhubarb Food Design, Chad Hudson Events, British Red Cross, and ESP Recruitment—the leading recruitment agency for the events industry.

Suitable for complete beginners or those who have already taken an event-planning course but are struggling to find work in the industry, this book reveals what employers are really looking for, to give you the best chance of getting hired.

For additional content, see this book's companion site at www.becomeaneventplanner.org

[1] Shaz Smilansky, Experiential Marketing: A Practical Guide to Interactive Brand Experiences [Kogan Page 2009]

[2] Rennette Grace, Event Planning and Event Management, LinkedIn Group

Table of contents

• About the Author
• Meet the Professionals
• What You Need to Know before You Get Started
• My Route into the Industry: Starting in Charity Events
• So You Want to Become an Event Planner?
• What an Event Planner Really Does—The Idea v the Reality
• My Route into the Industry: Starting in Hotel Conference & Banqueting
• Understanding the Purpose of Events
• The Different Sectors of the Events Industry
• My Route into the Industry: Starting as an Intern in Publicity
• Education and Training for a Career in Event Planning
• Certification and Why You Don’t Need It—Yet
• Is an Event-Planning Course Right for Me?
• The Different Types of Courses: Accredited and Unaccredited
• The Most Relevant Qualifications and How Long to Study for
• How to Choose the Right Event-Planning Course
• My Route into the Industry: Starting in Travel
• The Attitude You Need and the Approach You Must Take
• The Personal Qualities That Employers Are Looking for in You
• The Skills That Employers Are Looking for You to Demonstrate
• My Route into the Industry: Starting in Project Management
• Networking, Contacts and Relationships
• The Experience Employers Will Be Looking for on Your Resume
• How to Get Onsite Experience
• How to Get Office-Based Experience
• My Route into the Industry:  Starting as Event Support Staff
• How to Present Your Experience on a Resume
• sample resume
• How to Approach Employers
• Preparation You Must Do for an Interview
• What to Say and Do in an Interview
• What You Need to Demonstrate Once You Get an Opportunity
• My Route into the Industry: Starting as a Volunteer
• Conclusion
• Final Advice from the Professionals
• My Route into the Industry: Starting in Catering
• My Route into the Industry: Starting in Venue Management
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