Becoming an Event Planner
Choosing a career path to enter can be a stressful, yet exciting time in one’s life. There are thousands of options, and each option comes with positives and negatives within the field. Event planning is a wonderful and rewarding career path to enter. It comes with responsibilities, like any other chosen career, and includes an easy-going and satisfying work environment.
Event Planner Qualifications
Becoming an event planner entails prior qualifications that one should obtain. Employers will most likely be looking for someone’s that has received a bachelor’s degree in college. A communications or hospitality management degree, specifically, would be very beneficial when trying to enter this career path. Also, having some background information about the business and marketing world are great tools to attain in this job field.
A person attempting to enter event planning should also have some experience and good communication skills. Having experience in planning prior events such as parties, concerts, work-place gatherings, etc. allows for a peek into what the career is like. All of your experience can be presented in a portfolio when applying to jobs. It is not necessary, but would definitely be an added bonus, if one had internship experience with event planning too.
Event Planner Skills Needed
There are a variety of skills that a person should have when becoming an event planner. An event planner needs to have great time management and organization skills. These are both required to effectively and efficiently plan things for the future. Without either of these skills, an event could never properly be set up. Also, having the ability to manage multiple projects at one time is an important skill to have. When you can perform more than one duty at a given time it allows for optimum work to be completed. Another skill that is good to have is being able to obtain and hold relationships with others easily.
When you are able to talk to people and make a connection with them, the better the chances are of having a successful future relationship with them. This allows for many opportunities to open down the line within the business. Additionally, George Delano, a current event planner that I interviewed, said that having skills in all Microsoft applications could help with organization tremendously. He said that Microsoft Excel has helped him complete tasks with less energy and time required when he is working under pressure. Lastly, a great skill to have is knowledge of sales and financial duties. It’s nice to have information pertaining to money because it’s involved in every career path that could be of interest.
Event Planner Salary
Becoming an event planner allows for a person to go down a path towards a great salary! A beginner usually starts off making around $46,000 a year, which is about $22 an hour. As you move forward in the business and take advantages of promotions and additional projects, you can earn more money. During my interview with George, he told me that having sufficient money was a priority for him after graduation. He was also pleased when he could live a stable life with the pay he was receiving when he first started on the job.
Event Planner Job Outlook
The job outlook for event planning is predicted to steadily increase all the way through and past the year 2020. So, entering this job field during this time might be more competitive. But in the long run, it would also be more of an achievement and more rewarding. Also, it was said that international meetings for coordination and management will be more and more important as the years continue. This will also help this job market grow by creating new jobs in new areas all over the world.
Event Planner Responsibilities
Becoming an event planner requires a lot of time and energy. There are a variety of responsibilities that they have while doing their job. One of the primary responsibilities is to communicate with their clients to make sure that they are completing theirs needs within the time that they are given to work with. This brings us back to the time management and organization skills that are necessary to have. Another duty is to visit possible locations that they event would be taking place at, and to meet with vendors such as florists, caterers, and musicians that would also be helping set up the event. This includes talking to on-site staff at wherever the event is located. In order for things to work more successfully, a ton of communication is required.
Another huge responsibility lies under the category of financial responsibility. Planners should be able to work within a given budget and negotiate that budget if it is unreasonable. Once a decision is met, the event planner needs to be able to review bills and approve payments, all while keeping this in accurate record. Also, keeping accurate records of guest lists and RSVP’s are an important part of the job too. The more information that an event team has, the better the event will turn out! Providing feedback throughout the entire setting up of and the actual taking place of the event is crucial as well.
Event Planner Responsibilities: To Conclude
Although there are a lot of responsibilities that come with the career of event planning, you get to perform these responsibilities in a fun and active work environment. Most of the events that one will plan will entail some sort of entertainment, which is always nice to be around while you’re technically “on the job.” George told me that he loves how laid-back and fun the job could be. He said it is a stressful time while planning the event, but the events themselves are always enjoyable. He also said that sometimes the work environment could be peaceful and quiet when team members break apart and complete their individual duties.
Advice to College Students
Likewise to trying to plan for any future career possibility, a piece of advice to college students is to make sure you keep up the good grades. Additionally, having any work or internship experience during college in the area of event management and coordination would be a benefit to someone looking for a job like this after they graduate. The final question I asked George during his interview was, “What advice would you give college students that are trying to enter the event planning career path?”. He said that communication is easily the biggest asset that one could bring to the table.
Also, he said it’s beneficial to have a good attitude and work ethic; even when things don’t go to plan. The final thing he said is that a person entering this work field has to know how to not take things too personally. This is because a lot of decisions are made and a lot of the time it may not be what you necessary thought was the best option or way of doing things.
Becoming an event planner is a very exciting and fulfilling challenge to take on! It entails many responsibilities and close eye to detail, but is also very fun and cheerful. The pay is good, and the outlook for the future is even better! Being an event planner is overall a great career path to go down for anyone that is willing to make new friends, make new memories, and make a lasting impact.
