Some people out there think that being an event planner simply amounts to finding the live music for a wedding, or coming up with a theme for an event. The reality is that it is a discipline like many other careers and it takes a few things to be good at it. Not everybody is cut out to be an event planner, and to organize an event easily you need a certain number of skills, in other words.
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If you love the idea of becoming an event planner then you are in luck. The projections are for event planning to grow as an industry and there will be a lot of demand for planners going forward. In this article, we will go over what it takes to become a successful event planner so you can get an idea if it’s the right career for you.
Get your degree
To get a job as an event planner, you should have the right education. On a resume, a prospective employer or client will want to see that you have gone to college and gotten a degree in event management or in communications. Going to college for these degrees will give you a lot of experience and understanding of the different disciplines that it takes to be an event planner.
Communicating is one of the most important aspects of being an event planner. This is why learning about negotiating and relationship management is taught in the event management degree. You’ll also have some understanding of accounting, human resource management, and sales.
It takes a well-rounded person in all of these areas to make it as an event planner so having these types of degrees is essential.
Do an internship
Learning from a book is one thing. Actually putting those lessons into practice is another. It pays to have first-hand experience under your belt to see how things work in the real world.
Doing an internship will help you apply everything you’ve learned in school and add it to what you learn from experience. When those two things work together, it is a recipe for success later on.
While you are still studying you should apply to some internships to do over summer break. As a bonus, you will also be creating a solid network that can help you land a job after graduation.
Become specialized
When you have a general approach to being an event planner, it may end up being hard to find clients. The problem is there is going to be a lot of competition. When you look to specialize in certain types of events you have a couple of advantages.
The first is that there is less competition. It is much easier to stand out from the crowd. You can even look for those types of events where there is the least competition and go from there when you are trying to find your direction.
The other advantage is that people will seek you out. Since there is less competition you will be able to make a name for yourself as the person that does these types of events best. With this reputation, your services will be sought after and you will rarely have to hustle for clients.