Are you a very social person who enjoys bringing people together for the purpose of having a great time? You might want to consider a career as an event planner.
There are more than 130,000 event planners working all across the nation at this time. They specialize in mapping out everything from weddings to business conventions, and they’re some of the most organized and detail-oriented people you’ll ever meet.
If this sounds like a career path you might be interested in, there are some steps you’ll need to take before you can begin working as an event planner.
Here is how to break into the industry and show the world what you can do.
Speak With an Event Planner About Their Job.
Working as an event planner can be a fun and rewarding job.
But it can also be a very taxing job, especially for those who don’t understand what they’re getting themselves into when they start working as one.
With that in mind, it would be a good idea for you to sit down with someone who is working as an event planner right now to talk to them about what it is that they do. They can shed some light on what it’s like to work as an event planner and help you decide if it’s the right job for you.
If you can find an event planner gracious enough to give you a few minutes of their time, take them out for a cup of coffee and ask them a series of questions about their job. Your questions should include things like:
- “What made you want to become an event planner?”
- “What are some of the skills that are necessary to do your job?”
- “What is the most demanding aspect of your job?”
You can learn a lot about whether or not becoming an event planner is right for you by chatting with someone who is already working as one right now.
Think About Attending School to Acquire the Necessary Skills.
You could, in theory, attempt to jumpstart your event planning career without going to college.
But there are certain skills that you’re going to need to succeed as an event planner—and it’s going to be tough to acquire them without some level of schooling.
Many colleges don’t offer event planning as a major. But they do offer a bunch of different majors that could help someone trying to start a career in the event planning industry.
These majors include:
- Hospitality
- Public relations
- Marketing
- Business administration
- Communications
Enroll in school and talk to an advisor about which classes will prepare you for a career in event planning.
Get as Much On-The-Job Training as You Can.
While it’s important for people to attend college to learn the skills that they’ll need to work as an event planner, it’s equally as important, if not more important, for them to find ways to get on-the-job training.
This is the only way they’ll be able to put their event planning skills to the test.
Fortunately, it’s simple enough for wannabe event planners to gain real-world experience. They can get it by:
- Applying for an internship with an event planner
- Volunteering to help plan events for a charitable organization
- Planning events on their college campuses
By taking these steps, you’ll learn how to plan out events from start to finish.
You’ll also see some of the ongoing challenges you’ll face when you’re working as an event planner.
Develop Relationships With Event Planning Vendors in Your Area.
Getting on-the-job training while you work your way up to becoming an event planner will do more than just show you ropes as far as event planning is concerned.
It’ll also allow you to forge relationships with the vendors that are vital to event planners.
You’ll have the opportunity to network with:
- Caterers
- Photographers
- Florists
- Party rental suppliers
You’ll also be able to shake hands with those who are in charge of event spaces throughout your area.
If you’re looking for an event space San Francisco is filled with them. But you could have a tough time booking them for events if you don’t know anyone who works at the spaces.
By networking with vendors and event space owners, you’ll form valuable relationships that will benefit you for years to come.
Start Slow by Planning Out Smaller Events on Your Own.
Once you’ve graduated from college, obtained a bunch of real-world experience, and formed bonds with event planning vendors, it’ll be time to head out on your own.
Launch an event planning business and start planning smaller events for people and companies within your community.
You want each and every event that you plan at the beginning to be a complete success. So make sure that you avoid biting off more than you can chew while you’re getting your feet wet.
Build Up a Portfolio That Shows Off Your Best Work.
During each and every event that you plan, you should take a lot of photos and videos to showcase the work that you’ve done.
This will help you put together a portfolio of your work that you can show to potential clients in the future.
It’ll also help you to find ways that you can improve as an event planner over time.
Periodically review photos and videos from your events to see what things you think you could have done differently to make your events even more successful.
Launch a Career as an Event Planner Today.
It can take years for a person to transform themselves into an event planner.
It’s not a career that you’re going to be able to launch overnight.
But as long as you follow the steps listed here, you should put yourself in the position to become an event planner sooner than later. You should also get a more favorable response when you start reaching out to people and asking them to allow you to plan events for them.
Keep scrolling our blog to learn more about how to plan out specific types of events.
