A career in event planning is something that is fairly new. It has been little more than a decade since the event planner’s work was officially recognized as a management profession. The event planner is also called a convention planner, a conference coordinator, a meeting manager or a special event coordinator. The logistics of company meetings have become much more complicated as corporations have expanded and grown globally. A person must now train for a career in event planning in order to competently carry out all of the jobs involved in such an undertaking. Professionalism is absolutely necessary for this complex service.
If you are interested in a career in event planning, you must be prepared to learn a variety of duties. The event planner must select a suitable location for the event. He or she must see to arrangements for travel, accommodation and food. The event planner must oversee registrations and plan programs. For a career in event planning, you will be trained to negotiate, plan and coordinate meetings and conventions from the local municipal level to the international level. You might have to organize a small meeting for inner-office personnel, or you might have to organize a major convention attended by thousands of people from all over the world.
Some people who choose a career in event planning have their own companies. They are hired by organizations and corporations to plan and coordinate big events. Some even hire out their services for events like weddings, school reunions, family reunions and birthday parties. Many large corporations employ event planners as part of the management staff. Some people who have trained for a career in event planning are employed by large hotels or big convention centers.
Young people interested in a career in event planning should take business courses. A Bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement, and it would be a very good idea for the student to look into professional organizations that offer certification programs for a career in event planning. This line of work requires excellent English and communication skills. It would also be to the student’s benefit to learn a foreign language. This is a position that calls for leadership qualities and strong management skills. People who are successful in this field are very strong in public relations and have good sales and marketing skills. This is certainly a profession in which it pays to be a “people” person. A career in event planning means you will at times be working with hundreds of people performing many different jobs, and that can mean an infinite number of potential problems. The event planner must be able to think fast and find solutions; in short, be a reliable trouble-shooter. The event planner usually works indoors. Unless employed by a hotel or some other location that hosts conventions, the event planner will probably have to travel. This is a growth industry, and one in which women have been particularly successful.
At some point in every person’s life, he or she will leave school and go into the work force. Many young people think that is the point at which career development planning begins. For a few people, yes it is. But for most people, career development planning begins well before they leave high school. By their mid-teens, most people have developed values and interests. They have personality traits, as well as likes and dislikes. Most people have some idea of what sort of work they would like to do.
Most people spend most of their adult years engaged in some sort of work. Of course it is important to earn money. But it is also important that a person do the kind of work he or she likes to do. That is why career development planning is necessary. It begins while you are in high school, when you choose courses that are going to be useful to you on the road ahead. This is also a “trying out” period, in which you can get a hands-on experience with various subjects to find out if you like them. Here, too, students can consult with counselors who can tell them what is involved in various types of work, and what a person has to do to prepare for a career in that field.
By this time most young people will have had some sort of part time job. This, too, is important for career development planning. Your after school, part time job might not be the sort of work you want to do for the rest of your life, but it can provide you with some vital tools for starting out. It is through this job that you gain employment experience, learn to be punctual, and demonstrate a willingness to learn new skills. It is through this part time job, in the form of a recommendation from the employer, that you can show future potential employers that you are a reliable, trustworthy employee who works well with other people.
Career development planning means knowing about the labor market, but more importantly it means knowing about yourself. What are your strengths and abilities? How well do you present yourself? A personnel officer is going to make the decision on whether or not to hire you, based on what is in your resume, and how you conduct yourself during an interview.
Knowing about the labor market means becoming familiar with the world of work. Career development planning gives you a systematic method by which to find a job. There are many more jobs than those listed in newspaper want ads. Career development planning shows you how to explore this “hidden” job market. It also makes you aware of training programs that will make you eligible to seek employment at higher levels.
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