If you enjoy going out, have energy in bucket loads and are above all organised, then a career as an events organizer may well be for you. In reality big events simply don't just happen. Behind every successful corporate business or national event lies an extremely tired but successful and happy event organizer. So with in mind, what exactly is an event organizer anyhow?
Role of the job
It can be a tough and stressful job. In essence, they are solely responsible for coordinating and assembling all the behind the scenes details pertaining to an event. Whether that be a wedding, corporate event, or exhibition. The events planner has to liaise with the client putting on the event to make sure that each and every one of their requirements are met, no matter how small the detail. Following this they will likely have to look at different venues and source suppliers, usually negotiating deals with contractors who supply catering and security services.
Qualities
In any job you need to possess certain qualities to enable you to do the best job that you can and event planning and organising is no exception.
Be Organised
This may sound a little obvious but organisational skills are imperative in this job. As often the case, event planners have a very tight window in which to get the job done, and in reality they are nearly always working against the clock. Therefore they have to be extremely well organised.
Good communication and people skills
In order to succeed at this job a calm and unflappable personality is needed as is the ability to be able to communicate well with people. If you tend to get stressed when working under pressure then this job may not be for you. Quite often you'll be working on your own, but you could also be working as part of a team so the ability to get on with people is paramount
Multi tasking
The old saying goes that men can't multi task! Well in this business you simply have to. Event planners are often trying to coordinate several different aspects of an event at any given time so being able to multi task is essential.
Eye for detail
A good event organizer will be able to make sure that they can look at the event from all angles and leave no stone unturned, when it comes to detail. It's quite often the small details which can make or break an event.
Delegation skills
As often the case, events take a lot of planning and action, and this is something that one person simply cannot do on their own, so the need to be able to delegate tasks out to others is key.
How do I get into it?
The formal way
You can take a degree in event organisation and management and many universities offer this as an option. This is a 2-3 year course and although you may pass, it by no means guarantees you a job. Having said this, big event companies who are looking for recruits prefer to take on graduates.
The informal way
The good thing about this occupation is that you don't need any formal qualifications in order to succeed. Most, but not all event organizers work freelance. Although working for yourself is great, building up your own clients could be an issue until you get established. One idea is to try to organise an event for someone you know, either your boss at work or friends and family. If it goes well and to plan, then use that as a basis for a testimonial that you can show future clients.
Pay
The pay scales for an event organizer do vary considerably. If you are a junior in a company, you could be earning around £15,000 per annum. More experienced one can earn around £30,000-£35,000 per year. High flyers who deal with the high end events, can earn in excess of £90,000.
Hopefully this has given you an insight into what it takes to become an event organizer. Although it can be stressful, if you are good at what you do, then there is no reason why you can't get to the top of this profession.
Career Journey uses a unique approach designed to understand your needs and wants in life and develops an actionable plan to achieve your desired career.
For career content please use the contact form on our site http://careerjourney.co.uk/
By Nik Lemmens
Role of the job
It can be a tough and stressful job. In essence, they are solely responsible for coordinating and assembling all the behind the scenes details pertaining to an event. Whether that be a wedding, corporate event, or exhibition. The events planner has to liaise with the client putting on the event to make sure that each and every one of their requirements are met, no matter how small the detail. Following this they will likely have to look at different venues and source suppliers, usually negotiating deals with contractors who supply catering and security services.
Qualities
In any job you need to possess certain qualities to enable you to do the best job that you can and event planning and organising is no exception.
Be Organised
This may sound a little obvious but organisational skills are imperative in this job. As often the case, event planners have a very tight window in which to get the job done, and in reality they are nearly always working against the clock. Therefore they have to be extremely well organised.
Good communication and people skills
In order to succeed at this job a calm and unflappable personality is needed as is the ability to be able to communicate well with people. If you tend to get stressed when working under pressure then this job may not be for you. Quite often you'll be working on your own, but you could also be working as part of a team so the ability to get on with people is paramount
Multi tasking
The old saying goes that men can't multi task! Well in this business you simply have to. Event planners are often trying to coordinate several different aspects of an event at any given time so being able to multi task is essential.
Eye for detail
A good event organizer will be able to make sure that they can look at the event from all angles and leave no stone unturned, when it comes to detail. It's quite often the small details which can make or break an event.
Delegation skills
As often the case, events take a lot of planning and action, and this is something that one person simply cannot do on their own, so the need to be able to delegate tasks out to others is key.
How do I get into it?
The formal way
You can take a degree in event organisation and management and many universities offer this as an option. This is a 2-3 year course and although you may pass, it by no means guarantees you a job. Having said this, big event companies who are looking for recruits prefer to take on graduates.
The informal way
The good thing about this occupation is that you don't need any formal qualifications in order to succeed. Most, but not all event organizers work freelance. Although working for yourself is great, building up your own clients could be an issue until you get established. One idea is to try to organise an event for someone you know, either your boss at work or friends and family. If it goes well and to plan, then use that as a basis for a testimonial that you can show future clients.
Pay
The pay scales for an event organizer do vary considerably. If you are a junior in a company, you could be earning around £15,000 per annum. More experienced one can earn around £30,000-£35,000 per year. High flyers who deal with the high end events, can earn in excess of £90,000.
Hopefully this has given you an insight into what it takes to become an event organizer. Although it can be stressful, if you are good at what you do, then there is no reason why you can't get to the top of this profession.
Career Journey uses a unique approach designed to understand your needs and wants in life and develops an actionable plan to achieve your desired career.
For career content please use the contact form on our site http://careerjourney.co.uk/
By Nik Lemmens
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