How to Become a Certified Event Planner
The event planning business is growing day by day and a lot of job opportunities have been created as a result. Almost every industry has got a department of event planning across the globe. Being one of the certified planners is not a hard task so long as you are able to prepare a well-crafted resume that will better your chances of winning.
Make sure to list all the certificate that relates to event planning on your resume. This increases the chances of convincing an employer or a client that you are the best candidate to fit the position. If you are wondering how to become the best event planner in a certain industry, then this article is here to solve your problem.
The following are the simple steps that will guide you on how to become a certified event planner:
- Enroll in a bachelor’s degree
This is a critical field that you do not have to mess with it any point and hence the need for professionalism. For you to be certified, you need to complete either of the following courses as the first requirement, human resource management, event sales and sponsorship, financial accounting, agreement negotiation, relationship management, or any other related field. However, you can enter the field at an entry level by having at least two years of experience in the field of event planning.
Other courses that are acceptable are business management, marketing, public relations, communications, and hospitality management.
- have individual experience
This is not just a letter recommending your work on experience but an indication of what you can deliver at your level best. You need to work hard to gain some experience in this field for you to be able to demonstrate your capability.
The best way is seeking for an internship from an event planning company. To some extent, you can offer to volunteer to take control over some activities in your school like talent shows, concerts, festivals, and even sporting activities.
If you can reach out for the position in a non-profit organization, then this is another best opportunity to help them plan for their event for a longer period hence better experience. Similarly, if you are attached to a certain company for a job though in a different department, you can as well offer to volunteer to help them plan for their activities. This way you will be able to gain hands-on-hand experience.
You should know that it is your effort as a student to look for plenty of experience as much as possible.
- Have skills in Industry technology
The event planning industry is more than technology where an individual is required to master all the programs that are used in the industry. To operate on these programs, you need knowledge in project management, customer relationship management, and sales and marketing software.
As a professional you may be required to use some specific programs like; Market marketing automation, Microsoft project, Blackbaud The Raiser’s Edge, Convention Industry Council (CIC), APEX Toolbox, and Active Network Event Register. However, it is not necessarily that you master everything in this software, but it is a requirement to have some knowledge as an aspiring event planner.
- Specify your niche in the industry
As an aspiring event planner, you need to determine the best niche you can work in to the best of your knowledge. This is the best way to go especially if you are looking forward to having your own business.
Although most the event planners treat the business as general in a way that they can work on all types of events, as a business owner you may decide to focus on either of the following areas: business meetings, birthdays, weddings, mall events, fundraisers activities, conferences, and corporate retreat activities.
Concentrating on one of the niches may give you the best results by growing faster in a particular area.
- Have a portfolio
As a professional, you need to create a portfolio whether you are looking for job opportunities or for clients. This portfolio is the one letting your client or employer know of your skills, experience, and accomplishments. This way they will be able to determine if you are the best candidate they are looking for.
In your portfolio you may include pictures of the events you have already worked on, testimonials from your audience you have worked with before, clips that were earlier taken by press, brochures or you may share invitation cards that you were earlier issued with.
You can as well add some challenges that need to be addressed that may relate to tight deadlines you once strain to work for. This demonstrates how creative you were in solving the issue. If you have also gone through some tight deadlines, then you can as well take advantage and add to your portfolio. This describes the ability you have in working under pressure.
You can have this portfolio in both hard and soft copies for you to be flexible with any given client or employer. Remember your portfolio can sell you more or bring you down. So let your portfolio looks neat in a way that it can make some attractions either clients or employers.
Conclusion
Now that you have learned the above steps in becoming a certified event planner, you need to keep testing your skills until you establish yourself as a business owner or as a great event planner in each company.
Your own efforts are what will lead you in becoming a great planner. So, keep your head up. Although you may be working towards owning an event planning business, you may choose to take enough time to learn about the industry. This means you can even seek job opportunities in the event planning industry by signing a contract with them. So, by the time the contract is expiring you should be able to come out with enough experience and ready to establish your own business. This is looking for an experience not because it is a requirement for you to be certified but because you want to establish your business with a firm foundation.
