A guide to your first event planning job

Whether you are fresh out of college or looking for a career change, the event planning business can be an exciting experience for those who want to solve problems and build projects from the ground up. As with most careers, however, getting your foot in the door is the hardest part. This is why you need to expand your job search beyond classified advertising and start contacting companies and organizations that rely on planners to keep them running.

Follow this map to discover five great places to start your job search.

Ø Corporations
Almost every Fortune 500 company has an event planning department in charge of organizing all the conferences, training seminars and meetings abroad. Browsing websites for job listings is the perfect start to starting your career, especially if some companies are right in your backyard. The first step is to find out who heads the events department and get them resumes and contact information. Even if there are no opportunities open today, you do not know when the situation will change. Keep in touch with the lead designer to give yourself an edge when opening a position.

Ø Non-profit and service organizations

Organizations like the Red Cross, United Way and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society are always looking for talented individuals to organize their endless calendar of events. And because much of what these organizations do is out of office, almost every position will be exposed to certain aspects of event planning.

If you are looking to gain experience across the board, then the options available to a non-profit will give you the hands-on involvement needed to lead your career planning event.

Ø Hotels and convention centers

When it comes to long-term growth prospects, the hotel industry offers unlimited potential.

Each hotel and event location with meeting space has a sales and service staff to sell rooms and adapt to customer needs. If you lack experience then you may want to aim for a banquet manager, relocation supervisor or hotelier sales position as a start. Top management positions include sales manager, general manager and hotel manager. Once you gain knowledge of the system and test yourself, there will be many opportunities for advancement. Hotels want to promote from within, so it pays to work hard and develop your skills with a company.

Ø Catering and Event Rental Companies

There are several types of vendors working together with sites and customers to provide essential services. At the top of the list are rental companies and event rental companies, both of which hire sales people and supervisors to ensure everything is done on the day of the event. The home experience in a restaurant will translate well into the hotel industry and if you have been involved in event planning during college then it should not take long to master the basics of operating in the rental business. The key is to demonstrate your skills in relation to job requirements.

Ø Family and social events

Sometimes the easiest way to start your event planning career is to create your own experience.

Just think how many birthdays, anniversaries and gatherings are celebrated each week within your circle of friends and family. You can develop your skills and earn extra money by simply offering your services to people you know. This is the perfect answer to save a hand in event planning while looking for your first full position. You can find it too, with a little determination, your side venture can turn into something much bigger!

As you can see, for those who are expanding their search settings, event planning jobs are not that difficult to come by. The mistake a typical beginner makes is to look very specifically for terms like "meeting planner". You do not want to forget jobs that involve tasks such as event marketing, project management and office coordination. Demonstrating success in these interrelated skills will build the foundation for a long career as a planner.

Courtesy:corporate event planner in Lahore