Event Planner Career: How to Become an Event Coordinator

What does it really mean to be an event planner? If you thrive on organization, are proficient at multi-tasking, and enjoy a creative work environment, perhaps event coordination is the profession for you. In our interview with event planner Jessica Alpert, she discusses the wide range of opportunities in managing events, offers career advice, explains how she broke into the industry through informational interviewing, and stresses the importance of an event planning internship.

Diversity is the Watchword

The world of event planning is an extremely diverse industry. You can represent a piece of real estate such as a hotel ballroom, a convention center, a private room in a restaurant, or independent event space. Alternatively, you can work at an event management company that consults with clients to plan special events, or work in-house at a company that holds many events and needs someone to plan and manage them.

Fortunately, you do not need a degree in event management to start a career in the industry. Jessica, who majored in psychology at UC Davis, explains that a variety of educational backgrounds can prepare you to become an event coordinator. She says, "a major is a major and I feel like I could have focused on anything from communications to fine arts and I would have been fine." While a college degree is not necessarily required she emphasizes that it helps in being taken seriously when job hunting.

Network, Network, Network

Jessica also stresses the importance of the informational interview, noting this type of networking is what led to her first job. She recalls, "in meeting with all these people I learned what I did and did not want in a job...I was interviewing them just as much as they were interviewing me." This networking definitely paid off, because when one person did not have an opening they would say, "'I don't have anything available, but I have a friend who works [here] who might know somebody.'"

Jessica also recommends an event planning internship to help you understand the industry. Even though these may not be the most glamorous jobs, the behind-the-scenes experience is invaluable..."I truly believe that in order to understand how to hire a caterer you need to work for a catering company, and you need to see the behind-the-scenes look of it." Not only will you gain a better understanding of the different aspects of managing events, you are able to make an impression with vendors so they think of you when hearing about job openings.