1. Getting into events management
© http://underclassrising.net/ Flickr http://web.peaceinthepark.org.uk/
© http://underclassrising.net/ (Flickr)
There is no easy way in getting straight to the top. Most of the senior positions are held by professional events directors or administrators and these positions usually take at least ten years in the profession before a person will be considered for this type of role.
2. Is there a graduate training scheme?
© WikiMedia Wikimedia 1 Pseudointellectual troll: graduation cap construction. Source A
© WikiMedia (Wikimedia)
There is no actual graduate training scheme for events management, although all prospective employees of this role are expected to have at least a university degree or a college education.
3. Typical routes into events management.
© Scott Maxwell Full Spectrum World Summit
© Scott Maxwell
Many events management roles are filled with people with previous experience in office management or administration. They may have public relations or promotional work knowledge or may have previously gained their qualifications in hotel or restaurant management.
Others will find their way in through being good at marketing, working within Tourism and Leisure or even within the world of arts administration or by being a great organiser of conference jobs.
4. Companies offering graduate positions
© Albert Lozano-Nieto stock pictures of a stack of newspapers or magazines
© Albert Lozano-Nieto
There are a number of event management agencies which regularly offer management positions to graduates. These positions are usually training roles and require graduates offered such roles to be very flexible in their approach to working and completing in any mundane jobs required of them as they progress into eventually becoming event managers.
5. Using recruitment agencies
© http://underclassrising.net/ Flickr http://web.peaceinthepark.org.uk/
© http://underclassrising.net/ (Flickr)
Many recruitment agencies claim that they can be helpful but in reality, they will not have the role of filling the events management positions. They should not be relied upon as it is most probable that they will be hoping to place people in temporary positions in local events and not at a management level.
6. Qualities to show
© helenos job series – waitress
© helenos
Whatever route you may choose to find jobs in event management, all candidates should be prepared to begin at the bottom rung of the management ladder. Those who show enthusiasm and a willingness to be flexible in their approach to work will progress, some at a rapid rate and others at their own slow pace.
However at the beginning the roles filled during events may be bar work or waiting tables. The attitude towards the way you approach these roles may determine the future. This experience may result in your running small scale events as you rise through the ranks of events management.