An event manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing a variety of events. As an event manager, you'll work with clients to determine their needs and coordinate the entire production from start to finish. You might also have other responsibilities relating to ticket sales or marketing, depending on the type of event that you're managing.
To become an event manager, you need to have experience in the industry or formal education. If you're interested in working a less traditional job, then you should consider obtaining an associate's or bachelor's degree in business management, public relations, or organizational behavior. You'll learn about leadership skills and gain the knowledge that you need to become an effective event manager.
If you already have a few years of professional experience, then you can focus your career goals on obtaining an internship. By networking and showing interested companies that you're eager to learn more about event management through on-the-job training, you'll be able to gain the skills that are most relevant for your specific career path. By gaining on-the-job training, you'll be able to apply everything that you learn in the classroom to a variety of different work situations.
If you don't have any formal education and still want to become an event manager, then continue networking with various organizations so that you can obtain practice and on-the-job training. You might volunteer for a few events that you're really interested in, such as movie premieres or fashion shows. Volunteering will allow you to obtain experience, build your resume, and develop the skills necessary to become an event manager.
Once you've decided where you want to work, you need to learn more about the industry so that you can position yourself as a viable candidate. You can do this by reading business magazines, attending conferences, contact the company's director of operations. Tell him that you're interested in working as an unpaid intern, while also pointing out your relevant skills and educational background.
Before you meet with him, come up with a list of questions to ask about the organization's history and why it started operating as a business. Don't be surprised if the director doesn't hire you to work at his company after meeting with you. If he's not looking for an intern at the time, then you might consider contacting other event management companies. Continue networking and following up with these contacts until you find a position that best fits your skills and career goals.
Once you've obtained a position as an intern, you'll have the opportunity to prove yourself by taking on different jobs. You might work as a ticket salesperson, or you might help with the marketing for an upcoming event. Most companies will assign you to different projects so that you can obtain training and experience in various aspects of the business. If you do well, then there's a good chance that they'll hire you full-time once your internship ends.
Learning how to become an event manager takes time and dedication. Even though you might be tempted to take a less traditional route, it's still best to obtain either an associate's or bachelor's degree in one of the aforementioned fields before working as an intern for the organization that you're interested in joining. Whether you choose to focus on a business administration degree or public relations, you'll learn how to become a good leader and develop all of the skills that you need to run a successful event.
If you're interested in learning more about becoming an event manager, then contact schools or colleges online for more information. Or go to YouTube and find more videos about this topic.