Toni Macarra Rence Comm. 495 Career Paper 04 December 2012 Future Career Paper: Public Relations Specialist/Event Manager Introduction Throughout my experience at UW-Parkside, I have successfully gained knowledge in different fields of study while studying communication public relations and sports management. While I look forward to the future, I cannot help but to look even further into the future, to the career plans that will utilize the skills that I have acquired from my time in college. In the years spent at UW-Parkside, I have developed a plethora of skills that will help me to advance in positions that I plan to apply for. Some of these skills include creativity, interpersonal communication, verbal and written communication, audience analysis, ethical decision making, logical decision makings, different writing styles, and more. When I started off at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, I had an idea of what I wanted to do once I graduated. Now, with graduation right around the corner, I am even more sure of those plans, knowing that it is what I want to do for the rest of my life. With a degree in communication and public relations, and certificates in sports management and media literacy, there are infinite possibilities for me. While I am open to whatever comes my way, my ultimate dream is to work as an event coordinator/manager, for a corporate company. For this future project paper, I specifically chose to focus on my career, because it is what I want to do immediately out of college. While I don t know what the future has in store for me, this is what I believe will be best for me, in my life, over the next few years.
With the infinite possibilities that are available for someone who has the education that I do, it is easy to focus on a career that I wish to obtain in the future. While searching through the different positions that are offered for someone with a communication public relations degree, I came across two different positions that, ultimately, go hand in hand with one another. The position that chose that best fits the position that I am searching for, is a public relations specialist/event manager. Looking at the Bureau of Labor Statistics and ONet Online, it was reassuring to know that the future careers that I chose are ones that are growing and have an excellent job outlook for the future. Description of Career In the field of Public Relations, it is important to have skills that can transition from one job to another. Because I obtained a communication degree, I possess most of these skills, which will help when it comes to finding a position. When it comes to being an event manager, it is crucial to have an abundance of different communication skills, considering the amounts of people that they interact with on a daily basis. Looking further in to the details of event managers, there are many different An event manager, whether it is for weddings or businesses, is the person who brings together every detail of the event that is being set up. Event planning includes budgeting, establishing timelines, selecting and reserving the event sites, acquiring permits, planning food, coordinating transportation, developing a them, arranging for activities, selecting speakers and keynotes, arranging for equipment and facilities, managing risk, and developing contingency plans (IIEM, 2012). Because event management isn t limited to any specific event, there are a
lot of different skills that are necessary to possess when looking for the position. As mentioned above, I believe that I hold these skills, due to the education that I have received in the communication field. Along with the skills mentioned from the International Institute of Event Management, it is important to have skills such as organizational and communication skills. In a job where every single detail is important, it is necessary to be very organized, so that the job can be successful. [Event Managers] coordinate every detail of event, from beginning to end (BLS, 2010). Key Tasks, Responsibilities, and Skills As an event manager, some main tasks and responsibilities that are part of everyday work are meeting with clients, planning the scope of the event, inspecting locations for events to be held, coordinate event services, and monitor the activity of the event. For each event, an event manager needs to meet with their client to ensure that they are all on the same page, when it comes to the idea that the client has. This is crucial to any type of event manager, because this is the initial start of the event. If this were to go wrong, the entire event could potentially go wrong, causing one thing after another to go wrong. Planning the scope of the event is another important task, because this is where the idea begins to be implemented. This task is when the event actually starts to come together, and the event begins to start seeming like an event. Picking a location and inspecting it is important, because this is where the entire event is going to take place. When I spoke with Laura Beam, an event manager for MG Design in Pleasant Prairie, she stated that, location is everything. When it comes to location, there are many different criteria to look for, including: price, location of the location, accessibility, space, furniture that is provided, and much much more. If there is a larger event, the location of the venue needs to fit the amount of people. Finally, another main task is coordinating event services, and monitoring the activity
of the event. This is especially important when working with weddings, because an event manager needs to ensure that the florists, photographer, etc., are all lined up with what they need to do. As an event manager, it is also your responsibility to make sure that the day of the event runs smoothly. When it comes to the skills that are necessary to excel as an event manager, there are many. As an event coordinator, as mentioned above, it is very important to be a good communicator. In communication, the skills needed to be successful are actively listening and speaking clearly; as well as critical thinking. According to O Net, active listening is, giving full attention to what other people are saying (ONET 2010) And speaking is, talking to others to convey information (ONET 2010). Critical thinking is very important in event management, because you need to make sure that you are logically making decisions about what to do. Some other skills that are important are reading comprehension, time management, coordination, service orientation, social perceptiveness, judgment and decision making, and monitoring. Salary Range In a field such as event management, it is known that the more experience that you have, the better salary that you will receive. Also, because an event manager is setting up events, on top of a salary, they are making commission on the event that they are planning. Many times, this is often forgotten when figuring what an event manager typically makes. Depending on the type of event manager you are, your salary varies. However, for me, I would like to work with a business as an event manager, which typically raises the standard salary. While doing research about what an event manager makes, I found from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as well as O Net, that the median annual wage of an event manager is $46,020-49,730. When first starting off, less than 10% of event managers earned less than $27,090 per year, while less than 10% also
made more than $76,840 per year. (BLS and ONET 2010) Again, however, this is before the commission that is made on each event. Typically, event managers make around 10-30% of each event that they coordinate. When speaking with Robin Minosa, who is an event manager at the Racine Marriot, she stated that at first, salary is lower than average, just like any other position that you enter in to. However, it is nice because of the commission that is made from each event. You continue to make salary, while still collecting a portion of the event (Robin Minosa). Job Outlook Event managers is a growing field, expected to grow 44 percent from 2010-2020, much faster than the average for all occupations (BLS 2010). Because businesses are growing so fast, and expanding internationally, more events are needed, causing event manager positions to open quickly. A lot of the time, meetings are what bring people together, which makes it very important to ensure that the event it properly executed. As the years go on, this occupation is becoming more and more interesting to others, who were never interested in it to begin with. job seekers can expect strong competition because the occupation usually attracts more applicants than job openings (BLS 2010). As for any job, planners who work for healthcare industries are less likely to get cut from their position, because there is always a need for them. Current Job Openings This past summer, I worked as an intern for a local radio station, 95 Wiil Rock. During my time there, I worked in the promotions department of the station, helping to set of different events and remotes that were held. Because of this experience, there are many more opportunities that will be available to me, which will at least help to get a foot in the door for a position in a large company. Over the past few months, I have been constantly looking for jobs that relate to what I
want to do. The job site that I find to be particularly helpful is Indeed.com. This site allows you to type in the city that you are searching within, as well as the type of job that you are looking for. There are two positions that stand out to me that I plan on applying for, which are: Sales Planner for ESPN While looking on Indeed, I searched ESPN in Chicago, and this is one of the positions that came up. It is my dream to work for ESPN as an event manager, so when I found this position I was exstatic to say the least. ESPN, Inc., is the leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company featuring the broadest portfolio of multimedia sports assets (ESPN Careers). According to this position, the main responsibilities are, creating sales proposals, working with Sales Teams and Planning Management to establish advertiser strategies, perform stewardship of major buys, manage commercial inventory, serve as a liaison to programming coordinating schedule and program changes, compile inventory, coordinate with assest management, and create multi-media sales packages (ESPN Careers). For the qualifications, you must have 1 year of prior media experience, as well as computer skill and knowledge of media math. The required education is a college degree. For me, this position fits perfectly with the past experience and the skills that I have. Working with the radio station puts me at an advantage, because it gives me the media experience that they are looking for, and the college education automatically qualifies me for the position. However, that isn t all it takes. The skills that they listed are ones that I can handle, given the work that I have completed during my time here at Parkside. (ESPN Sales Planner) Red Frogs Event Coordinator For this particular position, you have to complete a 3 month internship to be considered for the position, but once you do so, you have a great chance at becoming an event coordinator. For this
company, there are many event coordinators, who work certain seasons, according to the events that they work for. To be considered for this position, there are some qualifications that are needed. They include: working 50-60hours per week, passionate, creative, good leadership skills, directing skills, and positive. While these skills seem easy to possess, this company is one that bases their applicants off what they want to do. If you have a bachelor s degree, which is the requirement, you can apply. However, unlike most positions, they don t limit it to a certain degree. They just want someone who is willing to love the job that they do, as well as fit in to the crazy personality that they are looking to fill. They are looking for, good-hearted, wacky, creative people from all backgrounds! Have a degree that s nothing close to event planning? Awesome! At Red Frog, we ve found that genuine, positive, good-hearted people make great coworkers, so that s who we hire (Red Frog Events). Although the skills aren t ones that they list in all seriousness, I believe that I still have the right skills to work there. Because I have a communication degree, I have the organizational skills and communication skills that are needed to work as an event coordinator. While I know that they hire people from every background, I know that I would be able to stand out with the education that I have. (Red Frog Event Coordinator) Liberal Education From the beginning, I knew it was important to enroll in classes that are considered GenEds, however, I never really understood that it was part of a liberal education that UW-Parkside stresses on teaching. A liberal arts education is one that is going to excel me beyond just a standard training for a career that I choose. My liberal education that I earned from the University of Wisconsin Parkside is one that is going to help me in the future, through all of the
different skills and knowledge that I have obtained. Being enrolled in different courses throughout my collegiate career, such as natural sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and humanities courses; I have a better understanding of not only my major, but also different fields of study. A liberal arts education stimulates inquiry, critical thinking, and a desire for a deeper understanding of subject matter. Because of this, I am better able to apply the knowledge from my entire liberal education course to the subject matter that will be presented throughout my career. Because of the education that I have received at the University of Wisconsin Parkside, I can proudly say that I believe that I am ready to take on any challenge that life throws my way. Through the liberal education that UW-Parkside has given to me, I will excel at any position that I apply for, making me an even better candidate than those without one. From the time that I have spent at Parkside, I have learned many different skills and much more knowledge than I ever thought would be possible to learn within 4 short years. Conclusion In conclusion, this paper has helped me get a better grasp on what to expect when I graduate. I know that after I walk across that I am going to have to be persistent, if I want to find a career right after school. After talking to the women that I interviewed, I found that you can never get discouraged in a field like this, and just getting my foot in the door with an entry level position is a great opportunity. Knowing that I have such an extensive background from a liberal education that I have earned, I realize that I have an amazing chance to score the perfect position that I have always dreamed of having. Moving forward, I can never say what the future is going to be. If life moves me in the direction of finding a job right outside of school, than I am going to take that opportunity and see where it leads me. However, I can t say that I am done with school. I
dream of going on to higher education, but I know that I need a break for now to enjoy what I have accomplished, thus far. For now, I want to travel. I want to enjoy every minute of the education that I have received, and I want to be thankful to everyone who have gotten me this far in my life. Leaving UW-Parkside is definitely hard, but I know that with the knowledge I have gained, there is no reason to be scared of what the future holds.
References: Department of Labor. (2012, March 29). Meeting, convention, and event planners. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/meeting-convention-and-eventplanners.htm on December 1st, 2012 Behling, L. (2012, November 17). Interview conducted by T. Rence. Interview questions. IIEM. (2012). International institute of event management. Retrieved from http://institute-ofevent-management.com/what-is-event-planning on December 3rd 2012 Indeed Jobs. (2012). Espn Sales Planner. Retrieved from http://jobs.espncareers.com/us/illinois/sales/jobid3016613-sales-planner on December 1st, 2012 Indeed Jobs. (2012). Red Frog Events Coordinator. Retrieved from http://hire.jobvite.com/companyjobs/careers.aspx?k=job&c=qed9vfwf&j=opvqwfwq &s=indeed on December 1 st, 2012 Minosa, R. (2012, November 17) Interview conducted by T.Rence. Interview questions. ONET. (2010). Summary report for: Meeting, convention, and event planners. Retrieved from http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-1121.00 on December 1st, 2012