My college freshman told me she would like to be an event planner or stylist (ala grownish?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, YouTube Influencer makes her drool. She talked about wanting to be that through the end of h.s.
To the suggestions of hospitality, business major and focus on entrepreneurship I will share those suggestions with her. Along with the advice to get some catering/internship/sports events experience.

It is a contacts industry. Being affiliated with a topnotch undergrad program will go a long way to helping her getting her foot in the door as well as getting some real-life experience.

I presume you are here in the DMV. We have some outstanding catering and event firms in this area and we are moving into their prime time with the holidays first and then moving into an election year. If she can get some experience under her belt at school by working some catering events for food services there then she stands a great chance of picking up some catering gigs here over Christmas break. She will need black and whites (plain black trousers (with pockets is good), plain black jacket, white blouse and/or white tuxedo shirt, black bow tie, black walking shoes, all in wash-and-wear poly fabric is best except the shoes obviously). She will make OUTSTANDING money and all the gigs will have a 4-hour work minimum. She will need a car to get to the different job sites. She will have to be ready to WORK. This is not the industry for prima donnas. She will be schlepping tables and chairs alongside men, and carrying trays with food or beverages that can be upwards of 20 pounds.

She can show her savvy and networking skills by calling around. She might be able to get picked up as an intern but she likely won't earn any money at that. Better to go in as a worker and get that can-do knowledge now to get a foot in the door and make a bunch of money at the same time. It is highly unlikely that she will get hired as an event planner until she has experience. So practical experience coupled with a degree will mean that she can come close to writing her own ticket when she graduates. Graduates from the top programs are highly sought after by big international hospitality corporations but they also are very attractive to some of the really large event and catering companies here in the DMV.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure how to respond if at all.

You mean she's ditzy, flighty, unmotivated and pretty much is in college for a Mrs degree. Better tell her to find a rich classmate to marry if that's her "calling".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure how to respond if at all.

Every naive ditz wants to be in "fashion" or "event planning" or "PR". Unless you're rich (and connected) or marry rich, this most frequently leads to a very disappointing professional life. The girls I knew in college who did this, who didn't marry rich, ended up going back to college in their late 20s for something that could actually make a decent paycheck, e.g. nursing, teaching, accounting.

[Anonymous]

Success is this field takes independence, initiative, attention to detail and a very business oriented personality. Does she have it?

[Anonymous]

OP are you connected? B/c networking is key for landing these coveted jobs. Maybe your DD can hookup with a wealthy guy and build network that way.

And she has to be hot — it’s an image conscious role and she has to look the part.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP are you connected? B/c networking is key for landing these coveted jobs. Maybe your DD can hookup with a wealthy guy and build network that way.

And she has to be hot — it’s an image conscious role and she has to look the part.

+2 to the last two posts. This is a serious career and the lack of follow up by the OP suggests to me that the DD doesn’t have the chops.

[Anonymous]

Haven't read all the responses but I've worked in the private sector and now at a nonprofit, and a good event planner is highly valued in both sectors. It's a great career for someone who enjoys managing details, knows how to prioritize, and can deal calmly with a lot of curveballs and crises. It's hard work and demands a certain kind of personality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like a good job for someone in their 20's, who doesn't mind constantly working evenings and weekends.

If your daughter wants to have children eventually, then it may make it difficult to stay in this career.

I am not in this industry (am a lawyer myself), but I don't think it would be wise to get a particular "major" in this area -- seems like a dead end. I suspect that you could do a lot of on-the-job training for this line of work, and could have a more broad major (like Business) that is not as limiting as Hospitality.

If the DD doesn’t major in an event planning-related field now and ends up needing an event planning-related degree later, the simple solution would be to get a quick master’s degree in a related field, once she’s sure that’s what she wants to do.

[Anonymous]

My senior in high school is thinking about the hospitality major, too! Several schools in Florida have good programs - FSU, U of Central Florida, and Florida International. Looking at the programs at these schools - they require a certain number of internship hours to graduate (either 500 or 1000), and they have lots of relationships with appropriate companies - Marriott, Disney, Cruise lines, etc.

I think it can be a great major with a lot of different option and a lot of branches within hospitality - events, hotels, restaurants, clubs, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My cousin went to Townson and has been an event planner for like 20 years. I know two other people who are event planners. You can make a really nice living at it.

What did your cousin in Towson major in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am not sure how to respond if at all.

Do it in house at a big corporate sponsor like JPMorgan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Why is she going to college at all?

Finally! A smart one!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My senior in high school is thinking about the hospitality major, too! Several schools in Florida have good programs - FSU, U of Central Florida, and Florida International. Looking at the programs at these schools - they require a certain number of internship hours to graduate (either 500 or 1000), and they have lots of relationships with appropriate companies - Marriott, Disney, Cruise lines, etc.

I think it can be a great major with a lot of different option and a lot of branches within hospitality - events, hotels, restaurants, clubs, etc.

Hospitality seems blue collar to me.

[Anonymous]

Another option for experience: She can probably work-study at her university in the event planning section! Setting up tables, catering, planning alumni events takes lots of people and my university always had current students on staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It sounds like a good job for someone in their 20's, who doesn't mind constantly working evenings and weekends.

If your daughter wants to have children eventually, then it may make it difficult to stay in this career.

I am not in this industry (am a lawyer myself), but I don't think it would be wise to get a particular "major" in this area -- seems like a dead end. I suspect that you could do a lot of on-the-job training for this line of work, and could have a more broad major (like Business) that is not as limiting as Hospitality.

Read the previous posts. You have no idea the kind of doors a degree in hospitality opens up for people. I have two friends who went to Cornell for this - one is an exec at Marriott, the other plans launch events/conferences in Silicon Valley. Both are very wealthy and very well-regarded in their industries. Most importantly, they are in solid careers with great job security.

Don't treat this as a joke, OP. Take it seriously, and get her more information on potential degree programs she can trasnfer into (a PP above listed some of the well regarded ones), as well as the types of internships and long-term careers that she might end up in.