For Students Seeking Jobs in the Special Events & Wedding Industries
Spring is here and graduation is fast approaching! Around this time of year, our inbox is flooded daily with emails from students asking for advice or seeking a job. Becca, Nicole, and I all remember how tough and scary it was to be newly out on the job market. All three of us feel incredibly lucky to have survived our journeys to end up here, doing what we love each day. We’ve all shared tidbits of our stories on our blog over the past year and if you missed them, we’d love for you to go back and read- here, here, here, here and here!
While we love sharing our past with you, the truth is that just because a decision was right for us doesn't mean it's right for you! Our best advice is to always follow your heart and do what you think is best for your future. I know that's all sometimes easier said than done and sometimes you just want answers. It's also incredibly important to seek information from those who have gone before you and truly listen so that you can learn from them! So, this week I am sharing some simple advice for graduating students seeking jobs and internships!
PDF, PDF, PDF
When applying for internships and jobs, only ever attach your resume and cover letter in PDF format. It seems so basic, but I can’t tell you how often I get emails with word attachments. Why PDF? It's the most professional way to transmit files. All computer devices open files differently, so formatting and fonts are often lost, leaving your resume looking like a hot mess! PDF is the universal file that can be opened by anyone. Not sure how to convert? Look it up on Google or watch a YouTube video- it'll be the most valuable thing you learn today!
PERSONALIZE
We know how time consuming it can be to apply for a bunch of jobs. And we hear you when you say how frustrating it can be when you don’t ever hear a word back from some companies. Remember the old adage quality over quantity? Well, that’s particularly true here. If you really want a job, show that in your cover letter and resume. One of the easiest ways to do that is to personalize your letter. Find out the names of the people you would report to or would be interviewing with for the job. It’s not that hard to figure out- I promise! If you can stalk someone on Facebook (an ex boyfriend, a friend on vacation or an arch-nemesis), you can certainly figure out whom to address your cover letter to at your potential dream job. You wouldn’t believe the number of times I have received a letter addressed to “Dear Sir or Madam.” (Insert screams and nails on a chalkboard emojis here). If anyone has taken 2.5 seconds to click through our website, they will see there are currently no sirs on our team and two co-owners (neither of whom is named “Ms. Rose”). I can always tell who has taken the time to learn about our company before submitting an application. I am excited to reach out to the people who have taken the time to learn about our team first. Personalizing makes a big difference- trust me! We want to know you'll be thorough in your approach if we do ever hire you as an intern or employee, so demonstrating that you know how to thoroughly research and strategize for your job application goes a long way!
READ + STAY CURRENT
If you want to work in the wedding and special events industries, you need to pay attention to what’s happening! Creative industries are ever-changing, so it’s important to read and stay up-to-speed on current industry news and market trends. Here are a few of my favorite resources:
THINK SPLENDID: Liene is a wonderful researcher in the special events industry. I’ve had the privilege of listening to her speak and talking with her in person. She is brilliant, down-to-earth and always right on point. Her blog features snippets of what’s happening in the industry. Each year she releases cutting edge research that’s a must for any small business owner (or aspiring event professional) in the wedding industry!
BIZBASH: If you’re looking for a snapshot of the special events industry as a whole, this is the best place to find out the scoop. BIZBASH follows trends and shares photos from corporate and social events from all over the country. The food and beverage loving part of me finds great enjoyment in reading articles about new chefs, innovative food displays and unique menu presentations.
SBA If you are considering starting your own small business, congratulations! The first place I recommend you spend a whole lot of time reading, learning and researching is on the Small Business Administration’s website. There are endless free resources available and information about local assistance offices.
BLOGS: There is no shortage of wonderful blogs bookmarked in my browser. If time were unlimited, I’d read every single one of them everyday. Here are a few of my favorites: ONCE WED, SOUTHERN WEDDINGS, STYLE ME PRETTY, GREEN WEDDING SHOES, GREY LIKES WEDDINGS, MAGNOLIA ROUGE, TRENDY BRIDE, INSPIRED BY THIS, CARATS & CAKE, SNIPPET & INK
And of course, we’d love for you to continue follow along with our team this year as we share stories and tidbits of advice. If you’d like to subscribe to our newsletter and learn more: click here. I’ll be sharing more advice throughout the year, including updates from our student interns. We’re looking forward to a pretty exciting summer and you won’t want to miss out!
Betsy