Event Manager Resume Samples, Keywords & Job Description
An event manager needs a strong mix of leadership and organizational abilities. Here’s what you need to know to create an event manager resume that lands you a job.
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Activities that can use an event manager resume
An event manager also called an event planner, is an individual who can plan and execute a wide variety of events. These events may be very small, like birthday parties with just a few families, or they may be as large as the Olympics. Regardless of the size, you need a wide variety of skills if you want to pull off an event that people enjoy.
Above all else, event managers need to be adept at multitasking and working under pressure. Events typically require a lot of work in a very short period, and that means you need to understand how you can pull off the event that your client wants from you. Here are a few of the types of events that you might plan:
- Fundraisers
- High school reunions
- Corporate events
- Event marketing
- Trade shows
How to write an event manager resume
Your resume structure may depend on many different elements, but one of the most important ones is your resume template. If you have plenty of experience, the chronological format, which emphasizes work history, is the right option. However, less experience might warrant the functional or combination format. Regardless of the resume format you choose, you’ll typically have these sections:
Contact information
The first element of your resume is typically the resume header. This is where you put your full name and contact information with your phone number, and any professional social media accounts you have, like LinkedIn or Instagram, or your own events management site.
Resume summary
The next section of your resume is usually your resume summary or resume objective. This is a brief 2-3 sentence paragraph. The resume summary provides an overview of your years of experience and any certifications or awards you have. If you have little to no work experience, you will write a resume objective where you can outline your career goals.
Skills
Here are a few events-related resume skills examples you should consider for this section:
- Knowledge of budgets
- Excellent communication
- Detail-oriented nature
- Problem-solving
- Project management
- Staffing skills
- Audiovisual presentations
- Leadership
- Marketing plans
- Liaising with providers
- Organizational skills
- Public relations skills
- Time management
- Microsoft Office
Work history
In your work experience section, you should include all job titles you’ve held in the events industry and all experiences you’ve had where you routinely helped plan events within the past 10 years. Even if you were carrying out these duties in a different career field, they could still provide great evidence of event planning skills. Include the company name, your job title, and the start and end dates for each job you held. Also include two to three bullet points highlighting your most impressive achievements while you held that role.
Education
Add any schooling or training you’ve had for event planning in the education section, as well as your top academic credential (e.g., your college degree).
Create your resumeDo's and don'ts for an event manager resume
- Talk about previous events that you’ve successfully managed. Being able to show off events that worked well is an important part of your work history.
- Be on time for every appointment you make with a hiring manager. Timeliness is crucial for event coordinators, and being late won’t reflect well on your event planning skills.
- Mention if you have supply chain relationships. You bring these relationships with you, which means the company will have them if they hire you.
- Talk poorly about any of your clients. It’s not generally considered professional and may put a company off from using your skills.
- Mention any events that didn’t go well. Remember, you want the hiring manager to hire you for your event planning experience, so don’t talk about jobs that failed.
- Discuss events you’ve planned in vague terms. In hospitality management, specificity is key, and you should have specific metrics to explain your events (e.g., “Managed job conference with 1000 participants”).
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FAQ: Event manager resume examples
Have questions? We’re here to help.
Do I need to include a cover letter for an event manager application?
Yes. A cover letter is always important to turn in with your resume. Even the most perfect resume won’t go very far without a cover letter to back it up. A cover letter allows you to talk directly to the hiring manager about your skills, and elaborate on event activities and skills that fit the job. It also allows you to request a job interview. You can use the ResumeHelp cover letter builder to create an effective cover letter.
How can I write an event manager resume without a lot of experience?
If you don’t have much experience in the event planning field, you may still be able to ace a job search. The best way to do so is to focus on the skills that match what the job needs. Additionally, you can cite event planning experiences that you’ve done on your own time, even if you didn’t get paid for them. Regularly volunteering to be on an event planning committee at a previous job, for example, can be a helpful experience to add to your resume.
How do I change my event manager resume to apply to different jobs?
When you’re applying to multiple jobs as an event manager, you need to use resume keywords to create a perfect appearance for each one. These keywords are in the job description of different jobs, and they indicate what a hiring manager is looking for in their perfect job applicant (such as particular skills or abilities). If you address these keywords in your resume, you’re more likely to get a job interview.
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