Final Paper

Looking back on my first semester at FSC as a freshman I had a completely different idea on what career it was that I wanted to pursue after I graduated college. I had a dream to be a TV host, to work for a big reputed company and interview celebrities, be on location at the red carpet, and live life in the fast lane.

   Now I am a senior and as my future career is becoming less of a dream and more of a reality, I find myself asking, what is it that I really want to do for the rest of my life. Throughout my four years of being a communications student I have done a number of jobs in California. I started out as a shy intern for a large production company right in the heart of Hollywood, I would run back and forth completing errands for people, from coffee runs, to photocopying hundreds of scripts, rundowns and schedules. Over my four year course of doing this it made me realize quite a few things. One, was that the glamor of Hollywood wasn't all that it had appeared. Hollywood is brutal, people are mean, and you really aren't as talented as you may believe. FSC is tiny, being a big fish in a small pond was easy, but the minute you are amongst thousands of people who want what you want, but are 100% dedicated to it, makes you realize nothing comes without a LOT of hard work. On a positive note, I also learnt that this lifestyle, working 14-hour shifts and being constantly on your feet is something that I loved to do.

   During my work experience in California, I made quite a few connections along the way and due to this I landed a job running the BET awards pre-show. I felt like I was really out of my depth, as I was used to being given orders, not being the one giving them. This job is what made me realize what it is that I wanted to do. I worked so hard on this show, hardly sleeping and constantly e-mailing, doing research and setting up meetings. People were asking me for advise, and following my orders. The project become my own and I enjoyed every second of it. This got me thinking about event planning.

   The requirements of an events planner is that they are responsible for all aspects of planning a meeting or special event for an organization. Responsible for all amenities and accommodations at the event as well as any associated contact negotiations. You may require a bachelor's degree in an area of specialty and 2-4 years of experience in the field or in a related area. Familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. This job relies on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals, performs a variety of tasks and works under general supervision. A certain degree of creativity and latitude is required. You would typically report to a supervisor or manager. 

   I believe that with my experience I have obtained over the last four years, from working in CA, I would suit this job well. During my time as a PA I was responsible for everyone's itinerary to the event. This included 27 members of staff that were being flown in for the event, therefore required a lot of organization and preparation. I also feel familiar with the concepts, practices and procedures within this particular field. I believe that I am a very creative person and can have a clear vision of what I want an event to look like and how to make that happen. I also like how this particular job role usually reports to a supervisor or manager because I would not like the stress of running my own business. This job allows me to bring out my creative side and leadership qualities without having the weight of a whole company and it's employees.

   According to some research that I did, the bottom 10% of salary in this field earns $40,861 a year. However, the top 90% of this field's salary can be up to $100,000 a year. I have my heart set on working in NYC or LA for this and believe with a lot of hard work I can be in the top 90%.