Application of skills learned during volunteering and at event management courses

Application of skills learned during volunteering and at event management courses

Volunteerism involves activities that are beneficial for society or a community. While volunteering, an individual gains social skills that would be beneficial for himself as well as the community. The approach should be group or community-focussed (Venske, 2019). Both personal and professional growth can be ensured when an individual engages in a volunteering activity. In my case, I have managed to understand the significance of volunteering and have gathered knowledge from event management courses. The course has taught me team management skills. I have been able to understand the intricacies of planning, managing, and coordinating an event. Event management mainly involves meticulous planning and faultless execution (Barron & Ali-Knight, 2017). It has been understood that while working as a part of the team, an event planner is supposed to have a vision and mission in mind. Hosting an event is a challenging task because an event planner is supposed to be creative, determined and self-confident.

It has been anticipated that the knowledge gathered from event management courses will help me in both personal and professional life. For instance, I have gathered management skills, which is one of the core competencies for being an event planner. The future prospects of an event planner with good management skills would be high. On a global basis, the demand for an event planner is increasing drastically. Hence, the future prospects are high as well. Further, in my professional life, an event management course would allow me to enhance my creativity skills, and I will grow as an individual. The training and qualifications gathered from the course would be beneficial for me as a potential candidate in any corporate workplace. In this industry, experience as well as degree matters and most of the skills gathered during learning are transferable skills. The transferable skills would be beneficial for sustaining in the business environment. The training course on event management would allow me to get exposed to experiential learning. Event planning skills would be useful outside the classroom, and it will create a solid foundation for me. While recruiting a candidate, the HR looks forward to understand the passion and commitment levels of employees. An event manager might become a venue planner or a festival planner based on his or her suitability with the role.

In terms of personal development, event planning courses allows an individual to gain confidence and reflect a high level of confidence while meeting new people and planning new events. As a student of Event Management, I have received the opportunity to volunteer at an event. It has allowed me to develop habits of volunteering. A volunteer is often regarded as a change agent who possesses the ability to protect the people and community surrounding those (Segal & Robinson, 2019). Consequently, I have managed to improve my self-esteem, as well as my perspective on life. I had to deal with different people from different communities, and it has allowed me to be appreciative of a particular work situation. It has also allowed me to integrate practices such as justice, fairness, gratitude, understanding, as well as social inclusion. The volunteerism experience has also given me great satisfaction that could have been impossible if I would have engaged in some other field. A community spirit can be developed by engaging in volunteering activities (Hawkins & Bonney, 2019). Becoming a part of a company that engages and genuinely promotes volunteerism is a great opportunity, and I have been able to use that opportunity to the optimum level. By participating in volunteering events and programs, it has been possible to enhance my own creativity and vision towards society. As a volunteer, my perspective towards life has changed drastically. Valuing economic, cultural, environmental and physical surroundings, I have been able to become a dedicated individual who genuinely cares about societal wellbeing.

Again, I have developed social sensitivity by participating in volunteering activities. In the future, this attitude would help me collaborate with others meaningfully. Volunteering is an effective way of creating opportunities in the events industry. It is a way of “standing out” from the crowd and has the edge over others (Ryan, 2016). As a volunteer, I have already learned about people management and gathered enough experience in the event management field. This experience would further allow me to understand the kind of work that will be suitable for me in the long term. It might help decide better between association conferences or an outdoor sporting event. The events industry is wide, and various aspects of the industry should be learnt in order to ensure career growth. In future interviews, I would be able to use my knowledge regarding people management because volunteering has helped me gather enough knowledge and experience in people handling skills. The events industry might look glamorous from outside when people attend parties and gatherings. However, I have realised the level of effort required to make an event glamorous. As a volunteer, I was lucky to see the harder side of event management. From selecting the venue to planning activities and looking after the safety and health-related matters of guests, event planning has taught me a lot of practical lessons. Volunteering for me is a win-win situation. In the future, while delivering a project, I will be able to understand the sides of people and the side of the company. Employers in the events industry are keen to find candidates who understand the importance of engaging with people. Here, meeting with clients and delivering projects based on their needs is a necessity and therefore, candidates with effective people management skills are ideal for the job role.

I have been able to make the best usage of my volunteering experience. It has been possible to hone people skills and get an in-depth understanding of the requirements of this industry. Mechanics of event management seems challenging at first; however, after understanding the intricacies of event management, it is now possible to choose between varieties of options. I might fit into a customer-facing role, or I might fit into a logistics management role. Both the possibilities exist due to my experience. An employer would also be looking at the communication skills of the candidate before hiring him or her in an event management role (Abson, 2017). Hence, the amount of time I have spent at volunteering an event has allowed me to enhance my communication skills. As an employee, I should be able to contribute to the workplace. Volunteering experience has given me this opportunity to become a contributor and value relationships more than anything. I am anticipating that my experience would allow me to add or contribute to the organisation in meaningful terms. By gaining a first-hand experience, it has been possible to turn myself into a “people-oriented” individual. Working for making an exciting event is now possible, as I have learned to put up my sleeves and work genuinely for a cause. In the events industry, this self-driven attitude is necessary for getting better job opportunities. In the future, I can use the valuable insights and manage to attain a position in a higher management role. The skills that would be useful include risk assessment skills, preparation skills, problem-solving skills and communication skills. It would be possible to contribute genuinely to the organisation and manage the beginning as well as the end of an event successfully.