What is an Event Planner?

The United States Department of Labor has classified the occupation of event planning under the title of meeting and convention planners. Though the words event planning may seem to give out a casual meaning, it is a much serious profession. First and foremost, candidates need to understand that event planning is not about party planning.

The U.S. Department of Labor defines event planning as follows –

Meetings and conventions has a common goal of bringing people together. Therefore, the main job responsibility of event planners is to achieve the purpose meetings and conventions are meant for. Whether it is the meeting location, speakers, audio visual equipment or the arrangement of printed materials, the event planners looks after it all.

Event planners work for multiple organizations, business establishments, associations etc. They organize events for their clients, depending on the requirement.

To have a successful career as an event planner, candidates should possess the following skills –

Communication skills (verbal and written)
Organizational skills
Time management
Multi-tasking and project management
Team playing skills
Budget and staff management
Public relations
Marketing
Negotiation skills

If you want to pursue a career in event planning and management, you should possess a bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, bachelor’s degree in marketing, bachelor’s degree in public relations, bachelor’s degree in business administration or a relevant field.

How to Become a Sports Writer

The field of journalism offers multiple career opportunities for aspiring candidates. If you have keen interest in sports, talking to players and teams and covering sports events, you can choose to become a sports writer. Sports writing is an important form of journalism. Trained sports journalists are quite well versed with attending events and composing articles and stories on sports. Even when you want to enter this field of journalism, you can choose to either specialize in a particular sports activity or can choose to cover a variety of such events.

What Sports Writing is all About
Taking up a career in sports writing means you need to report informative and exciting and engaging sports articles and stories, which needs to be done on a regular basis. In addition to keeping abreast with the team and player news, writers also need to be in close touch with the fans of a particular game they are covering. The basic job role is to update the sports fans on what’s happening in the sports world including news on players, teams, coaches etc. Besides, the writer also has an important role to play in giving the fans a deep insight into the performances of teams and their players. Not only that, writers can also suggest ways in which teams can improve their performances to play at their best.

Becoming a sports writer also requires professionals to keep updated with the history of sports as well as the latest happenings. Therefore, writers need to do a lot of research and reading as many books as possible to increase their understanding of sports and games. Analyses of teams and their players is an important part of an accomplished sports writer.

Education & Training Required
A high school diploma is the minimum requirement. However, if you really want to be successful in your writing career, you should possess a college degree in sports journalism, journalism, English or a relevant degree. To acquire some real world experience, candidates can also start writing for their school sports magazines and local newspapers. Internships also prove to be much helpful in obtaining jobs with big publications. A keen interest in watching and understanding sports is always key to becoming a successful sports writer.

Candidates also need to build a portfolio that they present to employers while applying for jobs in larger publications. Apart from that, candidates need to be quite well updated with all the latest happenings and advancements in the sports world. A strong writing skill is a prerequisite if you wish to make the most of your career. Therefore, participating in writing workshops and going for advanced writing courses always has a major role to play in shaping your career. Creativity, self-motivation and objectivity are ingredients that will make your journalists career successful.

Career Prospects
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment growth rate for sports journalists job is expected to grow as fast as the average of all occupations, with an increasing rate of 10% between the years 2006 and 2016. As people continue to take more interest in sports and technological advancements in the sports world continues, there will be more job opportunities for sports writers or sports journalists. Jobs for sports writers are available both full time and part time. Many writers work on a freelance or contractual basis with employers.

Salary Offered
A sports writer’s salary may vary depending on their work experience and the work location. On an average, professionals earn an annual salary of around $49,000. As you grow in experience and keep enhancing your writing skills and style, you can earn a higher salary.

Happy New Year 2010

Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.

May this new year bring you invitations of lively parties, appointment letters of best jobs and proposals from the one about whom you have spent the last year dreaming of !

Happy New Year 2010!