An event management major’s industry experience should be broad and progressive. The most valuable roles expose you to different functions and increasing levels of responsibility. Students working in one company are encouraged to work in more than one job to fulfill the 1,000-hour experience requirement unless their level of responsibility increases within the one department.
Below are examples of work experiences that qualify as acceptable and those which do not qualify as acceptable. This list is not exhaustive and merely serves as an example of acceptable work. If there is any question as to whether a position meets the work experience requirement, please contact Danielle DiBattista for clarification before accepting the position.
Acceptable Work Experiences
Work experiences that qualify as acceptable:
- management trainee
- private club management (events focused)
- restaurant private events
- catering, banquets, stewarding
- catering / banquet sales
- convention and event planning
- event management for hotels, associations, corporations, weddings, etc.
- resident or community events coordinator
- theme park special events
- event marketing
- audio/visual technician
- event project manager or producer
- venue set-up or breakdown
Not Acceptable Work Experiences
Work experiences that do not qualify as acceptable:
- lifeguard, pool manager
- accounting work (outside the hospitality industry)
- construction work
- landscape architecture work
- position in retail grocery store
- retail store clerk
- entertainer
- administrative / secretarial work
- position in fraternity / sorority house (may count up to 200 hours)