Leadership plays an interesting role in my internship. Because we are such a small company, we all work closely together. There are two co-owners of the company and about 5 other full time employees. At the time I was there, there were 4-5 interns working. As an intern, we worked closest for Chelsea and Alison, two of the full time employees. They are both quite young but were really professional and great to work with/for. They gave us tasks to do each day and we reported to them with any issues or questions. However, we also would help out the owners or other employees at the drop of a hat as many things we had to do needed to be done quickly. Many times this included booking flights or hotels last minute.
As far as demonstrating leadership skills myself, I took more of a backseat in this internship. In the past, I have been to leadership camps, taken leadership classes, and have always had a leadership role in projects. It was interesting to not be in that position. I was able to soak up a lot of information and not feel responsible for what others were doing. I had my own projects and was able to work on those and ask questions when needed.
Chelsea and Alison took the biggest leadership roles for the interns. They were really great about empowering us to work on projects on our own but gave us enough direction that we were never lost or confused. They did not micromanage, either. There was a lot to learn, especially with creating/reading contracts for bands and they were able to patiently explain (and re explain!) how to work with those.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Group 4 Post 2 free write
I mentioned in my Career Services post that I needed (and still need) to write a resume for a possible job at NAU beginning in January. My nephew plays on Flagstaff's club soccer team along with my boss from NAU's son. About a month ago, we went up to watch them play and Anika, my boss was there. She hugged me and said, "I have three jobs available and I want you to apply!" This was a lot to take in- I'd have to move to Flagstaff right after graduation, leave my nanny job, and start working right away. The other issue is that although my best friends live in Flagstaff right now, they won't after May. I've been waiting for them to come back to Phoenix and now I'm (possibly) going to Flag!
I know this is a really great opportunity. I'm considering a career and grad school in student affairs and this would be a perfect way to gain professional experience and make sure it's really what I want to do. It's a school I deeply respect and feel comfortable promoting. I'm thinking I'll get the admissions officer job and that would mean lots of traveling, which I'd really love. It's just really scary making huge life decisions! Either way, I'm going to apply and see what happens. I've decided to put off grad school and give myself a break from school. I'll start August of 2015 and hopefully have a better idea of what I want to do/where I want to go. And have more money saved up!
I know this is a really great opportunity. I'm considering a career and grad school in student affairs and this would be a perfect way to gain professional experience and make sure it's really what I want to do. It's a school I deeply respect and feel comfortable promoting. I'm thinking I'll get the admissions officer job and that would mean lots of traveling, which I'd really love. It's just really scary making huge life decisions! Either way, I'm going to apply and see what happens. I've decided to put off grad school and give myself a break from school. I'll start August of 2015 and hopefully have a better idea of what I want to do/where I want to go. And have more money saved up!
Group 4 Post 1- Interview
Here's the interview I did with Chelsea, one of the employees at my internship. She helped oversee the interns and actually graduated from ASU and the same special events program that I'm getting my certificate in! She's really awesome and knows her stuff!
1. What are your main job responsibilities?
- My main job responsibilities are event production logistics- entailing vendor acquisition and management, city and state permitting, event layout and flow, staffing, transportation, social media, marketing packages etc.
2. How did you choose this career?
- I enjoyed organizing events in high school and after shadowing some event producers decided I wanted to try it as a career.
3. What type of education or training is needed for this position?
- EXPERIENCE! There are so many aspects learned in this field that come from experience, not a text book. Internships are the ultimate way to gain experience. The Special Event Management program at ASU is a fantastic training course as well because it is taught by local business owners who educate about what is relevant and important- you WILL use what they teach you in your event position at some point and will be ahead in your position because you are already familiar with it.
4. What advice would you give to someone interested in this field?
-Internships, shadowing, and volunteering are the most important things you can do when starting out in this field. It is a very unique career and is not for everyone, so gaining experience in different types of events fields such as weddings, festivals, concerts, or corporate is important to see what you like and don't like. Also, everyone knows everyone in this industry so networking is a great to get your foot in the door.
5. Do you notice any new trends in the field?
-Culinary festivals are becoming a craze and social media is more relevant than ads in newspapers and on the radio.
After working in a similar position as Chelsea, I don't think I would like to make a whole career out of the events world. I had a really great time at my internship, and learned more than I could have imagined. I got to do some things I only dreamed of before. But I realized how much time and effort is put into an events career. They work even when they're not at work, and the weekends are almost always eaten up by being at events. It might sound lazy of me, but I'd prefer a more mellow career, with time to spend with my family! I might consider it before I settle down with a family, though. It was an awesome experience.
1. What are your main job responsibilities?
- My main job responsibilities are event production logistics- entailing vendor acquisition and management, city and state permitting, event layout and flow, staffing, transportation, social media, marketing packages etc.
2. How did you choose this career?
- I enjoyed organizing events in high school and after shadowing some event producers decided I wanted to try it as a career.
3. What type of education or training is needed for this position?
- EXPERIENCE! There are so many aspects learned in this field that come from experience, not a text book. Internships are the ultimate way to gain experience. The Special Event Management program at ASU is a fantastic training course as well because it is taught by local business owners who educate about what is relevant and important- you WILL use what they teach you in your event position at some point and will be ahead in your position because you are already familiar with it.
4. What advice would you give to someone interested in this field?
-Internships, shadowing, and volunteering are the most important things you can do when starting out in this field. It is a very unique career and is not for everyone, so gaining experience in different types of events fields such as weddings, festivals, concerts, or corporate is important to see what you like and don't like. Also, everyone knows everyone in this industry so networking is a great to get your foot in the door.
5. Do you notice any new trends in the field?
-Culinary festivals are becoming a craze and social media is more relevant than ads in newspapers and on the radio.
After working in a similar position as Chelsea, I don't think I would like to make a whole career out of the events world. I had a really great time at my internship, and learned more than I could have imagined. I got to do some things I only dreamed of before. But I realized how much time and effort is put into an events career. They work even when they're not at work, and the weekends are almost always eaten up by being at events. It might sound lazy of me, but I'd prefer a more mellow career, with time to spend with my family! I might consider it before I settle down with a family, though. It was an awesome experience.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Group 3 Post 4- a desperate request!
So in this free write, I'm requesting any extra convocation tickets for December! As the 5th child in my family, the 6 tickets we're allowed doesn't cut it! I have a large family and they're all very important to me, so if anyone has extra tickets, I would be so appreciative if I could have them! I'll take you out for coffee even :) I was told you're not allowed to pay people for their tickets, but coffee is different, right??
Graduation is becoming this big stressful thing. I need extra tickets, my sisters need to fly in from Florida, I need to get my sister in law and her kids down from Flagstaff on a Tuesday, and my friends from Flagstaff have to get around work and finals to come down. It's a lot. I had a crappy high school graduation so I really want this one to be special. I'm also looking for a venue for my party that night. Easier said than done!
And then there's what to do after I graduate. I've found myself avoiding talking to anyone I haven't seen in a while so I don't have to answer the "what are your plans after graduation?" question. I don't know and it's stressing me out! I'm hoping things will fall into place soon.
Graduation is becoming this big stressful thing. I need extra tickets, my sisters need to fly in from Florida, I need to get my sister in law and her kids down from Flagstaff on a Tuesday, and my friends from Flagstaff have to get around work and finals to come down. It's a lot. I had a crappy high school graduation so I really want this one to be special. I'm also looking for a venue for my party that night. Easier said than done!
And then there's what to do after I graduate. I've found myself avoiding talking to anyone I haven't seen in a while so I don't have to answer the "what are your plans after graduation?" question. I don't know and it's stressing me out! I'm hoping things will fall into place soon.
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