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clemsontgr4evr
04-17-2006, 02:05 PM
I need advice!

I have been working at my job since I graduated from college (3 years ago). The job was great to have right out of college (small staff with great co-workers, pay that covered my bills-although there isn't any left over for savings, good vacation time, etc.), and I enjoyed it for about the first 2 years. But now, my co-workers have moved on and I am left here, bored and feeling a complete lack of passion for what I am doing anymore.

I have found something that I really love to do, though...event/wedding planning. And I would love to make a career out of this. But in doing many searches, there don't seem to be any jobs available in the field. It appears to be one of those professions where individuals just start their own small business. So, no one is hiring.

I know I can do this type of work and love it. I do some event planning here at my current job and I do event planning for a local non-profit as a volunteer in my spare time and love doing all of it. I haven't planned a wedding but I have researched and there are plenty of classes and certification programs available, so I can learn the specifics of that. But I am worried about having to start my own business. Planning an event for someone is such a huge undertaking that it would be hard to do "on the side". But I don't know how I would survive financially if I quit my current job and just jumped in head first and started a business without having any other income.

I don't want to stay where I am but I am just so scared to venture out and try this. I have pursued several careers over the years (teaching was my major but I hated my student teaching experience, so I decided that wasn't the profession for me, then started grad school to get my MSW but I wasn't a good clinician so I dropped out). I am just so worried that this will be another failed attempt at starting a career. I was always very successful in school so this struggle to find a career that I can look forward to doing for decades to come has left me with very little confidence.

The ideal situation would be for me to find a job as a wedding planning with an established company because, like I said, I know I can do the job, I'm just apprehensive about being able to successfully launch my own business. But who knows if and when a job like that will even open upand I am eager to leave my current job at this point.

What should I do????? Stay where I am and hope that at some point, a job in the event planning field will open up or venture out on my own and try to start my own business, knowing nothing about what that would take to be successful. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

SpaceMonkey
04-17-2006, 02:19 PM
If you want a career in event planning, I wouldn't limit yourself to just weddings. The biggest market is in corporate event planning.

clemsontgr4evr
04-17-2006, 02:28 PM
Yeah, I have thought about that. That would kinda put me in the same situation I am in now, though. I could do corporate event planning and be successful but I wouldn't enjoy it as much. My passion really lies in planning weddings/parties. But thanks for the suggestion. As i am thinking about it, that may be something I could get into to get some more planning experience under my belt and gain some more confidence in my abilities while I am waiting for that "perfect" job in wedding planning to come along. There certainly seem to be jobs available in the corporate planning arena.

winneythepooh7
04-17-2006, 02:30 PM
If you want a career in event planning, I wouldn't limit yourself to just weddings. The biggest market is in corporate event planning.

I agree. Also look into working at non-profits. There are often agencies that hire specific for this purpose. Or, you can try hotels. I used to work at one and they were often hiring for assistants. (You can always start out as an assistant and work your way up). If you would like to do away with work altogether, research small business loans. Keep in mind however, that any business has a 50% chance of failure rate. Additionally, you may have to foot the bill on a lot of things out of your own pocket before you can begin to collect from the customers. Keep in mind again, that a lot of the money that comes in, will also have to go directly back into the business (ie. advertising, rent, paying additional staff, etc.). See as well if you could find somewhere P/T to work for to get paid. I don't think it is going to be easy with whatever you decide to do.

and1grad
04-17-2006, 03:08 PM
I am just so worried that this will be another failed attempt at starting a career.
I agree with the others but this line stuck out at me. Trying something and finding out that its not for you doesnt make it, or you, a failure. I think you're a little too hard on yourself.

winneythepooh7
04-17-2006, 03:15 PM
I agree with the others but this line stuck out at me. Trying something and finding out that its not for you doesnt make it, or you, a failure. I think you're a little too hard on yourself.


I agree. I also noticed how you mentioned dropping out of SW school. I always remind people in my field that just because they are Social Workers does not mean that they are going to like every population out there, or be able to work with every population out there. Like in ANY field, it all comes down to trial and error before you find your niche.