How to List Event Planner Skills on a Resume: Best Skills and Examples

Quick Navigation:

If you’re applying for an event planner position, there are a number of skills that you should include on your resume to demonstrate your capabilities as a successful event planner. These include a mixture of both hard and soft skills that work together to help you effectively work in an event planner role. In this article, you will learn why it’s important to highlight the best event planning skills on your resume so you get noticed by employers and set yourself apart from other applicants.

What is an event planner?

An event planner is a professional who oversees all aspects of an upcoming event. Event planners may originate an idea for an event, organize all details such as catering, decorations and seating, and attend the actual event to ensure it goes according to plan. 

Common duties of an event planner may include:

  • Meeting with clients to determine their goals and budget for an event 
  • Negotiate with and hire service providers for the event
  • Coordinate all services associated with the event including location, food and entertainment
  • Oversee the budget of an event

Event planners are hired to organize a variety of events, including weddings, office parties, business conventions and conferences. Some event planners may specialize in a particular type of event such as a wedding.

Why do employers want to see event planner skills on your resume?

Employers often see hundreds of resumes throughout the hiring process for a new event planner position. Resumes that do not have the candidate’s event planner skills listed effectively are often dismissed without further consideration. Including your event planner skills on your resume in a concise and easy-to-read manner can ensure that your resume is considered by employers. 

Additionally, highlighting important event planner skills on your resume can help set you apart from the competition. This can give you a better opportunity to secure an interview for the position and increase your chances of finding a job as an event planner. The better your resume highlights your event planner skills, the more likely you are to hear back from employers after applying for a position.

Best event planner skills to add to a resume

The following are a few of the best event planner skills you can add to your resume:

Organizational skills

Event planners are often in charge of multiple projects and moving parts that are required to plan an event. As an event planner, you must have excellent organizational skills to ensure that details are not overlooked and that all components of the event are handled efficiently.

Communication skills

Being an event planner often requires constant communication with various people, including clients, venues, rental facilities, employees and other individuals who contribute to the planning and hosting of an event. Event planners must have both verbal and nonverbal communication skills and have the capability to not only communicate effectively but also negotiate when necessary.

Budgeting skills

Event planners are often given a set budget by clients and must ensure that all aspects of the event stay within that budget.

Creativity skills

Event planners are responsible for taking a client’s idea and turning it into a real-life event. This can require solid creativity skills and the ability to think outside-of-the-box.

How to list event planner skills on a resume

The following are the steps you can take to highlight your event planner skills on your resume:

1. First, determine what skills the event planner position requires

The first step to including event planner skills on your resume is to determine which skills the job you are applying for specifically asks for. Knowing this can help you decide which skills are most appropriate and relevant to put on your resume. Look through the job description to see which event planner skills are important to the hiring company and use this as a guide when listing your skills on your resume.

2. Second, make a list of all of your applicable skills as they relate to the job

Once you know what skills the company is looking for, make a list of the relevant skills you actually possess. You don’t want to include skills on your resume that you don’t have, as this can backfire in the future if you end up getting hired.

3. Third, create a Skills’ section on your resume

Once you have a list of skills that you both possess and that are specifically listed in the event planner job description, you can use this information to create and fill out the skills section on your resume. List your relevant skills in a bulleted list under a section titled ‘Skills’ to clearly outline this part of your resume.

4. Fourth, include mentions of your event planner skills in your experience section

In addition to a skills section, you should also incorporate mentions of your specific event planner skills throughout your work history descriptions. For example, if you listed ‘time management’ in your skills section, you could include something like ‘organized and directed several printing projects at once and ensured the finished materials were all delivered to the conference venue in a timely and efficient manner’ under one of your work experience listings.

How to improve event planner skills

Here are a few ways that you can improve your current event planner skills:

1. First, use event planning tools

There are several tools available to help event planners stay organized. Common tools include Cvent and Social Tables, These tools provide a management platform that allows you to ensure all details are included and that you don’t overlook any required tasks for each event you plan.

2. Then, create a checklist

When beginning a new event project, take the time to write out a detailed checklist of everything that needs to be accomplished for the event. Then, go back to that checklist on a daily or weekly basis to make sure you are covering all tasks.

3. Finally, follow up with those who contributed to the event

After each event you plan and manage, follow up with the people who helped you make it happen. Ask for their feedback about any aspects of the event that they felt went smoothly as well as any areas that might need improvement. This can help you to continue to grow as an event planner and gives you first-hand feedback from the people who were actually part of your event.