A job in catering is one of the few ways to secure a paid position without any experience that will help you get your foot in the door to the event planning business. Most catering companies hire banquet servers, especially around the holiday season and in the summertime, even if you don't have any serving experience at all.
While you might not think that serving food has any connection to event planning, it does.... a huge one. Almost every event in existence has a "food and beverage" element to it, and you learn a lot more about events by working for a catering company than just the food.
You learn, for instance, the most common room set-ups and traffic "flow." You learn about double-sided buffets and table configurations. You work side-by-side with decor companies, and often directly with event planners. You begin to get a feel for how events are managed on-site, and that is priceless in the long run. Understanding the "food & beverage" portion of events is a great way to get your foot in the door to events, meetings, and incentives.
Not to mention, many people focus their entire event careers on the food & beverage side of events.
With a little experience in catering, you can easily become an
On-Site Event Manager
; with your catering experience you'd have no problem getting freelance on-site work, specializing in food & beverage. You can travel the world, stay in beautiful hotels and resorts in great destinations, while managing the food & beverage events at meetings and events!
Be sure to read the
Career Planning
page to maximize your networking options and to learn how to get started. Then, check out
www.caterer.com
for a great resource on catering jobs.
For those who go into it with the right attitude, starting out on this path can be an "easy in" to the event planning industry, and the beginning of a long career in event planning!
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