Mention any hands-on experience you have, even if it wasn't a paid job. This can include college events, community activities, or family gatherings you helped organize. These experiences show you can manage an event from start to finish.

Create a skills section that focuses on areas like budgeting, vendor coordination, and guest management. These are key skills employers look for in the event planning industry.

Event planners use many software tools. List any software you're familiar with like Microsoft Office, event management tools, or social media platforms. These skills show that you're ready to handle tech-related tasks.

Consider mentioning any graphic design skills if you've used them to create event materials. This adds another layer of competency to your resume.

You need to show how you can plan and run events, even if you're new to this work. Think about times you organized or helped with any event. This shows you can do the job well.

• List any school or volunteer events you have helped with. For example, Managed a team of 10 volunteers during annual charity run.
• Show how you handle tasks and timelines. You might say, Coordinated event logistics and scheduled meetings for a local community festival.
• Include any experience with planning tools or software, such as Used Eventbrite to manage event registrations and communications.

As an entry-level event planner, you need to show you have the right technical skills. Here are some you might list:

• Event coordination
• Vendor management
• Budgeting
• Project management software
• Contract negotiation
• Marketing
• Social media management
• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Logistics planning
• Database management

You should choose skills that match the job you want. Not all event planning jobs are the same. Some focus more on weddings, others on business meetings. Pick the skills that best fit the events you want to plan. For example, if you want to plan corporate events, project management software and CRM are good skills to have.

Include these skills in a separate section on your resume. This helps with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) that check resumes for specific skills. Make sure your skills list is easy to find and read. This will help your resume show up in searches and impress hiring managers.

When you apply for jobs, it's important to show that you can lead and grow. This is true even if you are starting out. If you have had any leadership roles or promotions, make sure to include these on your resume. Here are ways to show this:

• Include any roles where you were in charge of a team or project. For example, 'Led a team of volunteers for a charity event.'
• Point out times when you were given more responsibility. For instance, 'Promoted from assistant to coordinator for a series of public events.'

Think about your past jobs, volunteer work, or school projects. Look for examples where you guided others or were recognized for your work. These details can help show that you are ready to take on an event planner role. Here are two ideas specific to this job:

• Discuss any school projects where you planned or managed events, like 'Managed logistics for a university fundraiser with 100+ attendees.'
• Highlight any intern experience where you had leadership tasks, such as 'Oversaw registration process for a corporate conference.'

When you showcase your skills on your resume, using numbers can make a strong impact. It tells hiring managers not just what you did, but how well you did it. In event planning, certain metrics can reflect your efficiency and the success of the events you've helped to organize.

Think about the events you've been involved with. Did you manage to reduce the costs? By how much? If you helped to lower the event budget by 10%, that's a significant figure to mention. Similarly, if you increased attendance, note the percentage growth. Saying you boosted attendance by 25% is much more powerful than simply stating you 'increased attendance'. Here are some ways you might quantify your experience:

• Number of events planned: 'Planned 5 large-scale corporate events'
• Size of events: 'Managed events with up to 300 attendees'
• Vendor negotiations: 'Negotiated with vendors to cut costs by $2000'
• Time management: 'Reduced event setup time by 3 hours'
• Social media engagement: 'Increased social media engagement by 50% leading up to events'
• Sponsorships: 'Secured 4 new sponsorships totaling $10,000'
• Post-event surveys: 'Achieved 90% positive feedback from event attendees'
• Resource management: 'Reduced material waste by 15%'

Even if you're not sure about exact numbers, you can estimate based on your experience. For instance, if you know you often finish tasks faster than others, you might say you 'increase efficiency by approximately 20%'. Remember, the key is to show how your involvement directly contributed to the success and efficiency of the events you helped to bring to life.