Reaching my career aspirations as an events student

We have all been affected by COVID-19, whether that be physically, socially, mentally, or even through employability. The hospitality industry, especially the events sector has been massively affected. How would this affect me as someone hoping to work in live events?

I have to admit I was anxious with how I would be affected during the pandemic, studying a course like Business with Events Management. However, with their support and resources, ARU has prepared and even made me stand out as a strong candidate for any role within the industry after I graduate.

I’m in my second year with an aspiration to work in the events industry, specifically within festivals/touring, which I feel I am already making strong steps towards achieving. It's a benefit of studying this type of degree: with it being business specialising in events, I have received a broad knowledge of all sides of business, from accounting or marketing right through to organisation management. I feel like I am getting a strong understanding of how each sector operates and functions, which is extremely important for an event manager.

One of the modules I am studying in this trimester is Career Development and Employability, with the main aim being to prepare myself to reach my career aspirations after finishing university.

This module looks at how to perfect my CV, cover letters, and LinkedIn profile, which in turn has allowed me to start networking with my industry and helped me find internships and even placement opportunities.

I feel quite confident about applying for these opportunities, as I have access and constant support from the Employability Team and Placement Team, who have been on hand to help my applications stand out.

Even though my studies have been beneficial for my growth towards my career goals, I believe my extracurricular activities have also given me a huge advantage. Currently I am on the committee for the Events Society, and was previously Event Coordinator for the HR & Management Society.

Being a part of these societies has allowed me to broaden my friendships and networks outside of my course, but also to gain experience in creating physical/virtual events. It's helped me to stay motivated when my industry came to a halt due to COVID-19 restrictions and also show future employees that I stayed proactive through the pandemic.

The events that I have had the opportunity to organise allowed me to create networks with guest speakers. This in turn helped me find a mentor in someone who has experience and knowledge running his own music festivals.

Even though I am only just halfway through my journey at ARU, I feel extremely confident and ready to achieve my career aspirations, even with COVID-19 affecting my industry. My course, combined with the extra support and services at ARU, has allowed me to push ahead on reaching these goals. I look forward to seeing what else I can learn and achieve with my remaining time at ARU.

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Nick studies Business with Events Management at ARU in Cambridge. Find out more about this and other courses at one of our Open Days.