Planning for success in an event planning job interview, starts way before you walk  through the doors of your prospective employer. Here are four tips (or hacks!) that can give you an edge over your competition.

1. Arrive stress free for the Interview

Always plan to arrive about 10 to 15 minutes prior to your scheduled interview time. This helps you plan for unknowns such as parking time, traffic delays and other uncertainties. Also, getting there early allows you to acclimatize yourself to the new environment, complete documentation and provides a great opportunity to observe people and personalities of those  who work there. On the flip side, being late for an event planner interview is the worst signal you can send to a prospective employer.

2. Be prepared with questions, and excelling in your answers

The key to being successful in answering interview questions is to anticipate all possible questions that may be asked. Start by creating a list of questions that you have been asked in past interviews and then frame specific and crisp responses, weaving in examples from your past event planning accomplishments. As easy way of remembering your answers is to think about them as stories based on your past experiences. Avoid verbose and vague responses that turn off interviewers and keep your interview responses brief,  and ask if you addressed their question satisfactorily. Finally, make sure to speak about your experiences about events that did not go as planned, as this gives a well rounded view of your ability to accept failure and learn from your mistakes.

3. First impressions can make or break

Numerous studies have shown that most interviewers make a decision about the candidate within the first 10 minutes of the interview. Making a great first impression comes down to a few key things: be polite, personable and likeable. At the start of your interview, always make sure that you stand to greet your interviewer. Smiling, making frequent (but to too much) eye contact, and firm“, warm“ handshakes can go a long way in building a positive impression from the get go. It’s no coincidence that being personable are also the traits of every successful event manager.

4. Be authentic, be yourself

Event management is a profession that demands a high degree of self confidence and this is exactly what is also required during job interviews. Appearing confident comes from being authentic about your responses and answering questions with factual information and experiences. Also, make sure you have a clear understanding of the job requirements and some insights into the people who will be interviewing you. The more your research, the more confident you will be in answering questions.  Remember, your goal is to land that dream job, so the more authentic and personal your responses, the more it helps showcase your skills, experience, and that you are the best fit for the event planning job.

If you found these ‘hacks’ useful, make sure you check out our YouTube channel for more tips and useful information on event management and wedding planning.