71+ Event Planner Resume Skills For Your CV [Free Guide]

event planning resume skills

event planner resume skillsAre you looking to land your perfect event planning job but are wondering what event planner resume skills to add? If so, you’re in the right place!

This article details the key event planning skills that should be on every serious event planner’s CV.

Including these skills on your job application will show that you’re serious about your work and have what it takes to create amazing events. Let’s begin!

71 + In-Demand Event Planner Resume Skills

event planning resume skills for jobs

#1: Event Planner Resume Networking Skills

It’s always about ‘who you know’ when it comes to work that involves planning, creating, and holding events where people and many moving parts are involved.

You’ll stand out from the rest in the interviews when you can express that networking is one of your event planner resume skills.

  1. Has a range of resources from past events, with lists for different venues, vendors, and equipment companies to offer new clients
  2. Formed relationships with different companies to have discounts and packages to use on events
  3. Maintains relationships with different companies through online channels and networking events
  4. Regularly attends industry events in different areas relating to events
  5. Has different options of caterers for different menu preferences
  6. Can provide a list of music – DJs, bands and other performers to suit different clients
  7. Uses a networking platform like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and more 
  8. Confident and outgoing personality to have successful networking interactions
  9. Ability to also express an opinion on past resources and companies to steer clear from
  10. Developed relationships with other event planners to share contacts and gain referrals

#2: Problem Solving Skills

If you can demonstrate in your list of event planner resume skills that you have the experience to deal with problems and effectively solve potential mishaps, this will enhance your prospects of success.

Think about past experiences of dealing with problems, how they led to positive results, what you learned, and how you will apply this knowledge to future situations.

  1. Recognizing ineffective actions and systems and changing them
  2. Troubleshooting on-site problems during events and bringing in necessary people to help (technicians etc.)
  3. Assessing employee performance and laying off where necessary
  4. Having systems to hold staff, vendors, and all parties accountable for the agreement of their work
  5. Restructuring budget and having fallback plans for financial issues
  6. Resolving companies and disputes between staff and employees/vendors etc.
  7. Ability to communicate with customers and attendees and have a system to handle complaints and issues
  8. Mediating negotiations for changed situations (whether financial, agreements, etc.)
  9. Flexibility and creative thinking to solve problems and create a new approach
  10. Being sure there is consensus in solutions and communicating with client throughout the problem-solving process

#3: Event Planner Resume Skills For Attention to Detail

It’s all in the detail. The smallest of details can have a big impact on how an event runs. Expressing that you can manage these small details reveals your strong work ethic and ability to make the events that you organize a high-quality experience.

  1. Awareness of clients needs and wants, as well as their unique ‘message’ as a brand
  2. Tailoring usage of equipment, spaces, vendors, and staff to suit the client’s overarching values
  3. Crafting comprehensive checklists and to-do-lists in the planning phase
  4. Maintaining checklists and back-end-scheduling throughout the event
  5. Building itineraries for back-end-staff, front-end-staff, and vendors
  6. Overseeing each area’s sub-management and double-checking delegated roles
  7. Personal presence in the set up of certain areas
  8. Experience in past events with different technologies, appliances, décor, and other aspects, understanding how they function
  9. Creative use of small décor design elements – tickets, programs, etc.
  10. Double-checking that everything works with rehearsals of equipment, especially technology and lighting

#4: Communication Skills

When you’re dealing with staff, vendors, companies, catering, electrics, lighting, and more, you need to have good communication skills.

Show that you can effectively communicate by expressing the following event planner resume skills based on clear and professional communication below.

  1. Ability to take the authority to delegate roles 
  2. Tailoring language to a variety of people – staff, guests, sponsors, vendors, etc
  3. A friendly and open manner for people to feel comfortable to communicate with you
  4. Written and verbal communication that is direct and clear
  5. Experience working with a variety of cultures and communities for respectful communication
  6. Can deliver honest feedback to all parties involved with events
  7. Ability to handle disputes in a clear and professional way
  8. Listening to the client to understand needs and wants
  9. Consistent connection to be available for communication between clients
  10. Create and deliver written contracts and agreements where necessary

#5: Event Planner Resume Skills For Budgeting

Each job that you take will have a budget, and this can make or break an event. Most events are run with the goal in mind to make a profit, so sticking to that budget is key. Employers need to be sure that you have the budgeting skills necessary for the role.

  1. Assess the right plans for a specific budget
  2. Working with open-budget in an efficient way
  3. How to split between equipment, staff, hires, purchases
  4. Can recommend spaces and organizations/teams for specific budgets
  5. Handles invoices and organizes expense information
  6. Negotiation with clients
  7. Has relationships with different companies for discounts/package deals
  8. Working under budget to deal with emergency expenses
  9. Flexibility in changed budgets
  10. Provide information on expenses and end-of-event profits

#6: Time Management

When there are many different aspects of events to organize, then the ability to manage time is important. Below is what clients are looking for when it comes to assessing how effective you are at time management in your work.

  1. Timing of event plans (schedule)
  2. Set up timing
  3. Actual event scheduling
  4. Timing for equipment hire
  5. Foodservice times
  6. Balancing different programs/acts
  7. Managing staff timing (breaks, shift changes)
  8. Having multiple plans if timing goes over/under a set schedule
  9. Packing and exiting up the timing
  10. Match schedules to budget
  11. Ability to delegate others to keep time/schedules

#7: Event Planner Resume Skills For Software

The following programs are software skills that will give you a big head-up in the competition. If you use any of these, definitely express in your event planner resume skills list that you have experience with them.

If you’re not yet using any software, look into these below and get yourself educated!

  1. Planning Pod
  2. Etouches
  3. Evolero
  4. Eventbrite 
  5. Cvent
  6. Azavista
  7. Trello
  8. Smartsheet
  9. Basecamp
  10. Evernote

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, this guide has given you some new event planner resume skills that you can add to your resume and land that next job. If you want to learn more, you can see my full guide on the best online event planning courses!

Additional References