A recent LinkedIn post stopped my scroll abruptly. A marketing leader was questioning whether an event coordinator is an entry-level role anymore, considering everything it entails.
Almost 2,000 reactions, 163 comments and 79 reposts later, it’s clear the industry has some thoughts.
But the conversation was happening amongst seasoned pros; candidates themselves weren’t in the room—and they rarely are. Honestly, a lot of them don’t even have a LinkedIn account.
I’m changing that one candidate at a time. Here’s what they’d want you to know.
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1. Title/Job Description Aren’t Having the Same Conversation
Event coordinator sounds entry level, right? But open the job description, scroll down to the requirements and you’ll likely discover they read like they’re looking for someone who’s been in events for 10 years, managing executives, negotiating six-figure vendor contracts and juggling multiple vendor logistics. Candidates immediately click away and convince themselves they’re not qualified.
When the title and scope of your job listing are mismatched, you’re losing good people before they even consider submitting an application. Before you post, ask yourself if the title reflects where someone would start or where you need them to end up.
[Related: Richard Bliss' LinkedInsights Columns]
2. Pick One. Entry Level or Three Years of Experience
You call a job entry level but say applicants must have three years’ experience—pick one or the other.
Hiring managers have probably been burned by new hires who loved the idea of events and figured out on the job that events weren’t for them. Nobody wants to be someone else’s experiment, I get it. But the overcorrection is real.
Someone in the U.K. recently asked me how to get experience when every entry-level job requires experience they don’t have yet. Same problem, different time zone.
The disconnect starts with the initial job listing, long before a resume ever lands in your email inbox. If you want a deeper candidate pool, the requirements have to match the title.
3. The Economist in Your Candidate Pool
Someone wrapping up her economics degree reached out wanting to know how to break into corporate event planning. Corporate events run on budgets, vendor negotiations, cost analysis and ROI. She was already wired for it but couldn’t see it.
Another industry professional had told that same candidate to give up and find another career. How disappointing.
I’m also currently working with someone pivoting from medicine. These aren’t one-offs. Qualified candidates come from unexpected places, and the industry has more room for them than most people realize, including the candidates themselves.
The skills are there. These entry-level candidates just need someone to help them connect the dots. That someone could be you, starting with how you write and evaluate your next job posting.
…
The next great event hire might be an economist, a doctor or someone who’s been running logistics for their church on a $50 budget for years. I work with them every day. If they’d been part of that LinkedIn conversation, this is what they would have said.
[Related: 9 Questions to Ask Yourself About Future-Proofing Your Work Team]
