Learning Goals

My internship with Perfect Productions is very short so it is especially important for me to have certain goals to strive for so I can stay focused and learn as much as possible. I have come up with a couple goals to grow in the hospitality industry and also in myself.

First off I would like to get over my fear of calling people on the phone. I know it’s not scary; however I am still hesitant to do it. In my three days here I have already made many phone calls to receive brochures to show clients so they can decide where they would like to travel. I have also made phone calls to companies in which we are trying to buy one of their products. I had to call to find all the information about the product and shipping so that we will know the exact price, and when it will get to us. After I got into the mode of calling people it got easier, but then next morning it was just as nerve racking to call that first person. I am going to need to call vendors and get to know their information to develop a vendors list while I’m here, and if I am scared I will not be able to do as well as I want. I hope to get over my fear of that first call and to have fun with all of them from the beginning.

I want to learn a ton about marketing and networking because it is so important to hospitality. We need to get our name out there and make contacts so that our client base will expand. I feel these are very important and it would be a good skill for me to have. On Friday morning I will be going to my first “business after hours” event to network and get new business cards from others in the industry. I am so far not very good at networking and I am excited to learn more about it and how to act, this way I actually get a chance to. If I can be good at networking then I can move onto become better at marketing a company. Marketing is another skill I know very little about but it important because since there are so many event companies out there, you need something that will draw in a client. You must reel in the client in the first couple minutes to keep them interested and ultimately become a client of your company. A big part of getting a companies name out there is the internet. This is a very good example. We are letting everyone know what is going on in our company and it gets people interested. Also if we put good ideas up here a person can try at home and they like it, the next time they have a party there is a good chance that person will come to our company. Facebook, Twitter, Linked In and other online networking sites are great marketing tools to get to know the company, and also the people who work there.

What I’m most excited and interested in learning is what it takes to be an event planner. I am only a freshman in college and I have a rare opportunity to learn what it takes when I still have so much to learn in classes. I want to learn all aspects of what preparation goes into an event, and how events are run after all is settled. Also I would like to learn about what happens with money and the accounting part of the company. I have learned so far that it is important to have everything organized and to keep everything, and keep it safe. We don’t want anything to be lost or out of place. Another thing about organization is everything kept from events. Yesterday we got to organize everything into which event they came from, this way a scrapbook or portfolio in a way can be made to show future clients, which is another way of appealing to the customer. It will catch their attention and the client can see what we do and how good we are at it. This is more likely to get the customer than sitting around explaining what we can do and what we have done.

However, my major goal is to be a good intern and help out as much as I can. The more I can do in the office, they more I am going to learn about this lifestyle, and the more prepared I’ll be to find a job after graduation.