Event Planning Interview Questions That Seldom Get Asked (But Should)

Aw the dreaded job interview. The only solace that one can take when it comes to a job interview is that pretty much everyone has to do them. Some more than others. Now the title says event planning interview questions but in reality these questions (that seldom get asked) could apply to almost every industry. I’m just talking about them from an event planning perspective because, obviously, that’s what this website is all about.

We deal with a lot of event planning students here. The one piece of advice that I offer future industry leaders is that they should consider a job interview as a two-way street. It’s important for both the company, the interviewer, and the prospective employee to determine whether or not each is the right fit.

Related: Information on How to Become an Event Planner

Here Are 3 Event Planning Interview Questions That an Interviewer Should Ask a Potential Candidate

Unless the interviewer works in the human resources department, he or she has probably never been trained to conduct interviews properly. Which is really a shame because an interview is an opportunity to bring a new individual into a company that’s going to help propel it forward.

3 event planning interview questions that should be asked:

1. Where do you see your event planning career two jobs from now? And how will this position help?

In today’s world it’s not uncommon for an individual to have many careers in their lifetime. Any interviewer that doesn’t realize this should not be conducting interviews. By asking this question the interviewer is trying to determine the applicant’s drive and where he or she sees that development occurring. From that, the interviewer can ascertain whether the position is the right fit towards those goals.

2. Tell me about a time that you took a risk and it failed.

Failed? Why on earth would an interviewer want to know where someone failed? Well it’s not that interviewers want to celebrate a person’s failures. Rather they want to know what occurred as a result of those actions (i.e. what improvements) and whether or not the applicant has learned from his or her mistakes. A lot of great successes arise from failing first. It says a lot about a person’s character if they’re able to stand up, dust themselves off, and carry on rather than scampering away with their tail between their legs.

3. Let’s assume that you get this event planning job and you love everything about it (including salary), what type of an offer from another company would it take to make you consider it?

What the interviewer is trying to determine here is what motivates the applicants. Will another event planning company be able to lure them by offering more money? This one’s more about personality and what drives them to succeed.

Event Planning Interview Questions – 3 Signs That the Interviewer Is Bad

(here are a few bonus tips for the interviewee)

You’ll enjoy these funny interview clips: Event Planning Jobs-the Interviews

If the interviewer asks this question: tell me a little bit about yourself, I can pretty much guarantee that it’s going to be a bad interview. That is such an empty question. Here are three additional signs that it could be a bad interview:

1. The interviewer is doing all of the talking.
2. The interviewer checks their smart phone, texts or allows other types of interruptions. This is never acceptable.
3. The interviewer is overly aggressive (seems to be challenged by the applicant).

Do any of these signs mean that an individual shouldn’t accept the job, if offered? Well sometimes yes. I know that’s a pretty hard statement for someone who doesn’t know how he or she is going to pay next month’s rent. I get that and I also understand why people sometimes take jobs that they know they’re not going to enjoy.

Related: Resumes for Event Planners Tips

As Walt Disney himself once said: you can teach technical but you can’t teach personality. Whenever I’ve had to do an interview that was always top of mind. And I have to admit, sometimes in a state of desperation, I took a candidate that I knew could do the job, but really didn’t have the personality to fit in. And I should’ve went with my instincts because that person was not a good fit and did not last. These event planning interview questions are designed to help the interviewer determine if a person is going to be a good fit not only technically but from a personality point of view. And when an employee moves on, a company doesn’t want to burn any bridges as he or she could be a great networking/referral source in the future. Ex employees can also be future customers.