On the Road with Success in the City- Marketing Track Part 3: Bank of America

After leaving MarketingEdge, the Success in the City group took a few quick turns to 50 Rockefeller Plaza and landed at Bank of America. We were greeted by Cara Vandervliet, VP of Events Planning for Bank of America and Meryll Lynch to learn all about corporate event planning. She highlighted the large scale events they plan and shared in-depth information about their event planning strategy. Cara’s team conducted a Q&A with our Bentley group and addressed the best way to get into the event planning business, as it’s all about networking in this biz! Since corporate event planning jobs are hot, you need to know someone on the inside in order to find out what companies are hiring.

The Bank of America team shared a list of skills students need to have success as an event planner, including:

  • Show passion for the work (a skill that was emphasized several times!)
  • Excellent attention-to-detail
  • Excellent organization skills
  • Able to work effectively with Excel
  • Able to work under pressure
  • Able to make good decisions
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Be flexible and have a Plan B
  • Be okay with administrative tasks (updating spreadsheets, bill paying and sending out contracts, etc.)

They also shared what internships would make a strong impression on a potential employer and also prepare you well to launch a career in event planning:

  • Internship within the hospitality industry
  • Customer Service experience
  • Experience working in the fashion industry
  • Internship in Public Relations

Bonus: One of the event planning team members suggested a book to the group: Defining your Decade. Check it out!

Bank of America (7)

By Colleen Murphy
Colleen Murphy Senior Associate Director, Pulsifer Undergraduate Career Development Center