Has the health crisis given you a chance to think about your professional future, and are you now wondering about a career as an Event Project Manager?
👉 For many people, recent times have been an opportunity to reflect on the importance of quality of life and finding meaning in work. Everyone wants to get up in the morning for a job they enjoy and genuinely care about.
The events industry and its roles are reinventing themselves, but opportunities remain plentiful. The sector is thriving, and when you browse job listings, you'll notice that permanent Project Manager roles are the most sought after, ahead of Project Coordinators and Digital Project Officers. The Paris region remains the most attractive in terms of opportunities.
Convinced that a career as an Event Project Manager is right for you? Also read our article on the qualities needed to be a good Project Manager.
Now, have you really asked yourself in what context you want to grow?
Working at an agency, in-house, or as a freelancer comes with plenty of differences. Which one suits you best? This article covers 5 questions to help guide your choice. 🤔💭
1. What kinds of projects do you want to work on? ✨
Your projects will differ depending on the type of organization you work for. In-house, you'll generally organize internal events such as seminars, training sessions, or conventions. You'll need to meet precise objectives and KPIs on company projects that you'll follow over the long term. Event types tend to repeat and are tracked year after year, in service of the company's missions. As a result, you'll build lasting, trust-based relationships with vendors you work with on a recurring basis.
At an event or communications agency, you respond to requests for proposals from a variety of clients, spanning quite distinct sectors. You'll face more varied projects, and your responsibilities can also be diverse: logistics, production, vendor relations, and more. Your ability to propose ideas and your creativity will be tested more, since you'll be expected to come up with original concepts, as will your appetite for competition.
With freelance or independent status, you can work with agencies or in-house alike, but above all: you choose your own projects. A very appealing freedom, but one that comes at a price!
2. What level of independence do you want? 🔒
In-house, your proposals generally need approval from management. The scope of action is more limited, the pressure is higher, and the project's boundaries are narrower than as a freelancer.
It's a reality: freelancing offers an appealing level of freedom and independence, but it comes with high responsibility and a contractually defined obligation of results.
At an agency, the level of independence is also significant. You may manage your own working hours autonomously and enjoy fairly broad freedom in choosing your partners. That said, you're bound by specifications that are often dense.
3. Do you prioritize job security? 👩🎓
As an employee, job security is one of the strongest arguments for working in-house or at an agency, where you benefit from full employee rights and a fixed, regular salary (maternity leave, time-off compensation, and so on).
By contrast, freelancers generally operate under sole-proprietorship or single-member company status and must invoice clients, handle all administrative formalities, their own accounting, and their contributions. All this without any guarantee of income at the end of each month. This kind of autonomy calls for greater perseverance, organization, and determination.
4. Do you prefer working as part of a team, or on your own? 👔
In-house or at an agency, you're part of a team and can count on your colleagues. The (often) relaxed spirit and atmosphere of agencies can also be a real springboard for energizing your projects, thanks to team cohesion and a sense of belonging to a group. 💪
Conversely, enjoying solitude and working independently is essential if you want to work as a freelancer.
Rest assured, it's usually possible for you to join forces with an existing team to carry out the design and organization of the event. You can also draw on your own network to build a complete team for a client project.
5. What kind of lifestyle do you have in mind? 🤔
A smaller team, a less formal atmosphere, more varied responsibilities, and an environment that's more creative but also more "cutthroat": that's daily life for an Event Project Manager at an agency.
In-house, the setting is generally more structured and formal, but you'll have access to the benefits of large organizations (opportunities for growth and career advancement, strong social coverage, benefits in kind, a wide range of training options, and so on).
Freelancers, meanwhile, can more easily manage their personal and professional setup: less conventional hours, independent management of processes and working time. However, the time investment is generally greater, given that you have an obligation of results and your reputation is on the line. When you're self-employed, you are the product!
It's up to you to define what suits you best, based on the life and career you want to have, your personality, and your working habits.
Conclusion
As with any job, your investment is proportional to your drive and motivation. So above all, don't forget the most important thing: find a sector that you enjoy and that inspires you! 🕵️
Three options are available to you: working at an agency, in-house, or as a freelancer. Regardless of the type of organization you work for or your status, your ultimate goal stays the same: stay true to your clients' requests, meet the specifications and deadlines, and make your event a success! 🌟
Our tip 💡 : Start by building experience in-house or at an agency, then move to freelancing later on if that's what you want. This will give you more credibility with your clients!
As for pay, an Event Project Manager earns between €1,800 for an entry-level profile and €3,000 mid-career, up to €6,000 for a senior. Bonuses sometimes reward the successful completion of a project. Naturally, salary depends on the industry and the size of the company. 👔 Some sectors find it easier to recruit Event Project Managers thanks to their higher budgets: pharmaceuticals and healthcare, banking, finance and insurance, or the tech and IT industry.
A few sites to guide you in your job search:
- Freelance: Freeandise, Kamatz and Malt.
- Agency: Emploi-evenementiel.fr and Monster.
- In-house: Apec, or check job listings directly on the websites of companies that interest you.
💪 So, ready for new challenges?
