Your big WHY? I am extremely passionate about the Hospitality and Tourism Industry. I want to be able to provide exceptional service for every single person I meet or will work with in the future. Becoming a Wedding Planner certainly requires hard work and determination; however, it is very rewarding which is another reason why I want to do this. I want to be able to be a part of people’s biggest day of their lives and see the smile on their faces when they see my work and how beautiful the results will look like. I love making others happy, and to find a career that is all about making people smile is so motivating to me. Additionally, to become a Wedding Planner you need to be thoughtful, creative and different. I want to be able to provide uniqueness to every single wedding I will plan in the future. For example, some couples will not have an idea of what they want to incorporate in their wedding, I want to be the person who will help guide them throughout the planning process. All in all, this job is one of the most rewarding jobs, and I cannot wait to know and see how it feels.

Your Network: I have met two Wedding Planners and volunteered at two weddings throughout this semester. Ashley Frederickson and Widad Yousif have an outstanding background with weddings and they have helped me tremendously. They have given me tips on how to become successful for this career and I plan on keeping in touch with them. I plan on interning with Wedding Planners in the future to expand my knowledge of what other things I need to know to become a successful planner. I am willing to make personal connections with these people because I know they will benefit myself and my career as well.

Experience: I am currently a Banquet Attendant at the Marriott Marquis San Diego and Marina. My main task is setting up for the event such as bringing the food from the kitchen to the servers, putting tablecloths on tables, arranging table placements and being the person who is in the back of the house who is responsible to make sure that everything is not missing for the front of the house. I have not had any experience for internships, however, I have volunteered at several places this semester. I have volunteered at two Weddings, a Film Festival, and a Crew Classics Surveying Event. Some of the skills I have gained are patience, courage, and determination. When I volunteered at one of the Weddings, the bride wasn’t satisfied with where the cake was placed, however, the Coordinator and I just listened to what the bride wanted and both sides ended up being happy at the end. This taught me how to be patient, although things weren’t very simple in the beginning, it ended up working out at the end. Another example is the time I volunteered at the Crew Classics, my job was to go up to people, introduce myself and survey them on questions about the event. Some people were nice and others were very impatient and did not want to give me the time to answer a few simple questions. I learned to be courageous, and not to be shy to go up to people and introduce myself. I was also determined on getting my job done no matter how people were treating me. All in all, I have become a stronger individual from the working at the Marriott and volunteering at multiple events.

Execution Strategies: Working at the Marriott Marquis has given me an outstanding experience and a feel of what it’s like to work at a hotel. The position I am in right now is an entry-level position. I want to build my way up the ladder and continue to grow. Ashley Frederickson has offered me a six-month internship with her over the summer. I want to take the offer and learn from her since she has been a Wedding Planner for years. Ashley has told me that an assistant that works by her interned with her and she hired her to become her assistant because she was so bright and creative. Therefore, I want to prove to Ashley that I can stand out as well. Being an assistant will give me an incredible experience in the weddings industry and I believe that it will be a very thrilling experience. After that, my plan is to learn how become a florist. I have always had a passion for crafts and creating things from scratch, and to be able to learn that makes me look forward to do this. I believe learning how to become a florist will enhance my knowledge and since I am planning on becoming a Wedding Planner, it would be a wonderful experience that I can put on my resume.

Ideal Company: If I had to choose what my ideal company would be, I would choose the Marriott. The reason why I would choose the Marriott is because the organization works with integrity, provides excellence for all guests and lastly, they are family oriented which is most important to me. Working around people in an organization who you can call family and not just coworkers is very important, especially at such a huge and a known organization. I believe that being surrounded by people who treat you more of a family member rather than a coworker will create a better environment and atmosphere for everyone around you. In the future, I hope to create my own company that will have an outstanding team as well. I want everyone to be able to voice their own opinions, be honest, open, and bold. I aspire to create a successful company that will stand out and shine from all the other companies out there.

Ideal Professional Self: If I had to choose a phrase of my ideal professional self in 25 words or less, I would choose: “An HTM Masters individual who works so hard and is willing to go great lengths to please and help people.” I want others to see me as a person who is willing to go the extra mile to ensure that all their needs are met. In the future, I want to be described as honest, friendly, different, caring and professional. I will make sure to continue to grow on developing these skills for people to recognize what I would do to satisfy their needs.