A planning coordinator is a professional who organizes events and takes care of all associated tasks for that event. The coordinator is likely to manage a team of employees, and he or she will be responsible for managing a budget, billing, paperwork, and interactions with vendors. If you want to become a planning coordinator, you have several avenues to do so. One option is to take part in a formal training and certification course, which may be offered by a local community college. Another option to become a planning coordinator is to take an entry-level or assistant's position with a planning business.
In both cases, it is likely that you will need to have at least a high school education in order to become a planning coordinator. For some positions, you may need a bachelor's degree in planning, design, business, or even accounting, as these degree programs will prepare you for the tasks you are likely to be responsible for once you become a planning coordinator. It is best to do some research to find out if specific requirements exist before you can work in such a position; in some regions of the world, you may need to earn an official certification.
If you don't get a bachelor's degree in one of these fields, you will need to gain work experience before you can become a planning coordinator. Some ways you can get such experience include volunteering at non-profit events, volunteering for school functions or community events, taking an internship with a planning business, offering your services free to businesses, and organizing your own events for the community at large. Taking such steps is not only beneficial for gaining experience, but also for spreading the word about your services and meeting potential future customers who will tell others about you if they have a good experience.
Taking an apprenticeship with a more experienced planner is another great way to get experience, not to mention to figure out how to set up your own business. You will need to be highly organized if you want to become a planning coordinator, and you will need to develop an appropriate pricing structure for your services. On top of all that, you will need to keep track of profits and loss, pay taxes, and do other paperwork associated with running a business. An apprenticeship will allow you to learn some of these skills on the job and practice multitasking.
