My name is Ellie and I’ve just graduated from University after 4 years of hard graft! I’m one of many who have now hit the realisation having finally completed my degree that I now face the daunting challenge of starting my career within the events and entertainment industry. So I have decided to write my first blog about my journey from student bubble to the buzz of live events. This week I am completing an internship at MishMash Management in London, which is my first glimpse into the real world. I will learn the do’s and don’ts that I’m sure many people like me all make when they first realise how hard it is to go from university to working life. I think having a job, meeting new people and achieving targets does a lot for your own personal drive and confidence. Earning your own money and being independent is such a great freedom especially for women! However, after four years studying a Hospitality degree at the University of Portsmouth at first I found myself unsure and a little confused as to where to take my next steps in my career, however I can excitedly admit that I am ready to jump out of the bookcase and into the fast pace world of events and entertainment. Journey from Graduate to the Buzz of the Event and Entertainment Industry!
From University to work is not easy, although I have found that my year out in placement during my degree was beneficial as it allowed me to prepare for working life much more in depth, whether it was dealing with high staff turnover, difficult team mates or just problematic customers who are always right no matter what!! I found that splitting my placement in half between hospitality and events made the decision for me! Live events and entertainment was something I’ve always been passionate about and enjoy. Personally I loved working within the entertainment industry as it helped me enhance my skills and develop my confidence. I got the opportunity to work for the London 2012 Olympics where I looked after clients, worked within a strong team environment and loved every minute of especially as I know it was a once in a lifetime opportunity!! Also, getting to work for prestigious events and clients such as Vogue has helped me gain an insight into the world of entertainment provided for a large-scale production. I’ve worked with fortune tellers, acrobats, dancers and it is definitely something that intrigued me and I want to continue being a part of. 
For me, knowing that I’ve created entertainment for an event even on just a smaller scale is self-satisfying and something in which I get a buzz out of! For instance organising my sister’s baby shower gave me a boost of confidence and made me realise how much I love to be part of this industry. Although my sister’s modesty held me back and her specifically telling me to keep it ‘low key’ meant I couldn’t hire the balloon maker and the face painter and the clown I wanted so I ended up providing the entertainment myself…but still she enjoyed it and the final event was successful!
So from my internship with MishMash Management I hope to gain invaluable experience that can give me a unique insight into how the industry works, as well as advice and new skills I can take away so that I have the self-ability and confidence in myself to start a fresh in the next step of my career.
Journey from Graduate to the Buzz of the Event and Entertainment Industry! Ultimately talking about my experiences and my struggles not only within my employment experience, but university life too has been something I want people to embellish and be honest about; my next step after this internship will be to start my first job within the entertainment or events industry in order for me to share the next step of my career with you!
Guest Blogger; Ellie Nicholl