Conference and Event Organisers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Conference and Event Organisers organise and coordinate services for conferences, events, functions, banquets and seminars.
Also known as: Event Management Consultant.
Specialisations: Event Manager, Exhibition Organiser, Wedding Coordinator.
Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Conference and Event Organiser. Although some workers have a university or Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in event management.
Tasks
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promoting conferences, conventions and trade shows to potential customers
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responding to inquiries concerning services provided and costs for room and equipment hire, catering and related services
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meeting with clients to discuss their needs and outlining package options to meet these needs
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arranging and coordinating services, such as conference facilities, catering, signage, displays, audiovisual equipment, accommodation, transport and social events, for participants
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organising registration of participants
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negotiating the type and costs of services to be provided within budget
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overseeing work by contractors and reporting on variations to work orders
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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Helping
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Sedentary
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Light
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:
- is expected to grow strongly
- is likely to reach 24,300 by 2026.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.
Number of Workers
Year | Employment |
---|---|
2011 | 25,200 |
2012 | 26,100 |
2013 | 23,500 |
2014 | 29,200 |
2015 | 20,300 |
2016 | 27,500 |
2017 | 38,700 |
2018 | 39,200 |
2019 | 38,900 |
2020 | 23,800 |
2021 | 22,000 |
2026 | 24,300 |
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
-
Around 71% of people employed as Conference and Event Organisers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 5 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 44 hours per week in their main job. This is the same as the all jobs average.
More than a third of workers regularly work overtime or extra hours (either paid or unpaid).
Median full-time earnings are $1,208 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):
- 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,198
- 1 in 4 earn more than $1,347
Median hourly earnings are $32, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).
Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Overtime hours: ABS, Characteristics of Employment, 2021. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.
Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)
Earnings | Conference and Event Organisers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Full-Time Earnings | 1,208 | 1,593 |
Total Earnings | 0 | 0 |
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Industries
Main industries
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Conference and Event Organisers work in industries like:
- Administrative and support services
- Accommodation and food services
- Arts and recreation services
- Public administration and safety.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Conference and Event Organisers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 36.4 | 31.6 |
VIC | 26.9 | 25.6 |
QLD | 18.2 | 20.0 |
SA | 5.6 | 7.0 |
WA | 8.5 | 10.8 |
TAS | 1.3 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.7 | 1.0 |
ACT | 2.3 | 1.9 |
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Around 75% of Conference and Event Organisers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
New South Wales has a large share of employment relative to its population size.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - Inner
- Sydney - City and Inner South
- Gold Coast
- Sydney - Eastern Suburbs
- Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of Conference and Event Organisers is 34 years. This is younger than the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.
Females make up 75% of the workforce. This is 27 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Conference and Event Organisers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 1.4 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 12.4 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 38.2 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 24.5 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 14.7 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 4.3 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 2.6 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 1.8 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 34 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Conference and Event Organiser. Although some workers have a university or Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in event management.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Tourism, Travel and Hospitality VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Conference and Event Organisers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 7.8 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 34.7 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 21.5 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 9.9 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 18.9 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 2.7 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 4.4 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Conference and Event Organisers who provide good customer service, can communicate clearly and are well organised.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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57%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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57%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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57%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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57%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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55%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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55%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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54%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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54%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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54%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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52%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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52%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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50%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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50%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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48%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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48%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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48%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
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45%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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45%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
-
45%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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45%
Management of financial resourcesFiguring out how money is needed to do something, and keeping track of the money that's being spent.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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73%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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67%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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59%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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58%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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50%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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49%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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47%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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47%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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46%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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43%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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43%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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43%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
-
41%
TransportationMoving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.
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40%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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39%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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37%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
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36%
Technical designDesign techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
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31%
Fine artsCompose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
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31%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
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28%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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61%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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61%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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61%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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59%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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57%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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55%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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55%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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54%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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52%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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52%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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52%
OriginalityCome up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.
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50%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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48%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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46%
CategorisingCome up with different ways of grouping things.
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45%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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43%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
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43%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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43%
VisualizationImagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
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41%
Flexibility of closureSee a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.
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41%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
-
82%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
-
78%
Negotiating and resolving conflictsHandling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.
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78%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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78%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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77%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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76%
Scheduling work and activitiesWorking out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
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72%
Guiding and directing staffGuiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.
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71%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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70%
Coordinating the work of a teamGetting members of a group to work together to finish a task.
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68%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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66%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
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65%
Thinking creativelyUsing your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.
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63%
Coaching and developing othersWorking out the needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or helping them to improve.
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61%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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59%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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58%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
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58%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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56%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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53%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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50%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
-
100%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
-
71%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
-
62%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
-
33%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
-
24%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
19%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
Values
-
90%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
76%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
71%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
-
71%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
-
69%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
48%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
Demands
-
99%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
98%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
98%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
98%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
96%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
95%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
94%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
-
93%
Lead or coordinate a teamLead others to do work activities.
-
91%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
90%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
90%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
88%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
86%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
81%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
79%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
78%
Responsible for outcomesTake responsibility for the results of other people's work.
-
78%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
-
77%
Physically close to peopleWork physically close to other people.
-
75%
Making repetitive motionsSpend time making repetitive motions.
-
73%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 13-1121.00 - Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.