Journey to CSEP

Hello and happy New Year!  In the spirit of new beginnings, welcome to my first blog post about taking the CSEP Exam.  My name is Desirée and I will be sharing with you the trials and tribulations I encounter as I prepare to become a Certified Special Event Professional  - or CSEP.  As a short introduction, I have been in the event industry for over seven years and I work at the event planning and production firm The Webster Group, focusing on event production. 

My New Year’s resolution, among others, is to do something CSEP-related every day until I take the exam in July.  Crazy, right?  However, a daily reminder, even if it’s just reading over my CSEP terms, is what I need to stay on track.  I decided to take the CSEP exam for several reasons, some of which are professional development, improving my marketability to future clients and networking.  You can learn more about taking the exam here.

Last summer when I began thinking about the exam, I did what many planners do:  consulted an expert and made a plan.  I met with Sheila Graham, CSEP (epigram2003@verizon.net)  and we discussed the exam format and study tips.  Sheila is the Greater Washington, DC ISES Chapter’s CSEP Chair.  She also coordinates a CSEP Discussion Group – which she tells me will be held again in the next few months – to help people prepare for the test.

Sheila also put me in touch with “Emily,” who recently took the exam.  Emily walked me through her preparation and recommended that I read Professional Event Coordination, by Julia Rutherford Silvers.  After that, I created a study timeline outlining how I would learn the CSEP terms, the chapters I would read in my new book and important commitments, like client events. 

Now that I have a plan . . . I just have to stick to it.

Wish me luck!

Desiree