Christopher Imhoff

Two different Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placements, undertaken simultaneously, led to multiple opportunities for ambitious current Bachelor of Event Management student, Christopher Imhoff. Imhoff elected to complete his WIL at both BT Financial Group as an Events Coordinator and at Travelzoo as a Sales intern.

The companies, operating in the vastly different industries of banking and tourism provided Imhoff with a well-rounded experience in areas he is passionate about. He completed his placements, obtaining key learnings that he is keen to share with others considering Event Management as a career.

“By the end of my Industry Training I had assisted in planning and executing a 2-day fashion show – as well as being a project manager. I learnt that you must be open and absorb any form of feedback, whether from a colleague or a manager. Being an intern with not a lot of office experience, I knew going into these roles that in order to make the most out of my experience I would need to immerse myself in the job and take on as much as I could through these learning experiences.”

“I found that one of the lessons you had to quickly learn was ensuring complete attention to detail when carrying out my role. I was working with teams that would rely on my results, making sure that everything down to the smallest detail could be explained or accounted for. Overall learning this lesson benefitted my work habits as well as the relationships I developed with my colleagues.”

Imhoff recalls that he initially found it challenging to find a higher education institution which aligned with his ambition and where he could apply the knowledge he’d already gained during gap year. The International College of Management Sydney (ICMS) prides itself on its personal approach when it comes to the admissions process, something that Imhoff found particularly beneficial. “After working in the wine industry during my gap year I thought it would be hard to find a suitable tertiary course, especially after discussing my options with other universities – none of them would judge my potential based on my passion; until I met with ICMS.”

Looking to the future, Imhoff is keen to further develop his career. “In the short-term my goal is to be accepted into a graduate role that will allow me to integrate the sales skills I learnt at my time at Travelzoo, as well as the event and project management skills I’ve been developing over the last 3 years whilst studying. From there I would like to see how the events landscape changes and what career opportunities may follow as a result.”