I completed my career program at GEM Gaslamp Event Management from mid-February to the beginning of May 2024. My roles were Social Media Manager and Event Coordinator. My supervisor, Sin Bosier, owner and CEO of GEM, and her team help various companies and individuals organize events, but they also organize their own events. I had the honor of organizing and attending three of them during my volunteer program: Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo. These events are bar crawls that take place in the famous and well-known Gaslamp District and attract numerous visitors every year.  

GEM also has a talent management company called Downtown Dolls. As part of these projects, I was able to help select the models who applied and organize and participate in the interviews/castings. Other tasks included filling the database and presenting models that fit the Downtown Dolls profile, as well as managing the Downtown Dolls social media accounts.

The main tasks of my volunteer work involved: 

• Creating SWOT analyses pertaining to competitors
• Research to identify potential enhancements for our events
• Handling ticket sales for GEM events
• Managing the social media presence for Mardi Gras, St. Patrick’s Day, and Cinco de Mayo
• Creation of visual and textual content for social media and traditional advertising and promotion
• Overseeing and analyzing Google Ads campaigns
• I was involved in a project that consisted of researching other ticket sellers and analyzing their strengths and weaknesses. I also attended a meeting, presented the summary to other team members, and helped formulate our next steps.
• Assist the GEM team with a range of responsibilities including managing email correspondence, obtaining and reviewing customer quotations, conducting follow-up actions, and preparing event summaries

My experience at GEM has helped me in so many ways: I became more confident in my use of English and in general. I never felt like a foreigner because the team at GEM treated me with such warmth and kindness from the very beginning. They were always helpful, understanding and encouraging, which I will never forget. Sin always pushed me and encouraged me, so I was able to improve my business English from week to week and by the end I almost felt like a local. One of the things I particularly appreciated was that we as volunteers were treated just as importantly as the other full-time team members. We were always asked for our opinions and were able to give our ideas and suggestions, which were often implemented. I even extended my career program thanks to Sin, which was a huge opportunity for me to learn even more. Being part of an American company was an immensely enriching experience for me. It provided invaluable insights into their work culture and practices, which I found both beneficial and truly remarkable.

 

CISL Career Program Preparation

I prepared for the interview at GEM with Alfred, who helped me refine my resume and cover letter. He also conducted a mock interview, which was very helpful in calming my nerves. Alfred’s insightful tips and constructive feedback were invaluable in preparing me for the actual interview. I would definitely recommend the Career English Program because it is a unique opportunity to improve your English in a business context and to communicate with native speakers on a daily basis. There are no negative points to mention, but I would recommend CISL to establish more partnerships with local companies in order to offer even more fields of work. My placement was absolutely perfect for my academic and professional background.

 

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Bar Crawl