oes your boss really know what you do? Does your job description accurately describe your responsibilities? Does your salary reflect your value to your company?

If you’re like most trade show managers, your answer to all three questions is probably “no.” Even the other people in your company who attend trade shows probably have no idea what you do behind the scenes to make sure your shows go smoothly, and that above all you end up with a positive return on investment.

But instead of assuming that no one will ever understand you (sigh), ask yourself a fourth question: “What am I going to do about it?” After spending nearly 15 years in human resources for big companies such as General Motors Corp., Eastman Kodak Co., and Eaton Corp., I realized that many job descriptions weren’t accurate, usually resulting in undervaluing the employees’ worth — and compensation.

The first thing I did when I left HR and moved into marketing was to sit down and rewrite my own job description. The result? More appreciation, respect, and — yes — more money.

Getting Started
Before you start writing your own description, compare your responsibilities to others in your position. This can help you to determine if your job title is comparable to others with your responsibilities, and can remind you of duties you do so automatically that you might forget to include them in a job description. Here are some great resources you can tap into.

Start with this issue of EXHIBITOR and its annual salary survey. Choose the description that most closely resembles your position, and then look under different job titles to identify other responsibilities you perform. You can also use the survey to see if you have a comparable salary to others in your position. You’ll notice a number of variables that can increase or decrease your pay including geographic region, business sector, and annual company sales. Go to www.ExhibitorWebLinks.com to find a salary calculator to help you figure your salary based on the last survey’s data.

Visit the Event Management Body of Knowledge Project Web site at www.juliasilvers.com/embok.htm, which defines event management
as a profession.

Examine help-wanted ads in trade show industry publications (such as EXHIBITOR magazine, Tradeshow Week, and Exhibit City News), Internet job boards (such as www.monster.com and www.salary.com), and local newspapers to see what employers are titling open positions and the duties and responsibilities associated with them.

If you don’t have a copy of your current job description, request one from your HR department.

Use these resources to generate a running list of your responsibilities. This will help you avoid the mysterious category at the bottom of most job descriptions called “other duties as assigned.”

Once you’ve done your research and compiled your initial list, start keeping a list of what you do weekly. I set up a running to-do list on an Excel spreadsheet. I put Monday through Friday in Column A and leave spaces below each day to write in what I have to do. I put the projects or shows I’m working on across the top of the spreadsheet in Columns B, C, D, etc. As I complete each task, I move it from the top to the bottom of my spreadsheet. At the end of each week, I print and file my list of tasks to jog my memory, and start planning the following week with what’s still on the top of my spreadsheet.

Writing Your Description
Now it’s time to write your own job description. I like to break the description into 10 parts, as follows.

1. Focus the first section on the value you bring to your company as a whole. For example, “To provide XYZ Co. with trade show exhibit-related strategic planning and project management, to implement necessary tactics to achieve marketing’s goals, and to promote XYZ and its products at trade shows, exhibitions, and events to enhance our brand.”

2. Describe your job duties and tasks, starting with broad categories of responsibilities and then listing specific duties. The broad categories can include exhibit-management strategy, trade show logistics planning, staff supervision, and other marketing responsibilities. Beneath those categories you can list duties such as determining key messages for upcoming shows, planning the show schedule, and training booth staff.
Then indicate how much time you devote to each of the broad categories. Give a percentage of time you spend for each duty, based on your usual 40-hour work week.

3. Describe the types of decisions you make. Give two to three examples, such as “Analyze and recommend to executive management which shows to add or drop from annual show schedule” and “Allocate trade show budget.”

4. Describe your responsibilities regarding identifying new processes or procedures. Identify specific processes you have implemented.

5. If you are a supervisor or manager, indicate how many employees you supervise and their titles.

6. Describe the degree of authority you have in your job. This includes the areas of job scheduling, cost control, and personnel matters. How many people have to sign off on your decisions? Do you have the autonomy before the show to make decisions, or do you have to get your boss, and boss’s boss to sign off on expenditures?

7. Identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do your job, such as overall understanding of trade shows, marketing psychology, strategic planning, building targeted exhibit traffic, lead analysis, and results measurement.

8. Identify the physical requirements that are essential to do your job, for example, the ability to set up, dismantle, and move portable exhibits. If applicable, list any equipment or machines used to perform your job.

9. List the minimum previous related experience necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities of your job. Identify relevant education that has equipped you to excel in your job. Explain your participation in any continuing education or certification programs in the industry.

10. Identify your greatest challenges, such as balancing the needs of internal stakeholders, negotiating with suppliers, or meeting objectives with a shrinking budget.

My dad had a favorite saying: “If you don’t toot your own horn, there isn’t anyone else who’s going to toot it for you.” So get your tooter ready and start upgrading your job description. It’s all up to you. e