Are you intrigued by the auction process for antiques, real estate, personal property and other valuable possessions? Maybe auctioneering is the career for you! The following information is for future auctioneers in Maryland:
- Go to a few auctions: Whatever your reason for wanting to become an auctioneer, you are going to want to attend a lot of auctions. Not only will this help you learn, you’ll gain valuable lifelong experience simply by being in the middle of auction action. Going to auctions before signing up for classes is a way to make sure you really are interested, while attending them early on in your career can be beneficial to business success. You’ll see the industry as it is supposed to function, meaning you’ll know more for your own business.
- Attend auctioneer school: You will need to gear your goals toward becoming a full-fledged auctioneer, which means attending auctioneer school to gain important knowledge and skills. Auctioneer school is an important step for future auctioneers, and how you start out and continue in your auctioneering career depends on your commitment to learning industry best practices from leading auctioneers, speakers, workshops and business professionals. It’s for this reason you want to do your research to find a school that dedicates itself to your success as an auctioneer. The best schools will offer small class sizes and be staffed by qualified instructors.
- Get familiar with auctioneer regulations and laws: It’s crucial that you understand the legal steps that are involved with the process prior to being permitted to start working as an auctioneer. Before officially starting your auction business, get familiar with local and state auctioneering regulations and licensing laws. (Note that not all U.S. states require licensing to be an auctioneer.)
- Become a member of professional organizations: Joining professional associations is pretty simple when you have options. When it comes to professional auctioneering organizations, those in the business can choose to join an organization (or several) at the local, state and national levels. These types of professional associations are excellent resources for networking, education and more.
- Plan your new career: Whether you are getting closer to becoming a licensed auctioneer or already possess credentials, your next step is to build a business plan. Having details is great, but your plan doesn’t need to be long or in-depth or cause you headaches. Think of this more as an ever-evolving outline that you can build on to help move your auction business and career in the direction you want to go.
- Get some gigs: You’ve gone through the schooling and taken all the legal steps to get where you are. Your business plan is laid out, and you are a part of at least one professional association. Now, you’re ready to start working as a professional auctioneer—time to get some gigs! Consider starting your career working for an established auction house or company until you find your niche and become an expert in your desired area.
To work with dependable auctioneers in Maryland, contact the team at Jane Campbell-Chambliss & Associates, LLC today!