Presentation at the Colleges of Worcester Consortium Career Development Day on 11-19-2010 in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA

1. Strategies in Career
Development Advising
for Creative Entrepreneurs
Ken Mattsson
Assistant Director, Alumni & Graduate
Student Career Services, Emerson
College
Career & Professional Development
Consultant, Resonare Consulting
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2. Welcome!

3. Emerson College
• Founded in 1880 as
school of oratory by
Charles Wesley
Emerson
• Approximately 3,200
undergraduate and
900 graduate
students
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4. Academic Departments
• Visual & Media Arts
• Performing Arts
• Writing, Literature and
Publishing
• Marketing
Communications
• Journalism
• Communication
Sciences & Disorders
• Communication Studies
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5. Who’s Ken?

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8. • Career & Professional Development
Consulting since 1996
• Primary Populations:
Creative Entrepreneurs
GLBT Community

9. What is a Creative
Entrepreneur?

10. Creative Entrepreneur
• An individual who works in a
field where something artistic
is produced, and must
manage all aspects of
acquiring business
opportunities.

11. Creative Entrepreneur
• Success is determined
through skillfully
managing creative and
business processes.

12. Creative Entrepreneur
• Usually needs to work
collaboratively to move
projects forward.

13. Creative Entrepreneur
Note:
Creative Expression is
usually more of a
motivator than money.

14. Types of Creative
Entrepreneurs
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15. Career Needs
• Create interesting, innovative products and/or
services
• Get other people who have influence in their
fields to actually experience these products
and/or services and recommend them to
others.
• Develop Business and Career Management
Skills

16. The Fallacy of the 5 Point
Career Development Plan
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17. Creative Career vs. Career
That Supports the Creative
Career
• Different from a
“Day Job”
• Gives not only
Financial Support,
but also Time &
Energy
• Can be similar or
different from
Creative Career

18. Portfolio Career
• A career that is
intentionally
designed to have
numerous positions
that have pieces
that are less than
full-time employment
or are of a defined
term of time.

19. Portfolio Career
• Most creative careers are project
based and to be deemed
professional, one must have
numerous experiences with different
organizations in order to be seen as
credible.
• You don’t find a Creative Career on
Monster.com (usually)

20. Filling the Bucket Analogy
• Standard
Business
Career is like
filling a
container with
liquid

21. Filling the Bucket Analogy
• Creative
Career is like
filling a
container
with marbles

22. Becoming a Part of the Artistic
Professional Community
• To be seen as
credible in the
community, you
must be seen as
“one of them”
• A member of the
secret club
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23. The Password
• Need to use the
correct vocabulary
for the industry,
including knowing
the titles of the jobs
in that field
• Example: Key Grip,
Foley Artist
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24. The Handshake
• Need to
demonstrate that
you have completed
the same trials that
they have (e.g.
skills, knowledge,
and experiences)

25. Promoting Your Creative
Output/Getting Noticed as an
Artist
• Online
• Associations and
Conferences
• Teaching

26. Online Promotion
• Portfolio
• Online Communities
• LinkedIn

27. Associations & Conferences
• Professional Associations
• Events
Film Festivals
Play Readings
Writers Workshops

28. Teaching
• Individuals
• Institutions
Universities
Community Groups
Adult Education
Artistic Retreat Centers

29. Case Studies

30. Client #1 has produced and directed three
student films. Likes editing best, but also has
a screenplay. Wants to pursue film industry.
Client #2 has a novel and a number of short
stories. Wants to write fiction as freelancer for
magazines.
Client #3 has designed sets for all plays
during four years in high school and has been
involved with theatre department
performances. Also interested in costume
design, but hasn’t had a lot of experience.

31. Emerson College Career Services:
http://www.emerson.edu/career-services
Resonare Consulting:
http://www.resonare.com
The Spirit-Work Connection Blog: http://resonare.wordpress
.com
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/spiritworkconnection
Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/kenmattsson

32. Presentation & Handout
Available at
http://resonare.wordpress.com/cow
Thank You!