The man has extensive media exposure having produced and directed for music, film, television and art. He’s also a content developer, educator, script writer, blogger…and at the time I met him, a ‘Greeter’. Bearing fresh flowers, wine and a comprehensive verbal summary of the abode and it’s inviting surrounds, Roger moonlights as a guest welcomer for Haven in Paris, a company specializing in Paris apartment rentals. Roger has a lot to offer, a creative talent ripe for the picking by an innovative, progressive media forum, yet still in the job search market. Why?

Being Miss Curious, or Miss Marples depending on the subject’s reticence to share and my reluctance to leave my career consultant hat back home, queried Roger’s daytime job and, upon hearing he’d been another victim to an economic downturn somewhere in the world, just HAD to question his job search marketing strategy.

Aha! There it was…a willingness to let his production work speak for itself and pave the way. A recent mini TV piece he and a small team had developed, for which he is most passionate, and where all efforts have been focused on seeking funding and release. http://natureforecast.com/

Being a Parisian Greeter certainly beats stacking supermarket shelves or driving taxis while in transition but it’s no Plan B, at least for Roger. When asked about Plan B, a vague response indicated maybe the music industry, possibly educational visual fare, a change of subject. Which brings me to my point.

The creative ones have dreams. Jotted on post it notes, sketched in notebooks, on napkins, shared in conversations, yet they frequently lack trigger mechanisms to turn the dream into reality. For the famous, the practicalities are taken care of by agents and assistants. For the man on the street, shoe leather, a strong constitution for knock backs and bloody minded perseverance. Roger has translated his dreams to reality, has constitution and shoe leather, but needs a stimulating job to survive while peddling his production.

A strong ‘self marketing’ business plan, starting with an ‘ideal job’ description; a list of top three industry and job preferences and top three companies that fit that criterion; a sound desktop and networking research strategy. A solid resume selling strengths that will benefit a prospective employer. Advice, Information and Referral (AIR) conversations to hone in on decision makers who may be interested in employing the breadth and scope of his capabilities over and above that production piece. Roger blanched at this, no mean feat as the man is black, but rose to the occasion.

GI Jane (apparently my new moniker) coached and critiqued a pretty damn fine resume and the rest now lies in Roger’s charm, personality, connections, a healthy dose of persistence and a bucket load of that perseverance. The entertainment industry will certainly benefit from the outcome.

But why the effort? Networking. Friendships. A love for the truly creative. ‘Paying it forward’. The man knows the Paris apartment rental market and I’ll need similar guidance as I navigate through the challenges of best price long term accommodation at the end of this journey. Plus! A reciprocated Risotto and Chianti. The girl may be broke by then!