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Vocation Vacations
It is the fortunate few whose real job—what they are actually doing—coincides with their dream job. For the majority, however, the dream job remains just that: a dream. Sadly, many go through life never really knowing what it would be like to be an actor or an architect. And most who aspire to being a dog trainer, fishing guide, meteorologist or wine maker may never get the chance to know what it’s really like.
Wouldn’t it be great if we could try out a new job without committing? If we could somehow combine exotic travel with our dream job to get our feet wet without jumping in headfirst. Sort of a “just looking” location for occupations. Yeah, that would be great.
Well, guess what? Since 2004, that’s exactly what we’ve had, and it all started in nearby Chicago. In fact, if the traffic on Chicago’s Kennedy Expressway had been a little lighter and if Brian Kurth’s daily commute had been a little shorter, I might not be writing this column.
Test-drive your dream job
VocationVacations® is a way for you to travel and spend a few days of intensive one-on-one time with someone who is actually performing your dream job. In other words, you can get up close and personal without sacrificing the safety and security of your current home and job. It’s safe because you’re actually combining a mini-vacation with a hands-on trial of a job you’ve always wanted to do. Sort of a test-drive.
Let me quote from a company overview published on the VocationVacation Web site:
“VocationVacations is the only company of its kind. We offer clients (‘vocationers’) one-to-three days, hands-on, career immersion experiences under the tutelage of expert mentors. Our mentors are passionate about what they do (everything from beer brewing to private investigating) and are committed to sharing their knowledge and experience with individuals who dream of walking in their shoes. Since VocationVacations began in 2004, our mentor pool has grown from an initial group of ten to nearly 250 and continues to grow monthly; we currently offer more than 110 vocations in locations all across the United States.”
Career catalyst
VV sees themselves as a catalyst—an important and serious career-planning tool for people who want to change the direction of their lives. Dreamers from 18 to 80 have taken advantage of the VV service. There’s no need to go through life regarding work as a four-letter word according to the folks at VocationVacations. They believe that being happy at work and passionate about what you do for a living are viable goals. What’s more, they have lots of testimonials from people who have given their dream jobs a test drive and are eager to tell you about it.
Typical of the VV experiment is the experience of a thirty-something father of two who spent his mini-vacation in Greenbay, WI, living out his fantasy of being a brewmaster. It was a Christmas gift from his wife. But many people give the gift to themselves, and about three-quarters of them use the experience to seriously evaluate a career change.
Soon I’ll post about the range of job holidays available and their costs. We’ll also get a taste of what it’s really like to walk in someone else’s work shoes for a few days.
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