Test Drive Your Dream Job

ches_grin writes "'Vocation Vacations' has a simple concept--allow folks to try out a new career before leaving their current job. Participants get paired with mentors in their chosen field and then spend 2-3 days fully immersed in life as a brewer, dog-trainer, sword-maker, or whatever their fantasy gig is. People are willing to pay to do someone else's job." From the article: "The idea is relatively simple. Participants pay anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand (transportation, lodging, etc., aren't included) to experience life as, say, a chocolatier, a fashion designer, or a race-car driver. The time spent immersed in their fantasy job allows them to get a 360-degree perspective without the risk of quitting their own jobs or investing heavily in a new career. "

Interesting, but of dubious value

[deque_alpha]

Whoever is behind this is likely to make a killing at this. There are so many people who hate their jobs but are so afraid to just take the dive, they'd likely be willing to pay a _lot_ to do this. Personally, I don't think this is a particularly useful metric of what another job would be like. As "the tech guy" in an educational institution, I've had numerous students job shadow me, and rarely do I have "typical" days when they are there. Invariably it gets scheduled for days when interesting, but low-impact projects are happening, or when something comes up, "I have a job shadow today, I probably should wait on that until tomorrow" gets said since a lot of my work requires relative quiet and concentration. Who knows though, maybe three days back to back will show a more relevant sample.

My vocation vacation....

[BrikFace]

Three years ago a plain old vacation showed me my true vocation-- vacation. Not kidding at all. Work is absolutely for suckers. Yes, I continue to be a sucker, as I gotta eat. But all my efforts, the majority of my thoughts (at their roots), are directed to this one grand hope: to get started on my true vocation. I was born 70 years too early. Robotics, man. I want robot cashiers, surgeons, auto mechanics, chefs, soldiers, aircraft mechanics, software programmers, CEOs. I want robot everything except maybe poets (and perhaps other writers like novelists, screenwriters, etc.,.), musicians/composers, scientists, philosophers, clergy, actors, President/Congress/Supreme Court (all other courts would have robot judges applying precedent; state governors and legislatures: robot), painters & other pictorial artists, fine artisans, software designers and barbers. All others: robot... Day in/Day out, Week in/Week out, Month in....Decade in/Decade out, work to that degree of endless repetition is nothing short of a nightmare, a poison. And yet here we all are doing it. The human creature was not made for this. We were made for the occasional hunt, some fruit picking, some tuber digging, some fishing and a little shelter fabrication & repair. That's it. The rest of the time is supposed to be just hangin out with friends and family, singing, telling stories and jokes, trying out random ideas, traveling, staring into the sky, etc.,. Man, we have to get back to what we were built for. We're hunter/gatherers, not farmers. That's right when all this evil strated. All this heart disease & cancer & what not-- it's work I'm tellin ya... We should pour about 80% of tax revenues into robotics development at universities and corporations, then kick off those workboots or wingtips and LIVE! To hell with the "work ethic" and Joe Blow in Brooklyn who never missed a day of work in 38 years. What bullshyte! To hell with it because it's of hell! This is the obvious secret. The elixir. We just have to wake up to it. Really. Hey, Pradeesh Bangalore-- you want my job? Take it. You're getting the worst of the bargain. Me, I'm going for La Dolce Vita on a Rip Van Winkle level, and my happiness will be beyond description. --bf

Parenting.

[SeaFox]

Here would be a worthwhile oppurtunity.

Test drive the life of a new parent. Figure out if you really want to invest 18 years of time doing it before you get (yourself/your spouse) knocked up.