Thinking of career change? I just heard about something called Vocation Vacations where you get to play dream job for a few days. This is so cool! You can see what it’s like to be a music producer. Or not-for-profit director. Or golf pro. Or a talent agent. Or wine sommelier. Or horse trainer. Or chocolatier & pastry chef. Or even an alpaca farmer. The list goes on and on. (Hmmm…odd I don’t see my former work as IT Project Manager or Business Process Analyst on the dream job list. Must be an oversight.)
I just love the idea of getting to try things you’ve always dreamed of doing – like a big work smorgasbord! Come to think of it, what I’d really want is to be mentored by the guy who thought this up in the first place. And he gets a cut of each vacation. Alpaca farmer for example is $799. Ka ching!
Haven’t we all thought about trying on someone else’s shoes for size? (Shoe designer, by the way, is a pricey $1299.) There are more than a few jobs I wish I could have tried on first before tying the knot with my employer. Not that you can ever get the real picture until you’re actually working in an industry. But it’s not a bad idea to at least see what it feels like before giving up the job you have.
Now I know not everyone has this kind of money – especially considering you also have to pay to get yourself to the vacation. Ouch! But for anyone who’s toyed with a fantasy career and would just like to try one on for size without any risk, this could be fun. And seriously… how much would it wind up costing us anyway to jump all the way into a new career that we know almost nothing about?
What’s the worst that can happen? True…you might leave with your fantasy balloon deflated. But you also might just realize there’s no reason to wait any longer to do what you’ve always wanted to do. Either way, you’ll have an experience you won’t soon forget.
My only complaint is that the money doesn’t go all that far. Those hefty rates usually only get you a couple of days. Although the Bed & Breakfast Owner vacation has a few different length-of-stay choices. That one really seems like a smart thing to try out ahead of time. Quite a few people have quit their jobs and plopped down good money to buy their “dream” B&B before they’ve ever changed a stained mattress or dealt with a maddeningly fussy – or just plain weird – guest.
While I can’t vouch for this company or the quality of the experiences, I have a feeling some of them could be pretty cool. Hey…wonder if people would pay to see what it’s like to be bloggers like us? I’d happily show them the ropes for a piddling $199 for a 2-day package – or even a good dinner. (-;
***
Source: NY1 cable TV (no online link to this story)
****
New Work Coach Cafe Policy:
Although I had to stop answering individual questions (to preserve my sanity), as always your thoughts and stories are VERY welcome here.
****
vvv
