Bartender, baker, pizza maker. Exterminator, ad exec, courier de bois.
Sean Aiken tried them all. Not knowing what he wanted to do after he graduated from university, he embarked on an interesting experiment: trying out 52 jobs in 52 weeks.
鈥淚 chose a general enough degree, Business Administration,鈥� says Mr. Aiken, bound for AV俱乐部 to speak to students who are sitting where he was three years ago鈥攁bout to graduate but not really sure about their future career. 鈥淚 definitely had options, but I didn鈥檛 want just any job. I needed to see what I wanted in a career to be happy.鈥�
Stuff his dad said
Plus, 鈥渟tuff his dad said鈥� was resonating鈥斺�淚t doesn鈥檛 matter what you do, just make sure you鈥檙e passionate about it,鈥� he says, quoting the elder Aiken.
Through those 52 weeks, he found out some things about himself. He didn鈥檛 like going back to the same place everyday, sitting in the same chair, doing the same task. 鈥淚n my mind I was fast-forwarding two years and imagining myself looking at the clock all day and wondering, when鈥檚 lunch?鈥� But he did like juggling tasks, meeting a variety of people, finishing a project and then embarking on the next.
The job he enjoyed the least was picking cattails from a swamp鈥攖he white core is sold to high-end restaurants. And surprising himself, one of the jobs he loved was selling real estate, in Hollywood no less.
Multi-media
After the 52 weeks, he discovered he had created his own job and one that wasn鈥檛 on his list鈥攖alking about his experience and helping others find their passion. The 52 jobs-52 weeks journey has turned into a book, The One-Week Job Project (Random House); a documentary film One Week Job; and a tour of 35 college and university campuses in Canada and the United States called Discover Your Passion. That鈥檚 what will bring Mr. Aiken to AV俱乐部 on Monday, March 21. He鈥檒l speak to students about his experience, show his film, and discuss the transition from university to the working world.
鈥淚 remember being overwhelmed, not knowing what to do,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 thought I was the only one who was struggling to figure out what I enjoyed and what I was good at. I needed to develop that important self knowledge. Once you have that, the rest falls into place.鈥�
A 52-week experiment may not be for everyone, acknowledges Mr. Aiken, 29. But there are other ways to gain job experience without a heavy investment, by job shadowing, or volunteering or doing internships.
鈥淚 think the thing is to explore and push yourself. To put yourself in a situation where you can develop self knowledge. And now is the time to do it, when you don鈥檛 have the responsibilities of later on in life.鈥�
Sean Aiken鈥檚 Discover Your Passion tour comes to AV俱乐部 on Monday, March 21. He鈥檒l speak from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Ondaatje Auditorium, Marion McCain Building. Students can register for the event by visiting .