Thanks for checking out the site!

Week 1 begins February 26th, 2007 so stay tuned with what’s happening by signing up for the mailing list located on the right hand side of the page.

This project is going to be a lot of fun and I hope you join me for the adventure!

Until next time,

-Sean

I have learned a lot about myself through travel, which has provided me with many great life experiences, yet has not provided too much work experience and I still have no idea what I want to do.

After finishing my degree, I made a promise to myself that I would not settle for a career that I am not truly passionate about. Not realizing where these passions lie, I came up with the idea for One Week Job.

My goal is to gain a better understanding of what my ideal career would look like and inspire the many others of my generation in similar situations to commit to going after their passions.

People always say that we should go after what keeps us up at night, no matter how unconventional it may seem or how many people tell us that we can’t do it. Well this was one of the crazy ideas I had running through my head keeping me up at night, so I decided to take the leap and go for it.

I hope you join me for the journey!

- Make me an offer!
- Learn more about me!
- Frequently Asked Q’s
- My Generation

I am always up for an adventure, love meeting new people and generally like to bring some fun to whatever it is I am doing. I also love to travel and have backpacked throughout Europe on three separate occasions, coast to coast throughout Canada, Eastern and Western USA, the Caribbean, and most recently at the start of 2006 South East Asia.

I am 26 years old, have been involved in sports my whole life and played on the varsity mens volleyball team at College. I graduated in 2005 with a Business Administration degree, top of my class with a 4.0 cumulative grade point average and was voted the Class Valedictorian.

I spent the fall of 2006 living and taking French courses in Quebec, and would say I have an Intermediate-Advanced understanding of the french language, oral and written. When I am not traveling around doing a different job each week, home is Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada.

So what now? Well that’s a good question and I am hoping you can help me find the answer to that. Offer me a One Week Job, show me the ropes of the world, get some publicity for yourself or your business and donate some money to a great campaign!

If you would like to take a look at some of my previous travels, here are some journal entries and videos that I have made:

TRAVEL VIDEOS
see the full length SE Asia and Canada Trip videos here

The two that follow are two different sections taken from the full length SE Asia video.

“Imagine” - 4min

“Underwater World” - 5min

TRAVEL BLOGS
see all my travel blogs here

South East Asia
Waiting for Life to Begin - Mae Sot, Thailand

“I wake up realizing the familiar acquaintance of feeling lost accompanies me and I see a long day of passing time ahead. I think of home, my purpose, where I should be right now, what I should be doing. I begin to think how difficult life can be, its finality and even feel a little sorry for myself.I go downstairs and sit down for breakfast with my friend, an illegal migrant from Burma who runs the guesthouse I am staying in. His face appears more burdened than usual so I ask him how he is doing? He tells me things could be getting unsafe for him and that he will be heading to live in the jungle at one of the nearby refugee camps for six months to a year at the end of February.

I am speechless. I realize instantly how trivial my questions are and that asking myself such questions of life is a freedom many are not so lucky to have. I learn a valuable lesson I will not forget… ” continue reading

Home Sweet Home - Vancouver, Canada

“I arrive at Vancouver International, sandals in hand as I clear customs and proceed barefoot through the airport to the baggage claim. The texture of the carpet seems foreign compared to the hot tarmac, rocks and sand that I have become accustomed to over the past few weeks. Without thinking I stop just before I reach the final gate to put my sandals on, not aware at the time the significance of my simple action…” continue reading

Quebec French Immersion Program
Time to say goodbye - Quebec, Canada

“…I have learned a lot more than just french in my time here. One thing that I have realized is that no matter where you are, people are people. People and the relationships you have with others is the most important thing on this Earth. I always knew this, yet it occurred to me again in an environment such as this…” continue reading

Have any other questions for me, email me at oneweekjob@gmail.com and I will do my best to respond.

-Sean

- Make me an offer!
- Why am I doing this?
- Frequently Asked Q’s
- My Generation

Canada Trip: May - July 2003

Myself and best friend Ian Mackenzie bought an unlimited pass for the Greyhound and traveled throughout Canada for three months. We were in Quebec city for St. Jean Baptiste day, Ottawa for Canada day, New York city for Independence day, Calgary for the Stampede, Merritt, BC for the Mountain Music Festival, and everywhere in between. Definitely a lot of good times and many long hours spent on the bus!
(video coming soon)

South East Asia: January - March 2006

Just For Fun
Here is my audition tape for the first American Idol. I still to this day can’t believe they did not accept me! That Simon is such a meany!

Comments regarding the “My Generation” page.

Donations can be made through Oxfam Canada as they handle the accounts of Make Poverty History and can issue charitable receipts for income tax purposes.

Here is the link to the Oxfam Canada donate page.

In order to ensure that Make Poverty History receives your donation, be sure to put “For MakePovertyHistory.ca via One Week Job project” in the “Comments” box found on the Oxfam Canada donate page.

“Fund” is: “General Community Development and Humanitarian Fund”

Also, please inform me (oneweekjob@gmail.com) if you do make a donation so that I can add it to the total “Amount Raised” in the left side column.

Note: If you are looking to make a donation to help me with my personal travel expenses, you can do so through the ‘sponsors‘ page.

Thanks for the support!

-Sean

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OneWeekJob.com asks ‘Would you hire Sean Aiken for one week?’

VANCOUVER, BC — In an attempt to find his passion, Sean Aiken, 25, has created a website that allows any individual or company from across Canada to make him a job offer for one week. He will continue to fulfill jobs one week at a time throughout the country while recording his experiences with blog entries and short video clips posted to his website One Week Job (www.oneweekjob.com)

“I think that many in my generation have seen our parents stuck in the same job they were not necessarily happy with for far too long,” says Sean. “We are realizing the importance of making a career choice that suits our skill set, while at the same time matches our personality, values, and passions as well.”

Graduating top of his class with a Business Administration degree and voted Class Valedictorian, Sean believes there are many signs of his generation putting off the transition into adulthood; taking longer to finish university, get married, move out, start a family and to enter the work force.

“In a world where there are so many possibilities, the weight of all the possibilities is overwhelming,” he continues. The One Week Job website will allow him to explore many types of employment and share his experience with others.

Any individual or corporation from across the country can offer Sean a job position for one week. He stresses the job could be absolutely anything, anywhere, from garbage collection in Toronto, to working the counter at a Starbucks in Kelowna, to working a family farm in Saskatchewan, to a suit and tie corporate position in Halifax.

All proceeds that the company or individual is willing to pay him for his week of work will be donated to the Make Poverty History campaign (www.makepovertyhistory.ca) dedicated to tackling the issue of child poverty in Canada. “I was shocked to hear that today nearly 1 in 6 Canadian children are growing up in poverty,” explains Sean. “There is really no excuse for it.”

For future fans of Sean’s project that are unable to offer Sean a job, he stresses his appreciation for other ways to help, whether spreading the word online, or offering a place to stay while he is in your city. Sean also plans on leveraging the growing trend of blogging, online videos and other forms of social networking to record and promote his weekly adventures.

“In doing so, I hope to learn more about myself along the journey, bring some much needed awareness to the issue of child poverty in Canada, and in turn share what I learn with the countless others in my generation who are in similar situations.”

When asked why he thinks that his generation has difficulty deciding on their certain careers, his answer is simple: “We have been told our whole life that anything is possible. Well, our parents did a great job, because now we actually believe it!”

Week one of Sean’s journey begins February 26th, 2007. Visit www.OneWeekJob.com to find out more about the project and how you can offer Sean a ‘One Week Job.’

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For more information or to set up an interview, contact:

Sean Aiken

Email: oneweekjob@gmail.com
www.OneWeekJob.com

1) Is all your earnings going to the Make Poverty History/ONE Campaign, or are you taking out some for travel expenses?

Any proceeds from the jobs is directly donated to the respective campaign by the individual or the company. This way Make Poverty History/ONE can issue the tax receipts and I don’t have to worry about dealing with the money or being taxed on money that I never really had. Just keeps things simple and transparent.

2) But then how are you surviving?

By keeping costs down as much as we can, staying with host families, hitch hiking, taking the bus. If you would like to help out by sponsoring the project, please send me an email.

3) If I offer you a job, do I also need to find you a place to stay and pay for your travel expenses?

It would be a huge help, and I’d really appreciate it, though it’s not required.

4) How much are you looking for as a donation for the week of work?

There is really no minimum or no maximum at all. The more job offers I receive the better, and the more rewarding of an experience it will be. So whatever is in the budget, there are really no expectations.

5) Does it have to last the entire week, and be a full-time position?

I am willing to work full-time for the entire week, though the position does not necessarily have to last the entire week and can be part-time. Need some ideas, check out ‘My Wish List.

6) How are you traveling?

A combination of things. Using the site to let people know where I am going and see if they can help me out, using radio stations for the same purpose, the bus, plane, ride-sharing, hitch-hiking…

If you would like to help out by sponsoring the project, please send me an email.

7) What kind of jobs are you hoping to get?

Anything and everything, the more diverse the better!

8 ) Any job in particular you want to try out?

Much Music/MTV VJ, advertising agency, stock broker, intern at the Trump Organization, pizza delivery driver, brick layer, fisherman, tv/radio talk show co-host, construction, lawyer, producer, sled dog guide, farmer … anything really!

Need some ideas, check out ‘My Wish List.

I would also love to be mentored by a top executive for a week, just follow him/her around on the job and get shown the ropes. I think I could learn so much from an experience like that.

9) How long are you going to sustain the project for?

52 weeks, 52 “One Week Jobs.” It would be great if down the road, I could pass the project onto someone else who would like to use this method to get out there and discover their passions. Also, I would like to write a book about my experience and all that I have learned for high school, college and university students.

10) Why the Make Poverty History campaign?

I began One Week Job by accepting offers throughout Canada. At the same time that I had the idea for the project, a friend brought to my attention the issue of child poverty in Canada .

Instead of working for free, I decided this would also be a good opportunity to bring some awareness to this issue. I chose the Make Poverty History campaign because ending child poverty in Canada is one of their main agendas.

As I have started to receive offers in the United States and elsewhere, it made sense that donations in lieu of my wages be made to the affiliated organization of the Make Poverty History campaign in the respective country.

11) Why are you doing this?

After finishing my degree, I made a promise to myself that I would not settle for a career that I am not truly passionate about. Not realizing where these passions lie, I came up with the idea for One Week Job.

My goal is to gain a better understanding of what this career would look like and inspire the many others of my generation in similar situations to commit to going after their passions.

12) Is one week long enough for you to really know if a job is right for you?

I am not expecting to find that perfect fit in a particular job I take on. If I do, that would be great! Yet, I am looking more to get a taste of many different positions, hoping to take something away from each one, and in turn gain a better understanding of the type of situation I need to have in order to be happy.

__________
Any other questions about me or the project, feel free to email me at oneweekjob@gmail.com

- Make me an offer!
- Why am I doing this?
- Learn more about me!
- My Generation

July 23rd, 2007
One Week Job Launches Internet TV Show

June 13th, 2007
OneWeekJob.com Founder to Write Weekly Column for Globe & Mail Careers Section About His Journey

June 8th, 2007
NiceJob.ca sponsors the ‘One Week Job guy’ to help with travel expenses

May 18th, 2007
Ten Weeks of OneWeekJob.com shows diversity of career options

February 12th, 2007
OneWeekJob.com asks ‘Would you hire Sean Aiken for one week?’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ten Weeks Of OneWeekJob.com Shows Diversity Of Career Options

(May 18, 2007 - Vancouver, BC) Ten weeks after launching oneweekjob.com in an attempt to find his passion, 25-year-old Sean Aiken has experienced careers ranging from dairy farmer to yoga instructor to talk show intern, and is still enjoying his exploration of many types of employment and continues to share his experiences with others.

In February 2007, Aiken launched his quest to try different jobs across North America. He created a website where any individual or company could offer him a job offer for one week, and where he is recording his experiences with blog entries and short video clips posted to www.oneweekjob.com. His current job for week ten is as a marketer with Vancouver-based Sustainet Software Solutions (http://www.sustainet.com).

“I have been overwhelmed by the positive response my project has received both from media and individuals throughout Canada,” says Aiken. “Based on feedback I’ve been getting, I believe people are finding inspiration in what I am doing.”

All proceeds that the company or individual pays him for his week of work are being donated to the Make Poverty History campaign (www.makepovertyhistory.ca) dedicated to tackling the issue of child poverty in Canada.

Aiken will soon head to Quebec where he will continue his journey with new jobs and new experiences, which he continues to document with words and video on his blog. Some excerpts include:

On being part of an events team: “I like the idea of focusing on one project with all of your energy for a period of time, seeing it through to its fruition and then moving on to the next project. I think that it is something I will have to incorporate into my career somehow.”

On working the bottom of the chair lift at Lake Louise: “Could I do it for the rest of my life? Probably not, but I realized again how much I like interacting with and meeting new people. It was a lot of fun being in a position like that in which new people are constantly coming through.”

On working as a dairy farmhand: “After trying to avoid it for the first 15 minutes, I realized quite quickly that there is just really no way around it; having cow manure all over your hands and occasionally splat on you is just part of the job. I call it ’surrendering to the pooh.’”

On being a florist: “I am learning a lot about the flower industry, which I suppose was expected considering I knew nothing coming in. I can now arrange and wrap a bouquet of flowers and even tell you the difference between a fuji mom, asiatic lily, and a gerber daisyÅ (An) arrangement of roses that I had made on my first day was sold. Needless to say, it was a proud moment!”

On landing a job as a yoga instructor: “I am really excited to start the week as yoga is something that I have wanted to learn more about and will also get to see the workings of a newly formed small business.”

Graduating top of his class with a Business Administration degree, Aiken sees many signs that his generation is putting off the transition into adulthood - taking longer to finish university, get married, move out, start a family and to enter the work force.

“In a world where there are so many possibilities, the weight of all the possibilities can be overwhelming,” he says.

To offer Sean Aiken a job for a week, visit www.oneweekjob.com.
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For more information or to set up an interview, contact:

Sean Aiken
oneweekjob@gmail.com
cell 1-416-735-WEEK

- or -

Carla S. Shore
C-Shore Communications Inc.
P: 604-731-0975
oneweekjobmedia@gmail.com