My 52 weeks have come to an end - What an adventure!

I think back to January 2007 when One Week Job was simply an idea and I wasn’t entirely sure whether or not I could go through with it.

It’s incredible to see how far it has come since then.

Though it was a lot of work and wasn’t always easy, I am extremely glad that I decided to take the leap. It will no doubt be an experience I will remember for the rest of my life.

Now that it is over, I am excited to take some time and reflect on my experience. It was difficult to do so while on the road as I was constantly on the move: organizing what would be the next job, how we would get there, and where to stay once there.

As one week finished, I was grateful it happened, then it was quickly time to move on to the next. It will be nice to stay in one place for a bit and not have to continually make new plans.

Some people ask, “Sean did you ever foresee this growing to such an extent as it has?” Early on I realized it was something that resonated with many people and I soon felt that I was a part of something much bigger than myself. What has been remarkable is to envision these plans in your mind, and then to see them come to fruition as you imagined.

One thing I could not have foreseen was the kindness and willingness of others to get involved. I was so lucky to meet some amazing people over the past year and it would not have been possible without them.

Complete strangers on Monday morning became close friends by the end of the week. Wherever I do end up, I’ll be sure to have a nice guest room because I expect to have many visitors!

I have learned that if you are able to articulate what it is you are trying to achieve, the majority of people will do what they can to help you take that one step closer.

Thank you so much to all of my past employers, people who let me stay at their house, those who picked me up when I was standing with my thumb at the side of the road, and to everyone who sent emails or left comments on the site with positive messages of encouragement. You are what made this experience memorable - I am so grateful to all of you!

I also owe a big thank you to NiceJob.ca who believed in the project from the early stages and were willing to come on board as a sponsor to help with travel expenses.

I don’t think I have officially announced it on the website, though I will be writing a book about my past year that will be published Spring 2009 by Penguin Books in Canada and Random House in the USA (if you live outside North America, I’ll keep you posted).

It will be the story of my experience; from graduating college with no clue what I wanted to do and scared of all the responsibilities that lay ahead, to starting One Week Job with all my adventures throughout the year and what I learned a long the way.

We are also looking to create a documentary with all of the footage that Ian shot.

Targeted for High School and Post Secondary Students, the documentary will use my unique experience to provide an entertaining, yet educational and inspiring exploration into the question, “What should I do with my life?”

We are currently seeking sponsors who would be willing to sponsor the documentary, so if you or anyone you know would be interested, please contact us.

If you would like to receive email updates about One Week Job, what I am up to, and progress on the book/documentary, there is a sign up on the homepage.

I am often asked if I would recommend that others in the same situation as myself try 52 jobs in 52 weeks?

I believe the more we know and understand about ourselves, the better idea of what type of career situation we need to have in order to be happy. How you go about doing that is your choice.

The important thing is that it be a situation in which you are challenged to learn something new and forced to step outside of your comfort zone. When you do, I promise you will be amazed what can happen and what you are capable of.

In the past whenever I heard people say things like, “You can do anything you set your mind to,” or “Believe in yourself and anything is possible,” I was always quick to dismiss them. Over time, they tend to lose meaning; they become cliché.

One thing I have come to realize is that cliches become cliché for a reason - it’s because they’re true. Everyday people realize their dreams. And their journey then shared with others.

I hope you enjoyed my journey and in the process found inspiration to set out on your own!

-Sean

My week as Mayor of Port Moody has come to an end. Although I wasn’t able to pass a bylaw requiring every Port Moody resident to simultaneously try out a completely unrelated profession for one week each year, I still enjoyed the experience.

I have such a love for the city, that I found it really interesting to be involved in discussions that will impact its future growth and direction. I felt as if I was “in the know.”

I think a common misconception is the extent of the Mayor’s authority on decision making. I previously thought that it was the Mayor who made final decisions based on recommendations from City Council. I was surprised to learn that the Mayor simply has one vote. Though, if things happen to go wrong, he is generally the one that gets the blame in the newspapers.

It’s a difficult position to be in. On one hand, you want to keep everyone happy and make choices you feel will benefit the city. Though on the other, tough decisions have to be made and your opinion will undoubtedly differ from those of some in the community.

As Mayor Trasolini told me, “you must have a sense of humour in this profession.”

As we place ourselves in a position that is more accessible to a wider audience, you open yourself up to criticism. I experienced this over the past year and received some advice just over half-way through:

In anything that we do, there will always be critics - a third of people are going to love what you do, a third will hate it, and another third won’t care.

(In an elected position, I guess you only hope that a third will be enough to give you the majority vote!)

I could definitely see myself (at some point down the road) running for Mayor or City Council. Then again, after this past year I have realized I could see myself doing many things!

-Sean

It’s a different experience doing a One Week Job in my hometown of Port Moody. Usually my current job incorporates exploring the city; I am a working tourist experiencing the city for the first time.

This week, there is a real sense of familiarity. I simply drive down the hill to go to work, I can run home for lunch, and I don’t need directions getting anywhere.

I have always held so much pride for the city of Port Moody. It’s a beautiful place and I have seen it grow tremendously since I was young.

I have enjoyed experiencing the city from a different perspective this week. The Mayors job is quite comprehensive and encompasses a bit of everything that goes on in the city. As such, we have been moving around quite a bit, attending different openings, committee meetings, unveiling’s, etc. Monday night we paid a visit to the local Scouts who were excited to have us and asked some interesting questions about my past year.

City Council controls the overall direction of the city; they are the decision makers behind it all. It’s a big role and after having seen it from this perspective, I wish more citizens would get involved and voice an opinion. The reality is so much goes on in the city that we have no idea about as we are busy living our own lives. Then, we see buildings go up, people move in, landscapes change.

The goal is that City Council makes these decisions based on the wants, needs, and best interests of it’s citizens. I have always tried to please everyone, though I can respect in a position like this, that can be a difficult task to say the least.

Today, there are elementary school students coming in for a visit and tour followed by the Mayor’s open office hours. There has been some tough decisions as of late with the budget due by May 15th… could make the open office hours quite interesting. Tonight is the opening ceremony of the Chengdu Artist Exhibition followed by a reception and live performance which should be fun. If you are in the area, come on by!

-Sean