Life behind the scenes of a tv talk show

I have had a great couple days working downtown with Urban Rush. Yesterday, one of the producers, Jay Brown, and myself had some good fun filming a segment for the show in which I was put to work doing various tasks throughout the studio; from organizing Fiona Forbes wardrobe, to windexing windows, to Jay stacking a ridiculous amount of tapes on me, to even walking a dog. If you missed it, that’s too bad because it was really quite funny! After which a newspaper came in to do an interview and photoshoot... all making me feel far too important.

Week Two - Urban Rush 012


Today was not so exciting as I spent the day organizing old recordings of the show in the archive room, yet, it is truly great working with a group of people who obviously love what they are doing and enjoy doing it. Definitely the type of work place environment that I would like to be in!


I found out today that the company I was supposed to be working with for next week re-scheduled for a later week, so I am now in need of a job for Week Three. If you have any offers or ideas, please send them my way!

(UPDATE: I have found a job for next week and will announce it tomorrow)

-Sean

Sean On Shaw

I had a great first day working with 'Urban Rush,' a daily talk show based in Vancouver, BC. The studio ShawTV has on the waterfront in downtown Vancouver is beautiful and everyone who works there is really cool. I was interviewed on the show today about 'One Week Job' and for the rest of the week they will be checking in with me doing various tasks around the studio... they might even give me a camera person so I can go and have some fun in the city!

Week Two - Urban Rush 007


If you are in the Vancouver area, you can catch the show on Channel 4 at 5pm, 7pm, 11pm, 1am, or the following day at 7am and 12pm.

I spent most of the day hanging out in the green room chatting with the other guests waiting for the interview and helped out with some random tasks. The band Finger Eleven was also on the show today, so that was pretty cool to hear them perform live in the studio.

Week Two - Urban Rush 010
(Immediately after I finished my interview, I was put to work!)


Should be a great week... especially since I don't start until 10:30am every day!

-Sean

Week Two Announced - Television Intern/Co-host

I spent the day at various University and College campuses in the Vancouver area distributing and posting up promotional material for Whistler Bungee. Not too exciting compared to yesterday, but it was a beautiful sunny day and nice to be outside. So here is what’s happening for Week Two…

Starting Monday March 5th, I will be working as an assistant, intern, co-host, street correspondent, pool boy... for a local television station in Vancouver, BC.

Urban RushIf you are from the Vancouver area, no doubt you have heard of Michael Eckford and Fiona Forbes, the hosts of ‘Urban Rush’ who are celebrating their 10th year this week as the shows host. If you haven’t, well then you should definitely get acquainted with this hilarious duo and can do so daily on Shaw TV Channel 4, Monday to Friday at 5pm, 7pm, 11pm, 1am, and if you happen to miss any of those times, 7am and noon the following day. I know, not all that convenient;)

On the Monday show of Urban Rush, I will be interviewed by Mike and Fiona about One Week Job, then for the rest of the week… well who knows what they will have me doing. Yet, I guarantee it will be a lot of fun and I am looking forward Koop Nu to working as their assistant!

Be sure to tune in!

Alrighty, gotta get to bed… this work thing is killing me!

-Sean

Taking the leap... literally!

Wow! What better way to kick off 'One Week Job' and all it represents, than to jump off a bridge! If it is something you have never done before, put it down on your 'to do' list. It truly is an incredible adrenaline rush! Although it is quite funny because you don't realize the fun you just had until you are back safe and sound on the bridge.

Week One - WB photos 031


I had an awesome day working with Whistler Bungee up in Whistler, BC today. A tv crew from Vancouver came up to do a story about One Week Job and we had fun shooting some stuff with them, hopefully I will be able to get some of the footage up on the site by Sunday.

There was a group jumping that were visiting from Brazil, so it was great to make some new friends and it is always fun to join in with the excitement that comes a long with first time jumpers. I did some inventory, helped strap clients into harnesses, and ofcourse coercing them into signing their lives away was also involved.

Week One - WB photos 010


I had this interesting article brought to my attention today entitled, "Americans hate their jobs more than ever - Satisfaction level hits new low, especially among younger workers."

What's going on, I just don't get it! Sounds like more 'Sheepwalker' syndrome if you ask me.

Week One has been great so far and I will be announcing my job for Week Two tomorrow!

Until then,

-Sean

Sean Joins The Working World!

(well kinda) I helped out Whistler Bungee at a Travel and Adventure Trade Show in Vancouver, B.C over the weekend in exchange for one day this week. That day was today, so it gave me the opportunity to get caught up on emails and just try and get organized before things get going.

At the Trade Show, the day consisted of meeting and talking with many different people about Whistler Bungee, what they offer, where they are located, the adrenaline rush of bungee jumping in general, and the question of whether it is sky diving or bungee jumping that is more scarier. I have been told that bungee jumping is, though I have never sky dived before so I wouldn’t know for sure. Who knows, maybe it will be a One Week Job in the weeks to come and then I can give you a first hand experience!

Week One - WB photos 015


Some were unaware that there was a bungee jumping company up in Whistler, BC, but there sure is, and if you are ever in the Whistler or Vancouver area and feel like jumping off a bridge, there is no better place to do it than in the beautiful landscape they are lucky to have up there. I'll show you some pics later on in the week!

I am the only person I know who has never owned a cell phone, and with the start of the project I am now finding myself in desperate need of one. That, and the fact that even my grandma has one, so I figured it was about time to pick one up.

If anyone has any cell phone ideas, plans, providers that they would recommend, please send me an email. Needless to say, I need a plan that has great long distance!

And if you haven't yet, be sure to make your promise today.

-Sean

Are You "Sheepwalking" Through Life?

Seth Godin defines 'sheepwalking' as "the outcome of hiring people who have been raised to be obedient and giving them a braindead job and enough fear to keep them in line." Hmm, not for me thanks! I am getting a great response to the project so far as I think it is really something that everyone can relate to. Whether you are in my generation - lost, confused with an uncertain future ahead or whether you have been in the working world for 20 years.

I think everyone, at some point in their lives, have been in a situation where they had to make a life altering decision regarding their career path. It is a big decision and I am not going to make the wrong one. I had an inspiring teacher that would always say, “Aim for the stars and at least you won’t end up with a handful of mud!”

Sean from MetroI was on CBC Radio One: The Early Edition in Vancouver on Monday morning and it was interesting to see the different views of One Week Job through the generations. For an older generation, it seems to be difficult to comprehend the concept as it is just so far out from the norm they are used to or how they were brought up: Go to school, get a job, start a family, buy stuff, retire. The host of the show, Rick Cluff, could not get over how ‘wacky’ the idea is, and so was not able to grasp what I am trying to achieve.

I think far more wacky is the amount of people who get out of bed in the morning and absolutely dread going to work because they hate their jobs. I find it incredibly sad that so many are wasting their lives away doing something they don't enjoy doing.

I am committed that I will not be one of them and am looking to inspire my generation to make the same commitment before they fall victim to a situation in which yearning for weekends and the illustrious two week vacations a year define our lives. I agree that on the surface it might appear to be a ‘wacky’ idea, yet dig a little deeper and I think we will all agree that it is not so wacky after all.

Are you in a job that you hate doing or that you absolutely love? Leave a comment, and tell us your thoughts and any advice that you have!

- Sean

PS â€" I have decided where I will be working for Week Two and will announce it sometime next week. As a hint, you will be able to see me on television every day;) Week Two is the week of March 5th.

Exciting Day

6:00am: Telephone rings waking me up. 6:03am: I am on the radio live to a station in Syracuse, New York. What station you ask? Good question, I have no idea. I am still trying to figure out if the interview actually happened or if it was just a continuation of my dream. 6:15am: Back to bed. 6:30am: Telephone rings again, radio station from Santa Barbara, California, 7:00am: Yet another from New York. How did all these people get my number?!?

Well, it was an exciting day and lot's of fun, definitely in part due to the great article that Fiona Anderson of The Vancouver Sun wrote today. If you didn't catch it, you can read it here.

Some interesting offers coming in with Week One starting next Monday.

Stay tuned!

-Sean

Week One Announced - Bungee Assistant

And Whistler Bungee it is! Whistler's Ultimate Adrenaline Rush will be my first job starting next Monday February 26th. I received various offers from around the country and have decided to kick off the One Week Job project by accepting the offer to work with Whistler Bungee for Week One.

WB LogoWhistler Bungee is a bungee jumping company located 15 minutes South of Whistler Village and is set in the beautiful wilderness of the Whistler Resort Valley nestled between old growth generic viagra online forests and rugged basalt column cliffs. Sounds like fun! The bridge they have up there is 160ft high and spans 300ft over the glacial fed Cheakamus river. They are open all year round and you can visit them at WhistlerBungee.com.

Looks like I will be doing various things for Whistler Bungee throughout the week, helping with a trade show, distributing some marketing material throughout Vancouver, some good old fashioned book keeping and perhaps a day or two up in Whistler at the bridge.

I am really excited to start the project next week and am looking forward to all of the various jobs I will be doing throughout the country!

I have not yet decided where I will be working for Week Two (week of March 5th), so if you have any offers, be sure to check out the offers section and send them my way!

Until next time,

-Sean

Make a promise today

Yesterday morning, my interview on Breakfast Television in Vancouver went pretty well. It was an earlier start than I am used to and I definitely can’t remember the last time I was out of bed when it was still dark outside. But I think I was able to get my message across.

Breakfast Television

I am coming to the realization that this project is not about what specific jobs I will end up doing, or where they will lead me. But rather it has to do with what I feel the whole project represents -- just finding the courage to take the leap in itself, putting myself out there, and saying “Alright world, let’s do this.” In the process I hope I am able to inspire all those in my situation to do the same.

At this point I have no idea what the ideal situation for me would look like, yet I do know what it will feel like when I get there. A feeling where my career and personal life merge. I want to get out of bed each day and say, “woohoo, time to go to work!”

I think in some ways we all know what that ideal situation would feel like. It is just a matter of whether we choose to act and decide to seek it in spite of the self doubt and uncertainty.

I think a good start is promising ourselves not to settle for a situation that doesn’t truly make us happy and to go after our passions. I am glad that I have made this promise to myself at 25, rather than when I am nearing retirement at 60.

If we don’t make this promise today, then when will we?

How am I going to get there? I don't know and I am not sure it really matters. I think it is far more important that we start by making this promise, taking the leap wherever it leads, and finding the courage to walk in the face of fear with the confidence that it will be okay.

I think if we can do this today, we will then be able to make those decisions that will align our lives in a manner that will eventually make this feeling a reality.

They say that taking the initial leap is the hardest part, and that once we start, things will get easier and appear more clearly. I guess you could say I am banking on that!

Anybody got any offers for me? Send them my way! oneweekjob@gmail.com

-Sean

Offers coming in

So, I have had a great response to the project so far and have already received some interesting offers from all over the country. From working at a bungee jumping company in Whistler, to helping organize a 100km dinner in Ontario, to working at a framing place in Quebec, to even a stint gardening at a household in London, Ontario. Things are definitely starting to come together, and I am looking forward to starting my first job February 26th!

I have added a "Get e-updates" on the left hand column, that will send you an email everytime I make a post to the site allowing you to stay up to date with where I am and whatever job it is that I am doing.

I have also added a support section, in which companies can sponsor One Week Job and have a banner ad posted in that section, or those who would like can simply make a donation to help support me in my travels.

Be sure to check back to the 'offers' section as I will be posting various offers that I receive and will be announcing my first job later this week!

-Sean

PS - For those of you in the Vancouver area, I will be appearing on Breakfast Televsion Citytv Monday morning at around 7:30am for an interview about One Week Job.

And so it begins...

OneWeekJob.com is now officially launched! Wow, okay so I sent out the News Release last night to various news, print, television, radio and online publications across the country and have already had a great response!

Thanks so much to everyone for your personal messages of support! It's really great to hear all of your positive feedback and helping to promote One Week Job.

I have no idea where the project will lead or what jobs I will end up doing, and the uncertainty is kinda scary but definately what makes it so exciting and all the more worthwhile at the same time!

Until next time,

-Sean

PS - You can catch me on Breakfast Television on Citytv in Vancouver next Monday morning, February 12th!

Why Am I Doing This?

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

Donations to Make Poverty History

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.

Donate Button


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

February 12th, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OneWeekJob.com asks 'Would you hire Sean Aiken for one week?'

VANCOUVER, BC â€" 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 cialiscouponcard.com 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.’

- 30 -

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

Sean Aiken

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Previous News Releases

May 18th, 2007

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. - 30 -

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

June 13th, 2007

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE OneWeekJob.com Founder to Write Weekly Column for Globe & Mail Careers Section About His Journey

(June 13, 2007 â€" Vancouver, BC) Based on the success of his OneWeekJob.com challenge to try a different job every week in an attempt to find his passion, 25-year-old Sean Aiken has been asked to write a regular column on his career exploration for the Globe and Mail’s Careers section.

Aiken will write a weekly column, beginning June 13, in the Globe and Mail detailing his career odyssey and the lessons he is learning about what the work world has to offer his generation. Aiken, who graduated at the top of his class with a Business Administration degree, has so far experienced careers ranging from dairy farmer to yoga instructor to software marketer to talk show intern. The bilingual Aiken is currently trying out jobs in Quebec, and is interested in offers throughout the summer in Quebec, Ontario and the maritimes.

“I have been overwhelmed by the positive response my project has received both from media and individuals throughout Canada and am excited to begin sharing my experience with Globe readers,” says Aiken. “I see many signs that my generation is putting off the transition into adulthood â€" 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,”

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.

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.

To offer Sean Aiken a job for a week, visit www.oneweekjob.com.

- 30 -

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

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

â€" or â€"

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