Where Do All These Pieces Go?

Although we are only entering Week Six of One Week Job, I have already seen myself grow and develop in ways that I had never thought. Sean is developing professional skills! In launching One Week Job, it was my way of taking the leap into the working world, the “real world" so to speak. I think it proves to be a scary thought for many, it sure was for me, yet it is getting easier each week. It seems as if every single day I am putting myself in unfamiliar situations, continually out of my comfort zone and am presented with new challenges, more uncertainty.

I think a big thing preventing me from taking that initial leap was a fear of failure, self-doubt, and this inevitable uncertainty that comes a long with any situation which requires us to step out of our comfort zone. Yet seeing these changes in myself as a result, having only completed Week Five, is truly incredible and I suddenly find myself seeking out new challenges as I know that I will be all the better for it.

I am also realizing that my teachers were right when they said they were teaching us “life skills” and I am beginning to recognize how the skills that enabled me to be successful in previous areas of my life, namely school and sports, are in fact the same skills that provide the framework for us to be successful in the “real world.” How everything that we do in life, the various skills and aptitudes we have developed, our many diverse life experiences, the challenges we have overcome, all come together and help formulate our “career” or “life purpose.”

The implications of this for me are really quite exciting; anything becomes possible! The realization that we create our own reality, and that I too, like everyone else, has an innate value to offer the world.

By finding the courage to take the initial leap and continually pushing myself to discover my potential, I am beginning to recognize the pieces of a much larger puzzle.

Now it’s simply a matter of finding out just how all these pieces fit together!

-Sean

Week Six Announced - Florist

Today I kick off Week Six of One Week Job in Edmonton, Alberta working as a Florist with Best Buds Flower Company. Have I ever been a florist before you ask? No, but I do remember picking dandelions when I was young, arranging them in a bouquet and giving them to my mom. That's got to count for something!

If you are in the Edmonton area, come by the shop and say hello. I am told that they have free home made cookies!

I am looking for a job in or around Edmonton for next week, so if you have any offers, send them my way. Anybody out there have any connections at a rodeo?

-Sean

The One Week Job Project - Intro Video

Alrighty so after five weeks into One Week Job, I have finally created the Intro Video. Pass the link a long to friends, contacts, potential employers, embed it directly in your blogs, websites, etc. and help spread the word!

Here is the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPU-Tqe0tSo

Looking forward to meeting you!

-Sean

City Slickers And Cowboys

After a really long day of driving we arrived in Edmonton. I still hadn't confirmed where I was going to be spending the night about three hours before I arrived, but was able to organize it just in time. Loving the new cell phone! I must credit the guys at Hitch50 for making me realize just how brilliant the 'jump shot' really is.

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Have an interview on CityTV Monday morning, then it's off to work at Best Buds Flower Company. Know of any car rental companies in Edmonton who want to get some publicity, let me know!

-Sean

Edmonton Bound

I found a ride to Edmonton! I am leaving this morning and we are going to drive straight through, I am totally not prepared but this is when the ride was going so what can you do. Are we ever really prepared anyways? I will tell you about what my job in Edmonton for next week is in an upcoming post, should be fun though, especially if I get a chance to hit up the waterpark in the mall! Actually, maybe I could set up a One Week Job there?

If you are in the Edmonton area, you can catch me Monday morning on CityTV and Friday morning on Global TV, otherwise if you want to hang out, give me a shout!

-Sean

Wine Tasting Extravaganza

Had a crazy last day working with 24 Hours Vancouver. I started the morning with a nationwide interview on CBC Radio One, then got called by CTV News who wanted to do a story so I went a long with another 24 Hours reporter and a photography to cover a Wine Festival. They put a mic on me and away I went with my pen and notepad to explore the Festival while the camera crew followed me around. The segment about One Week Job, will air sometime next week during the CTV News Hour at 6pm. I will let you know! I was introduced to Bill Hardy of Hardy's wine and he showed me the ropes of the Festival and basically how things work. Really great guy! Pretty cool how he can just pick up a bottle and say, "This one is named after my grandfather, and this one over here after my grandmother." I asked if he would be willing to name one after me, but he wouldn't go for it.

I had a great week working with 24 Hours, if you want to read about it and you are in the Vancouver area, pick up a copy of the paper today (Friday) and I will tell you.

-Sean

A Reality 'Cheque' Assignment

Yesterday, I was sent out on assignment with another reporter from the paper to find out what happened in a homicide that occured the night before. I felt like I was a police investigator as details were unknown and so we had to go to the crime scene, interview neighbours, friends, police, and visit the highschool where the victim attended. It was a really sad story and I just didn't feel right being amongst every major media station in Vancouver trying to get some "good quotes" and names to make for a complete story. As a reporter your job is to get the story, seek out what happened and get the facts, yet I felt as if I was prying into their lives and getting involved in something that was none of my business. I found that it was just too real for me. I imagine if you are in reporting for a significant amount of time, you have seen it all and such stories can become somewhat routine.

Actually, it is kind of an interesting thought about careers in general. If we do find ourself at a point in a career when things cease to have emotion, passion, and no longer challenge us, is this perhaps an indication that it is time to change what we are doing?

I am not sure, what do you think? Leave your comments.

-Sean

Surprise Attack On The 'Employee Entrance'

Had a really interesting day which I will tell you about later, but first just wanted to share this with you.

Yeah I did.

-Sean

Not Your Typical Employee Entrance

Second day on the job at 24hrs, not too exciting. Just writing a column a day for what looks like will be a weekly series that will appear in each Monday paper for the next four weeks. I must say it is pretty cool being able to just call people up when you need a quote and start off by saying, "Hi, my name is Sean. I am a columnist with 24hrs... " Tends to give you some immediate credibility and I even caught myself leaning confidently back in my chair at times feeling somewhat important.

This feeling didn't last long though, and you will see why after watching this next clip.

Day In The Life Of A Columnist

So two weeks ago I was a Snowshoe Guide assistant, and this week I am a columnist. Just another Monday morning and another first day on the job. It's quite funny, it seems as if I just get settled into a position, comfortable with the people in the company, and know what is expected of me, then Friday comes, the slate is wiped clean and it is time to start all over again in a new position and new location the following week. If it was uncertainty, unfamiliar situations and out of the comfort zone experiences I was looking for, well I have found them. I met with the Editor-in-chief first thing in the morning and we went over ideas that I had for potential aritcles. He seemed to like them, and I set off on writing my first column in a series of pieces that I will be writing regarding One Week Job type themes.

Today I visited a couple of campuses around Vancouver and interviewed a bunch of students and some faculty. It was quite interesting speaking with students about topics such as what they want to do with their life, why our generation is having difficulty deciding on careers, and what we are looking for out of a career situation. I will be sure to post my articles to the site as I finish them...

It was my first time in a newsroom, and I must say they do a good job in movies portraying what it is like: phones ringing, people moving quickly working on a deadline, colleagues talking about different stories/news ideas, working late, and ofcourse lot's of coffee is involved. I left the office at 7:30pm, and there were still quite a few people there plugging away.

Definitely an interesting lifestyle, kinda fun working in a dynamic environment with an element of urgency as everything is deadline driven. There is a paper to produce for the next day, everybody works hard on it as long as it takes until it is finished, then you go home and are back at producing something completely different the next day.

Still looking for that ride to Edmonton, any ideas or suggestions, give me a call!

-Sean

Surprise Interview On The Volleyball Courts

During Week Four Breakfast Television came in to do a segment and they did an interview with me. Here it is:

Week Five Announced - Columnist For 24hrs

Starting tomorrow I will be working as a columnist for the Vancouver 24hrs, a daily newspaper published in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. I will be writing about One Week Job type themes that I have previously touched upon. cialiscouponcard Such as: the idea of 'sheepwalking' through life, making a commitment for passion, trade-off between money and happiness, my generation, interviewing upcoming graduates as to why they think our generation is seemingly having difficulty deciding on a career path, how they see their future relationship between their careers and social lives... etc.

If you have any other ideas or comments on these topics, I would love to hear them. Leave a comment, email me or now you can give me a call!

Yesterday, I got my first cell phone ever! Feel free to call me anytime with your ideas, thoughts, suggestions, offers, or even just to say hello:) Here is my number: 416-735-9335

-Sean

Talkin' bout' my generation

I have been in contact recently with a great guy, Robert Manolson, a Career Development Professional based in Edmonton, Alberta. We had a great chat last night about how the priorities of my generation entering the work force are different to that of generations before. I am really excited about my generation entering the professional world as I feel we are realizing how important it is to be in a career that we love doing, one that challenges us, and we are demanding more out of a career than just a pay check. As we enter the work place with this increased awareness, we immediately start questioning everything, seeking a greater meaning in all that we do, something that makes sense. To be in a situation in which we feel like we are contributing to some greater good, some vision that we can buy into. How is what I am doing helping the world, helping those around me, helping my neighbourhood, how can I be more socially responsible, what can I do to make a difference?

Bringing this mind set into the work force early on in our careers will have huge implications on society and will greatly contribute to an increased overall level of happiness in the work place. In the process, this will inherently lead to increased productivity and positive personal development. Very cool!

I have also had a recent revelation that I will have to tell you about but I am having difficulty getting my thoughts in some coherent form so I will have to get back to you. If I get my phone number up on the site before I make the post, give me a call and I'll explain it to you!

So I am heading to Edmonton the week of April 2nd, and am looking for a ride! If you have any ideas, suggestions, or know anyone who is heading anywhere in that direction, please let me know!

Thanks,

-Sean

Longest day of volleyball ever...

Wow, that was a long day of volleyball! School doesn't even last eight hours, so trying to hold the interest of 50 kids aged 10-15 spending their spring break at a volleyball camp was defiinitely a bit of a challenge. We had some fun with it though, and I am sure they will be quite tired tomorrow... I know I will be! If you are in the Vancouver area check out Breakfast Television on CityTV tomorrow (Wednesday) as they are coming in to film a segment for their morning show. Then in the afternoon, a tv crew from ShawTV is coming in to see what I am up to this week. Should make for a good day and make the hours go by a little quicker.

Here is the interview about One Week Job that I did on my first day last week with Urban Rush:

Other Week Two video we filmed for the show

Until next time,

-Sean

Week Four Announced - Volleyball Coach

It's spring break this week with high schools throughout British Columbia and so Volleyball BC is putting on a "Blue Hawaii Spring Break Camp" where I will be one of the head coaches. I spent the day organizing the schedule for the camp and start tomorrow morning at 9am, followed by 8 hours of volleyball for three consecutive days! Wow, those kids are going to be tired. Citytv's Breakfast Television will be there on Wednesday morning to do a segment for their show, so that should be fun.

Just confirmed my job for Week Five today. I will be working as a columnist with a well known daily newspaper published in major cities across Canada. I will tell you more about which one later on in the week, but wanted to hear what 'One Week Job' aspects or themes you want to read about on your way to work next week. For example, interviewing people in unusual jobs, interviewing others in my generation how they see their future relationship between their soical lives and careers or what they expect from a career situation, money vs. happiness trade-off... etc. You can email me, or just leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Thanks!

-Sean

Reflections from Mount Seymour - Interview with Garry Rathbone

I had a great week up at Mount Seymour! Everyone I was working with love their jobs and were really easy to get a long with. This made for a fun atmosphere and I had some great talks with co-workers about careers, decisions and life in general. I hadn't really discovered snowshoeing before, and now that I have, it is definitely something I will be doing again and am even thinking about getting my own pair!

If you are looking for a fun way to get some exercise and get outdoors, I would be sure to get up to Mount Seymour for a snowshoe tour before the season is over. The guides are great, the scenary is awesome, and you will also get to try out that great hot chocolate I have been talking about! They have all sorts of programs, check them out here: Mt. Seymour Snoeshoe Programs

Here is a video of an interview that I did with Garry Rathbone, the IT guy turned Snowshoe Guide that I spoke about in an earlier post. It is pretty interesting and he has some great things to say:

As for next week, Week Four, I will be working with Volleyball BC and helping coach a kids volleyball camp for the week. I was hestitant to take the offer at first, as it is something that I have previous experience with and so is not too big of a leap for me, but it is something I enjoy doing and will have fun with!

I will most likely start heading East in the next couple of weeks, perhaps make a stop in Edmonton then I have a job offer in Quebec for mid-April so I will be heading out that way.

How you ask? Good question, anybody willing to sponsor the project out there check out the 'sponsors' page. I think I will be using a combination of ride-sharing, bus, and perhaps some good old fashioned hitch hiking. Who knows really, but I am sure it will be interesting!

Send your offers my way! Anybody out there have any connections with a Sled Dog company, or know any fisherman?

-Sean

Snowshoeing Fun With A Pack Of 6th Graders

It was an absolutely beautiful day up on the mountain yesterday; fresh snow and the sun was shining bright! I think what made it even better is that I am finally getting over a cold that has been with me for at least a week and my energy is finally coming back. I thoroughly enjoyed my day working up at Mount Seymour and just kept thinking as I was snowshoeing around, "Wow, this really is a great job!"

Here is a video of what I was up to:

In the morning I was helping with stuff in the shop: sorting out snowshoes, housekeeping, getting the hot chocolate ready (man that hot chocolate is good!), and in the afternoon I helped out with a program and went out snowshoeing with a group of grade 6/7's. It was actually a good thing that I went because one of the kids got hurt so I had to lead the group back down the hill, while the other guide administered first aid.

I was supposed to be heading towards Nelson, BC this weekend for Week Four, yet that has now been changed. I do have some other options, yet still have not decided. So please send any offers or ideas my way if you have them!

Thanks!

-Sean

Meet Garry: Software Developer Turned Snowshoe Guide

I was doing trail maintenance yesterday morning with Garry, a forty something year old who recently moved to Vancouver this year from England. Garry has worked many successful jobs in his time, has even owned his own company, to his last job where he was working as a software developer for an IT firm. Now what does Garry do you ask?

Well, he is working as a snowshoe guide for a local ski mountain (Mount Seymour) just outside of Vancouver, BC and he couldn't be happier!!

Funny enough, after finding out I was the One Week Job guy, Garry said he had seen an article about the project in his local paper and told me that it struck a chord with him when he read it. After speaking with him, I now realize why.

It is so great to meet somebody like Garry! I guess I like it so much too because it re-affirms my beliefs about how important it is to be doing something you love. To hear it first hand from somebody who has lived enjoyable work situations and not so great ones, just makes it all the more real. To make the move from secure positions in England to starting a new life with his wife here in Vancouver, Canada must have taken so much courage and he says that many back home including his father still think that he is crazy!

Crazy? I am not so sure, I just met the guy. One thing I can tell you though, is that he is happy!

[UPDATE: See an interview with Garry in the 'interviews' section]

-Sean

Hot chocolate and sunshine at the top of Vancouver

It was a beautiful sunny day up at Mount Seymour; a perfect day to spend outside snowshoeing! I must say though that I am pretty exhausted after spending the better part of the day walking up and down through the forest accompanied by high school students.

Tomorrow will not be as exciting as I will be inside the office doing some inventory stuff, yet I do get to serve hot chocolate when the kids come back in, so there is something to look forward to!

Had a great talk today with one of the snowshoe guides who used to be a software developer for an IT firm. I will tell you about it tomorrow, yet for now I got to head out to an interview with a Vancouver paper, then it's bedtime!

-Sean

Bidding farewell to the crew at Urban Rush

Today was my last day working with the Vancouver daily tv talk show 'Urban Rush.' If there is one thing that I will take away from my experience at Urban Rush, it will be the awesome work environment they have created. It is so evident how everyone working there love what they are doing and have fun doing it. Definitely something that adds to the creativity of the production and overall positive atmosophere in the workplace.

Having said that, some new developed skills I am sure will inherently accompany me in my journey can be seen in the video clip below.

Week Three starts next Monday and you will be able to find me on the North Shore of Vancouver, BC up at Mount Seymour where I will be working with childrens' snowshoeing tours for the week.

Working with kids is always fun and combine that with the beautiful landscape of Mount Seymour and it should make for a great week!

If you are in the area, come by and visit!

-Sean