In Books
  • All Departments
  • In Books
  • In Bargain Books
  • In eReading
  • In Kids' Books
  • In Teens' Books
  • In Toys & Games
  • In Video Games
  • In Lifestyle & Paper
  • In Movies & TV
  • In Music
  • In Used & Rare Books
  • In Used & Rare Movies & TV
  • In Used & Rare Music
Advanced Search
The One-week Job Project

Average rating: 4/5

Based on 8 ratings

Rate this

The One-week Job Project

by Sean Aiken

Penguin Group Canada | April 6, 2010 | Trade Paperback

When Sean Aiken graduated from college, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life-so he decided to try everything. Thus began the one-week job project, in which Sean would work a different job each week for a year.

Sean''s remarkable journey took him across North America working as a bungee jump operator, tattoo artist, aquarium guide, advertising executive, brewmaster, and cancer fundraiser. In each new job, he learned not only about himself but also about the people around him, finding out what drives people to choose a certain career, what makes them successful, and, more importantly, what makes them happy.

Over the course of his year on the road, Sean learned more about work, friendship, love, and life than he ever imagined. This honest, hilarious, inspiring account is a must-read for anyone who's ever asked themselves, "What should I do with my life?"

Save 24 %

$19.00
$14.44
$13.72

In Stock

This item is found in: Small Business

  • Eligible for FREE Shipping on orders over $25. + Details.

Reviews

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 4/5

    The Smarter Way to Go About Managing Your Career...

    Alan Kearns

    • Author
    • Trusted Advisor - Business

    2 years ago

    Listen to the Podcast with Sean . http://www.careerjoy.com/podcast
    Struggling with the question: what's the best career for me? This week's podcast is from our recent Canadian Career Development Webinar with Sean Aiken founder of the One Week Job and author of One Man, One Year, 52 Jobs . Graduating from college as the class valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA, Sean struggled with that very common, yet life changing, question.
    Sean's solution? He created The One Week Job Project. Every Monday morning for 52 weeks, he found and started a new role. Sean was a Bungee Instructor, Dairy Farmer, Stock Trader, Firefighter, and more. He also decided that any money he earned in the project would be donated to One-Make Poverty History Campaign. He travelled across North America, had an incredible year, and raised $20,401.60. He wrote a book about his experience and has now launched this program for other new grads.
    Sean shared, "I learned from my Dad, who shared to not wait till I was 60 to figure out my career. At first I was nervous about looking for new role but as I grew in my confidence and in the strategy I chose, I started to enjoy the entire journey."

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 4/5

    The Smarter Way to Go About Managing Your Career...

    Alan Kearns

    • Author
    • Trusted Advisor - Business

    2 years ago

    Listen to the Podcast with Sean . http://www.careerjoy.com/podcast
    Struggling with the question: what's the best career for me? This week's podcast is from our recent Canadian Career Development Webinar with Sean Aiken founder of the One Week Job and author of One Man, One Year, 52 Jobs . Graduating from college as the class valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA, Sean struggled with that very common, yet life changing, question.
    Sean's solution? He created The One Week Job Project. Every Monday morning for 52 weeks, he found and started a new role. Sean was a Bungee Instructor, Dairy Farmer, Stock Trader, Firefighter, and more. He also decided that any money he earned in the project would be donated to One-Make Poverty History Campaign. He travelled across North America, had an incredible year, and raised $20,401.60. He wrote a book about his experience and has now launched this program for other new grads.
    Sean shared, "I learned from my Dad, who shared to not wait till I was 60 to figure out my career. At first I was nervous about looking for new role but as I grew in my confidence and in the strategy I chose, I started to enjoy the entire journey."

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?
    Jennifer Foden

    Rating: 5/5

    Thank you

    Jennifer Foden

    2 years ago

    Sean: All I really want to say, is thank you. Thank you for telling your story. You have truly have discovered a movement. And I know that because, I felt like you were writing about me! I'm at ease knowing I'm not the only one who hasn't figured it all out!!!

    • Was this review
      helpful to you?

    Rating: 4/5

    Wish I'd done it!

    Luanne Ollivier

    • Top Contributor

    2 years ago

    Sean Aiken graduated from college with a degree in Business Administration and was class valedictorian. A year and half later Sean is still trying to figure out what to do with his life.

    "Whether we're coming out of school and entering the work world, thinking about a career change after twenty years in the same position, or victim of a layoff due to the changing economy, most of us will look deep inside ourselves for an answer to the question 'What should I do with my life?' Ultimately I think we all want to be happy. But what that really means and how to get there remains uncertain."

    Well to try and get there, Sean decided to try different jobs - 52 of them to be exact - a new one every week. The jobs were eclectic and varied. Pizza maker, fashion buyer, dairy farmer, Hollywood producer and 48 more! Sean started locally in British Columbia, but as word spread via his blog, radio and television interviews, the project snowballed and reached into the US as well. Eventually his best friend Ian joined the project, video documenting the project.

    Sean comes across in his writing and in photos included in the book as incredibly likable. His personality is a major part of the success of this project. But his honesty impressed me as well. With each new job he tries, he discovers something new about his likes or dislikes and about people in general and most importantly - himself.

    As the project gathers steam, "Something didn't feel right. My spiel had become routine. "Somewhere in the midst of all the noise, I'd gotten away from my original intentions. I started to base the success of the project on the media coverage it received."

    "For years I'd based my decisions on what others people thought. Society had painted an image of success in my mind that I tirelessly tried to emulate." This sentiment is repeated by many of the participants - especially those a bit older. "I wish I would have acted without the fear of what others thought."

    I found the following observation to be quite telling. " I noticed that the people who were the most passionate about their jobs felt they were contributing to something greater that themselves. The genuinely believed in what they were doing and understood the significance of their job in the bigger picture. It matters that they show up to work each day, because they give something valuable, whether to the company, the community, or the world."

    Many of the participants spoke of finding your passion to be happy. By the end, Sean does discover his passion - "to explore, to try new things, travel, meet interesting people, learn about myself and then share these lessons with others."

    I really enjoyed this book on many levels. I found the jobs interesting and truly enjoyed Sean's adventure and journey. But I also think it makes you question what you're doing. What can I do to be happier or to make a difference? Can you combine what you love with the necessity of making a living and supporting a family?

    The One-Week Job Project was an entertaining, thought provoking read.

Product Buzz

Details

From the Publisher

When Sean Aiken graduated from college, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life-so he decided to try everything. Thus began the one-week job project, in which Sean would work a different job each week for a year.

Sean''s remarkable journey took him across North America working as a bungee jump operator, tattoo artist, aquarium guide, advertising executive, brewmaster, and cancer fundraiser. In each new job, he learned not only about himself but also about the people around him, finding out what drives people to choose a certain career, what makes them successful, and, more importantly, what makes them happy.

Over the course of his year on the road, Sean learned more about work, friendship, love, and life than he ever imagined. This honest, hilarious, inspiring account is a must-read for anyone who's ever asked themselves, "What should I do with my life?"

About the Author

Sean Aiken was born in 1981 and grew up in Port Moody, BC. He graduated from Capilano College in North Vancouver with a degree in Business Administration in 2005, and was voted Class Valedictorian. His adventures have been broadcast on Canadian and international television, and are documented on his popular website oneweekjob.com.

Trade Paperback

312 Pages, 5.25 x 8.25 x 0.75 in

April 6, 2010

Penguin Group Canada

English


0143170511
9780143170518

From the Critics

"I can't say whether Sean Aiken was a good aquarium host or tattoo artist, but I do think he's very good at one job: Writing."
-A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically

"A fresh approach to the long held idea of 'trying on' jobs before you 'buy' them."
-Richard N. Bolles, New York Times bestselling author of What Color is Your Parachute?

"The One-Week Job Project is a terrific read for young people wondering what to do with their lives, and for anyone looking to change his or her life for the better. Sean Aiken's audacious, inspiring book packs a good dose of humor and reminds us that the only thing standing between you and your dreams is yourself!"
-Keith Ferrazzi, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Never Eat Alone and Who?s Got Your Back

"The One-Week Job Project is a remarkably original idea that will inspire a new generation of young people to stay true to themselves, shed the noise around them, and set out to define their own roads in life. This book will help you to take a critical look at your own future, and all the possibilities that lie waiting."
-Mike Marriner, co-founder, Roadtrip Nation and author of Roadtrip Nation: A Guide to Discovering Your Path in Life

"At a time when the traditional path to success is fading from view, Sean Aiken has emerged as a role model for making the best of the inherently unstable life of today's workforce. Most people will likely work a number of different jobs in a variety of different fields over the course of their lifetimes, and most people will feel uneasy during transition. Aiken's book shows 52 transitions, and they add up to a vital message that job hopping is productive and can help you find a better career, and build a better life."
-Penelope Trunk, nationally syndicated career columnist and author of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success

"Who says job hopping is a bad thing? Sean Aiken worked 52 jobs in one very busy year and documented the life-changing experience in his wonderful new book, The One-Week Job Project. Sean takes you on a rollicking journey across the U.S. and Canada to gigs as an astronomer, brewmaster, cowboy, and deejay (among many others). He shares hilarious stories and valuable advice from mentors in pubs and tattoo parlors, on dairy farms and movie sets, and in kitchens and cubicles. I loved the opportunity to tag along on Sean's year of career enlightenment without having to sleep on 55 couches and trek more than 46,000 miles. I think you will too. The One-Week Job Project is a great read and a terrific resource for anyone looking for inspiration on the job."
-Pamela Skillings, career coach and author of Escape from Corporate America: A Practical Guide to Creating the Career of Your Dreams

"It started as a simple idea: work a different job every week for a year. But as Sean put his plan into action, it quickly became a life-changing, cross-continental, action-packed adventure. After reading The One-Week Job Project, you'll know how to bring the most extraordinary things out of life, and how to score some choice jobs along the way!"
-Kyle MacDonald, author of One Red Paperclip

"With 52 jobs, 52 experiences and 52 lessons learned, Sean Aiken has done all the dirty work for young individuals who are looking to embark on their own career journey. The One-Week Job Project is eye-opening, entertaining and will help answer the question on any young individual's mind: what do I do when I graduate? Sean has done it all in less time than it takes to graduate from college and has pulled all of his knowledge into one book that can and will change your life for the better."
-Dan Schawbel, author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success

< close and return to chapters.indigo.ca
kobo
  • Take your library with you wherever you go
  • Use the device you want to use… smartphone, desktop and many of today’s most popular eReaders
  • Use Indigo gift cards to buy eBooks and subscriptions

WHY KOBO?

We love the Kobo eReading service… and we know you will too. We’ve partnered with them to bring you the most flexible, enjoyable eReading experience in Canada.

SHOPPING ON KOBO

You’ll be asked to sign in or create a new account with Kobo. Once you do, you’ll immediately get access to millions of titles and be ready to start eReading. Anytime. Anyplace.

continue to kobo

Protected by Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Legal Notices and Terms of Use | Privacy Policy  

Portions of content provided by Rovi Corporation © 2010

Powered by EndecaVeriSign SecuredEssential Accessibility 

As Canada’s purveyor of ideas and inspiration, Indigo is the largest book, gift and specialty toy retailer in Canada. Indigo operates in all provinces under different banners including Indigo Books & Music; Indigo Books, Gifts, Kids; IndigoSpirit; Chapters; The World's Biggest Bookstore; and Coles. The online channel, www.indigo.ca, features books, eBooks, toys and gifts and hosts the award winning Indigo Online Community.

111