Test drive your fantasy job
Ever dreamed of running your own B&B? Perhaps brewing your own stout? Before you quit your day job, have a fun try-out.
By Anne Fisher, FORTUNE senior writer
March 22, 2006: 10:30 AM EST
NEW YORK (FORTUNE) - At some point most of us have daydreamed about quitting the climb up the corporate ladder. Who hasn't wondered what it would be like to earn a living as a wine maker, brewmaster, wilderness guide, or horse trainer?
Thanks to a company called Vocation Vacations, you can actually test drive your dream job.
Based in Portland, Ore., the two-year-old outfit arranges what might be called internships for grown-ups. For a fee of anywhere from $200 to over $1,000 (plus airfare and lodging), VV matches up people who want to learn a new trade with successful practitioners in their chosen field for a close look at the day-to-day nitty-gritty.
So what careers are hottest now? We asked Vocation Vacations founder and president Brian Kurth for the lowdown.
Food and drink
People are trying to learn what it means to be a cheese maker, pastry chef, wine maker, brewmaster, chocolatier -- just about any other food-related job imaginable.
"Over the past couple of decades, we've become a nation of foodies," says Kurth. "It's partly because of media exposure to high-end chefs, and partly because, as disposable income rises, people get pickier about what they eat and drink. It becomes a passion."
Animals, especially dogs
One opportunity Vocation Vacation offers is a day of "one-on-one mentorship as an animal therapist and educator" in West Palm Beach, Fla. (for $349 plus travel expenses). Or you could spend time learning how to breed or train horses, or how to run an animal shelter.
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http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/21/pf/g...tune/index.htm
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