Have you ever been stuck in a clogged traffic artery during your morning commute, feeling numb about the day ahead and wondering what it would be like to have a career you loved? Well, that’s exactly what happened to Brian Kurth before he left the telecommunications and dotcom industries behind to found VocationVacations, a one-of-a-kind company that gives people a chance to try out a “dream job.”

“As a teenager, I was going to become an architect. I also loved travel, and I love animals,” says Kurth, a former product marketing specialist with AT&T and Ameritech. “I wanted to test-drive being a dog trainer and dog day care owner, but there was nothing like VocationVacations out there.”

How It Works

Eventually, Kurth’s lack of contentment with his work inspired him to create a business that helps others explore their passions and find fulfilling careers. The idea is simple. Under the guidance of expert mentors, “vocationers” can sample a new career path in an intensive, hands-on training program lasting up to three days. These dream job vacations are designed to give adult participants maximum exposure to their field of interest, and Kurth aptly refers to them as mini-internships on steroids. Vocationers don’t just shadow and observe their mentors. They’re immersed in the work.

Since starting in 2004, Kurth has enlisted career mentors in more than 150 vocations across 30 states. Among the featured occupations you may have only dreamed of pursuing are Antique Dealer, Fishing Guide, Make-Up Artist, Private Investigator and Wine Maker, just to name a few. But also available for test-driving are a number of gigs you may have never dreamed existed such as Horse Adoption Agency Director, Flight School Owner, Music Therapist, Pageant Producer and Sword Maker.

Or perhaps you’d like to learn the ins and outs of working as a professional voice-over artist. Joe Thompson of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania did. “I walked away with a real 58-second demo…that I can use to interview for potential work,” Thompson explains. “I also came away with a clearer vision about where my niche will be and how to move ahead.”

A Good Start

Moving ahead, for many, is the key. Although some people participate in the programs simply for fun or to expand their horizons, nearly 75 percent are looking to change careers. As Kurth is quick to point out, however, taking a VocationVacation is only the beginning of the process, which may entail returning to school, developing a business plan, and budgeting for the cost of the transition. “It’s the first step in a series of many steps to get to your ultimate dream job or dream business,” Kurth says.

Nevertheless, the results have been positive. Approximately 20 percent of all vocationers to date have either completely switched careers or undertaken a course of action to turn their dreams into reality. Baby Boomers and GenXers make up the majority of the participants, but vocationers have ranged in age from 18 to 80 and include people with very diverse backgrounds, from attorneys, IT developers and insurance executives to teachers, students and clerical workers.

The most popular VocationVacation categories are culinary, entertainment, sports, fashion, design, hospitality and animal care. But Kurth is adding new programs all the time. “Probably the one that’s most exciting that we’re just launching is archaeologist. And that’s one that we’ve been trying to get for four years.”

Kurth is also growing his company by offering similar VocationVacations in different geographical locations across the country. To fuel this expansion, he’s begun partnering with university alumni associations to create incentives for their graduates to join his pool of mentors. “We want one in any major city,” Kurth says, “so people don’t have to travel if they don’t want to.”

Funding the Change

VocationVacations generally cost between $949 and $1,199 and include career coaching, an optional online Myers Briggs Indicator (MBTI) assessment and a journal for documenting the VocationVacation as it happens. While Kurth’s company offers no funding or financing advice, he suggests that career changers talk to an accountant since these types of expenses may possibly be tax deductible. Kurth also notes that some people have had the cost of their VocationVacations covered through outplacement services after being laid off from their jobs, and some have even managed to secure their own grants in order to pursue their passions.

And in the end, passion is what drives most people to take a VocationVacation. “The common denominator,” according to Kurth, “is they want to be fulfilled at the end of the day, and they simply want to be happier because they realize now that work and home life are not mutually exclusive. It sounds corny, but it’s the pursuit of happiness.”

For more information, you can visit VocationVacations at www.VocationVacations.com or call toll-free at 866-888-6329.