Synopses & Reviews
In Test-Drive Your Dream Job, you'll discover how you can identify, explore and experience your dream job, and how or if you want to pursue it. Author Brian Kurth, founder of VocationVacations, offers professional, personal and financial perspectives on how to transition into a new career and turn your dream job into a reality without risking your current job or jeopardizing your financial stability. By following this practical and encouraging self-discovery guide, you will gain a better understanding of who you are now; what fulfills you both personally and professionally; how to get from Point A to Point B on the road to your dream job; or perhaps satisfy your curiosity and gain a deeper appreciation for where you are now in your life and your career. Brian Kurth is a sought-after expert on how to pursue and attain one's dream job. He has shared his wit and wisdom in appearances on NBC's Today Show, CNN, and FOX News, and has been featured in articles in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Fortune Magazine. Many more regularly turn to Brian for his comments, advice and insights.
Review
Test-Drive Your Dream Job is both an engrossing chronicle of Kurth's journey to creating his own dream job and a sourcebook for those who can't afford a mentoring fee or would prefer to set up a test-drive themselves. The book delivers by offering lists of questions to ask potential mentors; charts to help in establishing an action plan; and reality-checks about
money, health insurance and the impact a life-change might have on your relationships. Anecdotes about successful dreamers are inspiring, while profiles of those who needed a dream-adjustment demonstrate the importance of taking action: Regardless of the result, you'll have useful experience and information. Kurth notes that many of us accept the ordinary because we've been conditioned to, but it's OK to want something different or better. Really.--Bookpage
Review
"VocationVacations offers short-term pay for mentoring opportunities in various occupations. While the book is in part an advertisement for Kurth's company, it also shows how you can explore new careers on your own."--Lifetwo.com
Review
"The book describes the vocations/jobs that some of his clients have tried out. They have been as diverse as opening a bakery to becoming a dog trainer. Some have blossomed into successful careers. Others have discovered that the realities of their dream job were more like a nightmare. So trying out the career move saved some real agony in the long run." ---Armchairinterviews.com
Review
"You can make money and love your job. However, be smart about any job transitions. Read this book first! Life is too short to waste on a job that makes you miserable."--Reviewyourbook.com
Review
"Once you experience your dream job, it allows you to be your true self all the time ... Brian Kurth has tapped into today's pervasive career zeitgeist with ...Test-Drive Your Dream Job."--Thirdage.com
Review
"Wouldn't it be fabulous to be able to try on a profession or "vocation" before putting enormous time, effort and money into it?! Well, folks, we have a new GREAT RESOURCE in VOCATION VACATIONS!"--Workpassionportal.com
Review
"Throughout the book, Kurth and co-writer Robin Simons provide a step-by-step guide to finding mentors on the way to one's eventual dream job. Kurth also tackles the tough issues, such as what to do when your dream career isn't everything you thought it would be, leaving you feeling directionless and shattered. Or how to talk things out with a family member who's not feeling quite so psyched about all the risk associated with the career move you're considering"--Selfhelpme.net
Review
"TEST-DRIVE YOUR DREAM JOB by Brian Kurth, and It's Not A Glass Ceiling, It's Sticky A Floor by Rebecca Shambaugh. I would suggest you go to your nearest library or bookstore and get those books. Any major change in life should begin with research, and those books are a good place to start."--Wellpast50.blogs.com
Review
"This revolutionary, hands-on program from the founder of VocationVacations will help you mesh your working life with your deepest sense of self as you learn how to plan a vocation vacation in any career; build the skills and gather the knowledge you'll need to embark on your new career; overcome the fear of changing careers; transition into a dream job without risking your job or jeopardizing your financial stability; turn a layoff or other involuntary career change into the opportunity of a lifetime; design and create a dream job that doesn't exist yet; manage a smooth, safe transition from your present job into your dream job; and minimize financial risk as you embark on your bold new life."--The Sunday Oregonian
Review
"If you have ever worked at a job that you hated, you know how downtrodden you can get. Finding your dream job always seems like an arm's length away, but it doesn't have to be that way. This book lays out the step by step path that you need to create your dream job. Inspiration abounds within the pages of this book."--Laurawilliamsmusings.blogspot.com
Review
"The mix of candor, concrete advice and real-life stories adds up to a must-read for those who are ready to shove aside the status quo and take a chance at a more satisfying career."
--USA Today
Review
"This is far more than a collection of motivational quotes. Test-Drive Your Dream Job offers concrete examples and practical solutions for the disenchanted. Highly recommended!"--Curledup.com
About the Author
Brian Kurth is the founder and president of VocationVacations, a travel company based in Portland, Oregon that lets people try out their fantasy jobs in a low-risk way while they are on vacation from their real work.
Simons is a freelance writer. She has a Master's in Teaching from Leslie College and a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Art History from Brandeis University. She has worked at Boston and Denver Children's Museums.