50 Jobs in 50 States: One Man's Journey of Discovery Across America (BK Life (Paperback))

Like lots of college grads, Daniel Seddiqui was having a hard time finding a job. But despite more than forty rejections, he knew opportunities had to exist. So he set out on an extraordinary quest: fifty jobs in fifty states in fifty weeks. And not just any jobs--he chose professions that reflected the culture and economy of each state. Working as everything from a cheesemaker in Wisconsin, a border patrol agent in Arizona, and a meatpacker in Kansas to a lobsterman in Maine, a surfing instructor in Hawaii, and a football coach in Alabama, Daniel chronicles how he adapted to the wildly differing people, cultures, and environments. From one week to the next he had no idea exactly what his duties would be, where he'd be sleeping, what he'd be eating, or how he'd be received. He became a roving news item, appearing on CNN, Fox News, World News Tonight, MSNBC, and the Today show--which was good preparation for his stint as a television weatherman. Tackling challenge after challenge--overcoming anxiety about working four miles underground in a West Virginia coal mine, learning to walk on six-foot stilts (in a full Egyptian king costume) at a Florida amusement park, racing the clock as a pit-crew member at an Indiana racetrack--Daniel completed his journey a changed man. In this book he shares stories about the people he met, reveals the lessons he learned, and explains the five principles that kept him going Contents......Page 10 Prologue: Believing in My Idea When No One Else Did......Page 14 EXPERIENCE: 1 Reality Hits But No Turning Back......Page 24 UTAH: LDS Humanitarian Services Worker......Page 25 COLORADO: USGS Hydrologist......Page 30 SOUTH DAKOTA: Rodeo Announcer......Page 34 NORTH DAKOTA: Cartographer......Page 39 MINNESOTA: Medical Device Machinist......Page 43 IOWA: Agronomist......Page 47 NEBRASKA: Corn Farmer......Page 51 EXPERIENCE: 2 Hitting Rock Bottom and Rebounding......Page 58 WYOMING: National Park Service Ranger......Page 59 MONTANA: General Store Clerk......Page 66 IDAHO: Real Estate Agent......Page 70 WASHINGTON: Marine Biologist......Page 73 EXPERIENCE: 3 Turning Obstacles into Openings......Page 78 OREGON: Logger......Page 79 NEVADA: Vegas Weddings Coordinator......Page 85 ARIZONA: United States Border Patrol Agent......Page 90 NEW MEXICO: Landscape Architect......Page 95 KANSAS: Meatpacker......Page 99 EXPERIENCE: 4 Not Just about Me Anymore......Page 106 MISSOURI: Boilermaker......Page 107 ARKANSAS: Archaeologist......Page 111 OKLAHOMA: Roustabout......Page 114 TEXAS: Petroleum Engineer......Page 118 LOUISIANA: Bartender......Page 122 MISSISSIPPI: Dietitian......Page 127 EXPERIENCE: 5 Halfway Point Is Getting Rough......Page 132 WISCONSIN: Cheese Maker......Page 133 ILLINOIS: Transit Ticket Agent......Page 138 MICHIGAN: Auto Mechanic......Page 143 OHIO: Meteorologist......Page 148 EXPERIENCE: 6 Hitting My Stride and Taking Control......Page 154 INDIANA: Racing Pit-Crew Member......Page 155 VERMONT: Sugar Maker......Page 159 KENTUCKY: Horseman......Page 164 TENNESSEE: Music Studio Technician......Page 169 ALABAMA: High School Football Coach......Page 173 EXPERIENCE: 7 Returning a Different Person......Page 180 GEORGIA: Peanut Sheller......Page 181 FLORIDA: Theme Park Entertainer......Page 188 EXPERIENCE: 8 New Curves and Bumps in the Road......Page 194 SOUTH CAROLINA: Golf Caddie......Page 195 NORTH CAROLINA: Model and Modeling Agent......Page 201 WEST VIRGINIA: Coal Miner......Page 206 VIRGINIA: Monticello Gardener......Page 212 MARYLAND: Seafood Restaurant Cook......Page 215 DELAWARE: Incorporation Specialist......Page 219 EXPERIENCE: 9 Adapting to New and Different Cultures......Page 224 PENNSYLVANIA: Amish Woodworker......Page 225 NEW JERSEY: Boys and Girls Club Counselor......Page 231 NEW YORK: Internet Marketing Specialist......Page 236 EXPERIENCE: 10 Hitting Curveballs......Page 242 RHODE ISLAND: Ambassador of Tourism......Page 243 CONNECTICUT: Insurance Broker......Page 247 MASSACHUSETTS: Baseball Scout......Page 252 NEW HAMPSHIRE: Political Party Worker......Page 258 MAINE: Lobsterman......Page 264 EXPERIENCE: 11 Finishing a Journey and Embarking on New Dreams......Page 272 ALASKA: Commercial Photographer......Page 273 HAWAII: Surfing Instructor......Page 277 CALIFORNIA: Winery Cellar Master......Page 282 Epilogue: A Lesson from America......Page 290 EDUCATION: About the Author......Page 296 Like lots of college grads, Daniel Seddiqui was having a hard time finding a job. But despite more than forty rejections, he knew there were opportunities out there. So he set out on an extraordinary quest: fifty jobs in fifty states in fifty weeks. And not just any jobs. His goal was as much to explore America as to explore different careers, so he chose jobs that reflected the culture and economy of each state. Working as everything from a cheesemaker in Wisconsin, a border patrol agent in Arizona and a meatpacker in Kansas to a lobsterman in Maine, a surfing instructor in Hawaii and a football coach in Alabama, Daniel chronicles how he adapted to the wildly differing people, cultures, and environments. From one week to the next he had no idea what he'd be doing, where he'd be sleeping, what he'd be eating, or how he'd be received. He even became a roving news item, appearing on CNN, Fox News, World News Tonight, MSNBC and the Today Show--which was good preparation for his stint as a TV weatherman. Tackling challenge after challenge--overcoming anxiety about working four miles underground in a West Virginia coalmine, learning to walk on six-foot stilts (in a full Egyptian king costume) at an Florida amusement park, racing the clock as a pit-crew member at an Indiana racetrack -Daniel completed his journey a changed man. In this book he shares stories about the people he met, the lessons he learned and explains the five principles that kept him going.

For several years after graduating from college at USC, Daniel Seddiqui failed to find clarity about what he wanted to do with his life. To make matters worse, he couldn’t seem to land a job – and failing to receive an offer after over 40 interviews, Daniel decided to try a new strategy. Following his dream to explore the diverse cultures and industries offered in America, he embarked on a seemingly impossible quest: to work at 50 jobs in 50 states in 50 weeks.

This book tells how Daniel fulfilled this incredible dream. Working as a baseball scout in Massachusetts, a coal miner in West Virginia, a meteorologist in Ohio, and so on over the course of his life changing journey, he explains how he learned to adapt to each state’s unique circumstances and challenges. With vivid stories of his experience across fifty jobs (and the long drives in between), Daniel shares the lessons he learned about perseverance, risk taking, adaptability, networking, and endurance. From tales of the extraordinary kindness of strangers to the uncomfortable reality of having to sleep in his car, Daniel’s experience is an inspiration to anyone looking to break into the job market or to even just to follow their dream.

 

Like lots of college grads, Daniel Seddiqui was having a hard time finding a job. But despite more than forty rejections, he knew there were opportunities out there. So he set out on an extraordinary quest: fifty jobs in fifty states in fifty weeks. And not just any jobs. His goal was as much to explore America as to explore different careers, so he chose jobs that reflected the culture and economy of each state.

Working as everything from a cheesemaker in Wisconsin, a border patrol agent in Arizona and a meatpacker in Kansas to a lobsterman in Maine, a surfing instructor in Hawaii and a football coach in Alabama, Daniel chronicles how he adapted to the wildly differing people, cultures, and environments. From one week to the next he had no idea what he'd be doing, where he'd be sleeping, what he'd be eating, or how he'd be received. He even became a roving news item, appearing on CNN, Fox News, World News Tonight, MSNBC and the Today Show "Tackling challenge after challenge--overcomng anxiety about working four miles underground in a West Virginia coal mine, learning to walk on six-foot stilts (in a full Egyptian king costume) at a Florida amusement park, racing the clock as a pit-crew member at an Indiana racetrack--Daniel completed his journey a changed man. In this book he shares stories about the people he met, reveals the lessons he learned, and explains the five principles that kept him going"--Page 4 of cover In this amazing account, Daniel Seddiqui tells of working fifty different jobs in fifty states in fifty weeks. Working as everything from a cheesemaker in Wisconsin to a border patrol agent in Arizona, he details his journey across the industries and cultures of the United States and offers lessons he learned along the way about perseverance, risk taking, adaptability, networking, and endurance.