The One-Week Job Project

SEAN’S KEYNOTE SPEECHES

Sean Aiken has inspired audiences around the world with his remarkable story of turning fear and uncertainty into an extraordinary adventure of career and self-discovery.

No matter the event or audience - internal corporate, annual conference, team building seminar, community talk, student event, or college graduation - Sean delivers dynamic relevant keynotes full of practical advice, hilarious anecdotes and valuable guidance gleaned from his unique job-hunting experience.

Speaking Demo Video (3 min)

What Past Clients Are Saying:

POTENTIAL TOPICS

Although well intentioned, the common maxim, “Find your passion”, is a misguided one. More important than “finding your passion” is to participate passionately in your life, work, organization, school, or community; to be an engaged citizen, employer, employee, student. This does not require passion. It requires purpose.

In this unique, entertaining and honest keynote, Sean does not fabricate the fleeting kind of inspiration commonly seen in keynotes that rely on the octane of the moment only to be relinquished come Monday morning. But rather he cultivates an experience for his audiences that leave them changed, genuinely inspired, further connected, and reminded of what matters most in life.

Sean shares his inspirational story, overcoming the fear, self doubt and uncertainty about his future and taking a leap into the unknown - working 52 jobs in 52 weeks, traveling over 55,000 miles, sleeping on 55 couches, landing a six figure book deal, meeting thousands of people, and connecting with millions through media around the world.

An underlying inference in our society today suggests that if you’re not in your dream job - that if you’re not getting paid to do what you love or are passionate about - that there is something wrong. This internal tension and discontent can be devastating to a healthy corporate culture.

The truth is that no matter the job, position, title, or industry, all of our work is important. Yet sometimes it is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day and forget why. This is costly for many reasons - employee health, retention, company success, lack of energy, anxiety about the future, disconnection and mediocre performance at work.

It may not be realistic for every employee to be in their dream job or to be passionate about their position but innate passion is not the precursor to an excellent corporate culture; passion can and must be cultivated.

In this presentation, Sean demystifies the false beliefs and expectations in our society surrounding work, and helps employees reorient their relationship with their job to bring more meaning to their work and subsequently lives.

We are not defined by what we do for work. But a lot can be said about us in the quality of work that we do.

Traditionally, a fulfilling life meant finding a well paying position in a company that promised job security. But today, there is a major shift taking place - a revolution in work consciousness - a shift in how we as a culture view work and our relationship with it.

Individuals are seeking purpose and meaning in their work and lives now more than ever. As a result, organizations are being asked to take a greater role and responsibility in the lives of their employees and their fulfillment.

What might this look like? What are best practices? Why is this important?

In trying out 52 different jobs, Sean had the rare opportunity to experience 52 unique workplaces, 52 different bosses, and to work alongside hundreds of co-workers in extremely diverse work environments.

In this deeply inspiring and important keynote, Sean shares his remarkable story along with key observations about transformational leadership and workplace fulfillment.

“What should I do with my life?”

A question that many quietly struggle with for years. And Sean was no different. Lacking direction and overwhelmed with the pressure and expectation of parents, teachers, peers, and society, Sean shares his experience with depression and anxiety after graduation - the responsibility, opportunity, and fear that often accompanies figuring out and taking the next step.

Sean describes how he came up with the idea to work 52 Jobs in 52 Weeks, the various adventures his journey took him on and imparts the valuable life and career lessons he discovered along the way to help students navigate the challenging transition from school into the working world.

Students will learn what they can be doing now to prepare themselves, that it’s okay not to have all the answers, and most importantly, that they are not alone.

SPEAKING AT TEDx VANCOUVER (video)