Did you ever have a particularly bad week at work where you REALLY wished you were doing something else? How many times have you heard a person say, "You don't know what it's like to have my job!" Here's a possibility!! People should switch jobs with one another for just one or two weeks!!! Go from being a stock broker to a garbage man for a week. See how much you appreciate your job after that!! (Both the broker and the garbage man). There would be a weekly lottery for all those willing to participate, i.e., the broker and the garbage man would be two examples. ANYTHING!! And a type of Bingo drawing could determine what job you would get!! You would receive that job's pay for the week or two you put in. Think about it....hmmm......HMMMMM? Obvious retort: How are people going to know how to do each other's job or learn in such a short amount of time? Yeah, yeah.....this idea is solely to get a glimpse not learn the entire job. A little perspective, if you will.-- piff_trees, Jun 29 2000 http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/ [sull, Oct 07 2002] "Yeah, yeah...." but I'd hate to be on the operating table the day the garbageman or stockbroker switched jobs with the brain surgeon!
Maybe sort of a "ride-along" like the police and paramedics do would be better... you could hang out with the other person for a day and watch them do their job, ask questions, and actually learn something about it.-- PotatoStew, Sep 13 2000 It would take less time for me to be trained at Chinese Dry Cleaning [Only if I get a substantial employee discount] than it would for me to [re]train a Chinese person how to drive.-- thumbwax, Sep 18 2000 Huh? I wasn't aware that Chinese people didn't know how to drive.-- PotatoStew, Sep 18 2000 Shuhuhuhudder. Oh God Almighty. Come to L.A. or visit N.Y. and see for yourself.-- thumbwax, Sep 29 2000 Wow. That's incredibly offensive.-- andreamer, Sep 29 2000 Try becoming a temporary worker. It's not as diverse as a change between a stockbroker and a garbage man, but every week I do something new and different. Since I'm a computer geek it's varied stuff and not just stuffing envelopes or anything.-- lockle, Sep 30 2000 As a college student, I can tell you that I really, really, REALLY do not want my parents to be responsible for 2 weeks-worth of my semester grade, especially in Calculus.-- nick_n_uit, Dec 26 2000 Everyone was supposed to use their imagination and evolve the idea in their heads. For instance the brain surgeon issue; if the brain surgeon was participating in the job lottery, he/she would have to make sure their schedule was clear...etc..etc Ride alongs have been done. They're boring. The point of this is to simply get an idea of what other people are doing, not to try and learn another job as quickly as possible.
College Student is not a job, it's a 24 hour free for all with an occasional class attented.
I should have said "Restrictions May Apply"
Use your imagination!!-- piff_trees, Dec 27 2000 piff_trees: which college did you go to?-- nick_n_uit, Jan 22 2001 What a thread. Anyway, this sounds groovy, especially if it's just job-shadowing. Pretty much everything students get to do would be great for everyone, don't you think?-- decafsilicon, Aug 26 2001 It sounds like a great idea, especially for someone It sounds like a great idea, especially for someone who is thinking about a new job and wants to try it. Ithink the example of the stockbroker and the garbage man is too big a change, though. Maybe (?) the garbageman would like it, but the other guy? I can just see the stunned broker handing over his pinstriped suit, silk tie and wingtips with one hand and his briefcase and the keys to his Lexus and his office with the other while the grinning garbageman gives him his jumpsuit, muddy boots and the keys to his truck! And the broker hiding from his friends while hauling trash! And for a whole week? It doesn't sound feasible, but maybe I'm wrong. Still, this is a good, orginal idea.-- jimm, Oct 09 2002 halfbakery