College Grad Working 50 Jobs In 50 States In One Year - Courant.com
For three years after college graduation, Daniel Seddiqui struggled to land a job. So he shifted gears and went after 50, one in each state, for one week apiece.
It's a tall order, made taller earlier this year when he worked at Universal Orlando as a stilt walker. The Florida theme park was his 33rd stop on the journey that began in August.
Seddiqui has pulled shifts as a border-patrol agent in Arizona, a rodeo announcer in North Dakota and with a maple-syrup maker in Vermont. "It smelled really good," he said. His goal is to work in a wide range of occupations and absorb the diverse cultures of the United States.
Besides stilts duties, he has been a greeter at the Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios and a "grouper" — as in "How many in your party?" — at the Incredible Hulk roller coaster at Islands of Adventure.
"I'm glad it's not as busy as it could get," he said. "The grouper thing could get really confusing really quick."
A previous train trip to Florida — and his first-ever full-time job offer on board — put Seddiqui's project in motion.
"That's what got me thinking, 'How different would my life be if I was in Florida, compared with Virginia and Georgia and all the other states I've lived in?'" he said. "That's what interested me."
Seddiqui, 27, earned a degree in economics from the University of Southern California. He wanted to be an entrepreneur, to be his own boss.
"In a roundabout way, I'm doing that now," he said.
Universal said Seddiqui went through the standard hiring and screening procedures. He was trained on the stilts before interacting with guests near the Revenge of the Mummy thrill ride.
"Our team members work hard to provide great entertainment and great guest service. We thought it would be fun to give Daniel a look at how we do it," Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said.
Seddiqui finds the jobs on his own, but networking and media coverage have made it easier. He has appeared on CNN several times. He is paid the going rate for each job. He travels light: "I've worn the same clothes all week so far." He usually stays with the employers or their friends.
Folks can follow Seddiqui on his website livingthemap.com.
Coming up in mid-July: a scheduled stop in New Haven. Beyond his 50th state, he said he is mulling book-deal offers and other projects.
"There's lots I can do," he said. "I can do this in Europe. There's actually 50 countries [there], believe it or not."
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