Darlene Proctor had never planned to be a nurse for the rest of her life. So when a friend reminded her about a dream she once had to start a bed and breakfast she decided to figure out how to make the leap from hospitals to hospitality.

“I thought I had to be rich in order to do that. Then I [realized] a lot of people are doing this and they’re not rich. How are they doing it? So, I started investigating and moving in that direction,” says Proctor, a psyche nurse.

Proctor stumbled upon Vocation Vacations, a company that allows clients to test-drive their dream job. Through the program, she visited Chloe Tuttle, owner of Big Mill Bed and Breakfast in Williamston, NC, and the experience taught her lessons about how to get started.

Doing the same things day after day was one of Proctor’s problems with working as a nurse. She also wanted to express herself more creatively. “I looked around my house and I had more cookbooks than I had nursing books,” says Proctor.

Her four-day apprenticeship under Tuttle in March 2008 helped her realize that running a bed and breakfast would also require a lot of repetition. Although she still wanted to start a B&B she decided to supplement the inn with an events planning and culinary arm to prevent boredom.

Also, the experience showed her that financially, she wasn’t ready to purchase her own B&B yet, but that she could save the money by catering. As a result she will launch her catering company this summer while she continues to work in nursing.

When considering a drastic career change, especially in an uncertain economy, most people do not have the luxury to quit their day jobs to start a business or the money to return to school and learn a new discipline.

Whether it is by an apprenticeship, by a request to change departments at a company, or by launching a dream business people are finding ways to pursue a dream job while remaining at their old job full time. Here is how you can do it too.

APPRENTICE

Volunteer or apprenticeship work allows a quick foray into a new world without committing to the unknown or ending your day job. Two percent of adults who are employed full time choose to participate in an apprenticeship, according to a 2005 Adult Education Survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics.

When searching for an apprenticeship, Pamela Mitchell, founder of the Reinvention Institute, a career coaching company, suggests that you read the business sections of newspapers and magazines and look for businesses that are branching out in areas that you would be interested in learning about.

“If you are looking to get a lot of hands-on experience, entrepreneurial firms [as opposed to large firms] are really the best way to go because they are growing very quickly, they are always trying to do something new, and they can always use an extra pair of hands and an extra mind,” says Mitchell.

If your day job prohibits you from working on site, start out working on a particular project with defined parameters that can be accomplished during evenings and weekends, she says. Make sure that your mentor understands the goals which you are trying to meet.

Finally, make sure that the opportunity to stretch, grow, and apply new skills in new ways is available. “You want a [mentor] who values your contribution and gives you access,” says Mitchell.LAUNCH A SIDE GIG

Since time for a part-time entrepreneur is always scarce, Dani Babb, an entrepreneur and author of The Accidental Startup says use available “floating holidays” for essential business appointments with bank representatives, attorneys or clients, but try to squeeze them all in on one day.

“Unless you are starting a bookkeeping firm, should you really be doing your own bookkeeping?” asks Mitchell. “Any entrepreneur needs to look at how to streamline on a day to day basis. Ultimately a business can’t survive if you are doing everything by your self. Ask yourself are there other ways to get these things done.”

Be sure not to break the employment guidelines and don’t work on your business on company time, says Babb.

“Determine when is the right time to let the boss know. This may be never – or it may be early on,” she says. “Sometimes your boss can be your best ally if he/she likes your idea and wants to support you as a person and not just an employee. This is tricky though, so tread lightly.”

SWITCHING DEPARTMENTS

Launching a business is not for everyone. Some people are comfortable working in a corporate environment. Returning to school is usually the first option to consider when seeking a change of pace. However, it is an alternative that extends the timeline for obtaining the dream job and it can be costly.

Switching departments within the same company–like from research and development to marketing –can provide a fast track into a new career without tying up weekends and evenings or requiring a huge school loan. Mitchell advises that you first have to convince the company that reassigning you to another department is within their best interest.

“At the end of the day it has to be a win for the company in order for them to give you that opportunity,” says Mitchell. She advises that before you approach the company first consider if a transfer makes sense. If your department is understaffed, or if the other department is overstaffed, then the company won’t go for it. Make preparations to train somebody who can step seamlessly into your position, and outline how your transfer will impact the bottom line for the company, Mitchell advises.

Each of the career transitions above will have their own advantages and disadvantages, but Mitchell and Babb suggest that those will be different from person to person. A clear direction will follow only after you assess your life and goals to determine which method will address your particular needs.

Jarrett

What do you plan to do to make government transparency a reality in this administration?

In the course of our transition we have reached out in an unprecedented way to include people from all around the country in preparing for the transition. My office has reached out to a wide range of constituency organizations as well as state and local elected officials to seek their input on how our offices could better serve the people of America. That has never been done before. Group after group have said that they can’t believe that they have been invited to participate before the president-elect has even taken office.

Can you give me an example of one of the groups you have reached out to?

We had a meeting a couple of weeks ago where more than 2,000 community organizers from the group Realizing the Promise came to Washington D.C. and had a series of policy discussions with our transition team around the issues that are important to their group at the local level. The same day I spoke with a consortium of foundations, a couple hundred people who are the leaders of foundations throughout the country, to figure out ways that we can make sure that the philanthropic community is coordinating at the federal level so that dollars can be best leveraged. Those are just two examples on one day of where we touched more than 2,000 people.

We aired the meeting with the 2,000 people online. That is something that we will be continuing to do in the administration, to have town hall meetings available online so that the people who can’t come to Washington or who aren’t physically able to participate in our sessions can view them. We are reinforcing our open and transparent approach.

Has it been complicated serving as the co-chairwoman of the transition team and preparing for your new position as assistant to the president for intergovernmental relations and public liaison?

Complicated? No. Challenging in terms of sleep? Yes. We are all working really hard, but the stakes are high. Our challenges are enormous, but our opportunities are endless. We have a transition office in Chicago and Washington, and I go back and forth every week. What is palpable in both offices is this energy and enthusiasm and excitement about the possibilities that lie ahead.

I think already President-elect Obama has assembled in record speed an extraordinary cabinet full of diverse and rich ideas. He has had a series of meetings focusing on the economy and national security, two key issues that are important to the nation. There is a steady flow of announcements each day in the course of this transition, each one sending a strong message to the people of America that this administration will put them first.

The cabinet is filling out very nicely. Many of the men and women chosen recently were remnants from the Clinton administration. Some say those choices fly in the face of Obama’s message of change. In helping to choose and vet those individuals, how did you reconcile Obama’s mantra of change with the country’s need for experience during these perilous economic times?

I think you hit the nail on the head. I wouldn’t describe them as remnants of the Clinton administration. Take somebody like Susan Rice, who was extraordinary in the U.S. State Department when she served under President Clinton. Now Obama has appointed her to a different position, but one which will go along with the experience that she had under Clinton and which she has gathered over the last eight years. I think when he describes change he is looking for people who believe in his philosophy of putting America first.

The fact that many have had experience in prior administrations—whether it is from Clinton’s administration or in the case of Defense Secretary Bob Gates, the Bush administration, or from the private sector –doesn’t mean that the people aren’t philosophically committed to the same vision that the president-elect has for our country.

Look at Sen. [Hillary] Clinton, who was obviously an integral part of the Clinton administration. But he believes that she understands what it is he is looking for. He is very clear that he is the President of the United States. In the interview process, what he is looking for are people who have experience that they can bring to the table. They should not be penalized if they happened to serve in a prior administration.

You have been described as a problem solver during the campaign and now as co-chairwoman of the Obama transition team. How are you dealing with the problems surrounding Gov. Rod Blagojevich and the possible links to the transition team?

There is no link. The president-elect asked that there be a review of his transition staff and any contact that they may have had with the governor. That review has been conducted and completed, and it’s ready for release. The review affirms the public statements that the president-elect made last week: that he had no contact with the governor’s staff and the president-elect’s staff was not involved in any inappropriate discussions with the governor’s staff. That has been reaffirmed with the results of that analysis.

Gregg Craig who is serving as council to the president-elect in the course of the transition has been keeping the U.S Attorney’s Office informed of our fact-gathering process as it has been going along to ensure that we fully cooperate with the investigation.

There are a lot of people who have tried, during the campaign and now, to get close to President-elect Obama– people with both good and bad intentions. How do you weed out the good from the bad?

The goal of his administration is to be inclusive, to bring people into a dialog with the president-elect and his teams with a level of transparency that we have not seen before.

He wakes up every morning and he makes his decisions through one lens and that lens is what is in the best interest of the American people. Because the American people had in this election an unprecedented frustration with “government-as-usual” with the special interest groups dominating Washington, what the president-elect has said is we are going to open the process up. We are going to reach out in a very proactive way to include voices that have not been heard historically. We won’t entertain what is on the lobbyist agenda. We are going to look for what is on the American people’s agenda. Our decision-making will be guided by that sole purpose. As people come forth with their ideas and suggestions, I think it will be readily apparent whether those ideas and suggestions are ones that will actually benefit the American people.

I never met anyone better at listening through the most thorough dialogue on an issue. [Obama] does that by making sure he has people at the table with a wide range of perspectives.

Are you looking forward to moving to Washington?

That’s a trick question. I grew up in Chicago. My parents live in Chicago. Many of my dearest lifelong friends live in Chicago. On the other hand, the opportunity to work with the president-elect, who also happens to be one of my dearest friends, is the most extraordinary opportunity of my lifetime. So I am humbled by the opportunity, and of course I look forward to moving to Washington and being part of an administration that will not just change our country for the better, but will change the world.

President-elect Barack Obama introduces Rob Nabors as his deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget during a news conference Nov. 25 in Chicago. (Source: Getty Images)

Based on key cabinet and other staffing choices he’s made so far, it’s evident that Obama plans to govern more from the center of his party and fill his White House with a group of people who will provide diverse views. “I have a feeling that this is a president who likes to wrestle with ideas and is comfortable with a little bit of intellectual dissonance and that’s something we haven’t seen for a while,” says Calvin Mackenzie, a Colby College political scientist. Still, he adds, citing the economic team Obama announced yesterday as an example, Obama is choosing people who can work well together, which is vital, particularly in a time of crisis.

“It’s like putting a puzzle together; you want all of the pieces to fit. What we’re seeing with this economic team are people who’ve worked together before and they fit with the substance of the proposals we’re getting from the president-elect,” adds Mackenzie.

Obama has chosen several alums from former President Bill Clinton’s administration, which has led some to wonder, where is the change they voted for? RNC chairman Mike Duncan says that as an American he’s disappointed. “Obama campaigned on the promise of hope and change and the names we’ve seen thus far are retreads,” he says.

But most people familiar with the ways of Washington understand that it was inevitable that former Clintonites would play major roles in Obama’s administration. “It’s virtually impossible to go in and do a good job as president without the assistance of people who’ve been there before. If you want experience, guidance, seasoning, and judgment you have to turn to people who’ve had experience in the previous administration of your party. It’s not at all unusual and is absolutely essential,” says Terry Sullivan, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill political scientist.

This is not to say that there will be no fresh faces. “There’s no question that Obama also brings with him a vast group of people from Chicago, who are keenly associated with him, and from the Senate, and they are genuinely Obama people,” Sullivan adds.

Others may come from the nation’s statehouses. Obama is said to be considering Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius for energy secretary and Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano for homeland security. According to Cato fellow Michael Tanner, while Napolitano, who governs a border state and has a track record in law enforcement, is a more solid pick, both smack a little bit of expressions of gratitude for their support during the campaign rather than the best choice for the proposed job.

“Napolitano has some background there so a more plausible case can be made for her especially if you’re moving away from the terrorism center, but it’s a little bit of a reward for people who’ve backed him,” Tanner says. “He has to dish out the favors and reward people who came on board for him fairly early. Obama also seems to be striving for a 50-50 male/female cabinet with prominent women in high profile positions.”

Mackenzie says there’s more to a transition than putting a team together. Cabinet selections often provide clues about a new administration’s policies, but Obama has been very outspoken about what his policies are going to be.

“It’s almost as if he’s already president. I don’t think there’s any precedent for that among incoming presidents,” says Mackenzie, recalling Obama’s weekly message that is now broadcast on YouTube and is very detailed. “President Bush seems very comfortable stepping aside and being out of the way. But we’re in a serious crisis and I think the country has no faith that the outgoing administration has solutions for it and is looking for leadership in a substantive way but also a sense of calm and hope from the incoming president and we’re getting it.”

Clinton, the former first lady, current junior senator from New York, and former presidential candidate, was rumored to be a contender for the job last week, but the talk died down as party activists questioned whether she was best-suited to be the nation’s top diplomat in an Obama administration, according to the Associated Press.

The talk has resumed a day after Obama named several former aides to President Bill Clinton to help run his transition effort.

Other people also mentioned for the State Department job are Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.), Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), and New Mexico’s Democratic governor, Bill Richardson.

Deborah Creighton Skinner is the editorial director at BlackEnterprise.com

President-elect Barack Obama will resign his Illinois senator seat Sunday. (Source: Senate.gov)

“It has been one of the highest honors and privileges of my life to have served the people of Illinois in the U.S. Senate,” he said in a statement.  “In a state that represents the crossroads of a nation, I have met so many men and women who’ve taken different journeys but hold common hopes for their children’s future.  It is these Illinois families and their stories that will stay with me as I leave the U.S. Senate and begin the hard task of fulfilling the simple hopes and common dreams of all Americans as our nation’s next President.”

Obama is set to be sworn in as the 44th president of the U.S. on Jan. 20. He beat Sen. John McCain in a landslide victory last week.

Under state law, Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich will name Obama’s replacement for the remaining two years of his term. Blagojevich has said he expects to make a decision by year’s end.

Valerie Jarrett, a close friend and adviser to Obama, took herself out of the running to replace him in the Senate. “I am not interested in the Senate seat,” she told the Chicago the Tribune.

Other potential candidates to replace Obama include Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Rep. Jan Schakowsky, Illinois Senate President Emil Jones, and Tammy Duckworth, who heads the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs. Iraq war veteran and former congressional candidate Duckworth and Obama appeared together Tuesday to commemorate Veterans Day.

Blagojevich’s appointee would serve until the next national election in 2010.

Obama’s Senate office will remain open for a while so that staffers can archive Senate documents for Obama’s future presidential library and contact constituents, the Associated Press writes. It will close some time within the 60 days after the resignation becomes effective Sunday.

Vice President-elect Joe Biden is also expected to resign his seat representing Delaware before the inauguration. Democratic Gov. Ruth Ann Minner will likely appoint the successor.

Sen. Barack Obama met with his economic advisers Paul Volcker (L) and Robert Rubin in September to discuss the Treasury Department’s massive bailout plan. (Source: Getty Images)

President-elect Barack Obama announced agency review teams for the departments of defense, treasury and state, as part of his transition into the White House.

The teams will complete “a thorough review” of the departments and provide Obama “with information needed to make the strategic policy, budgetary, and personnel decisions prior to the inauguration,” the Obama-Biden transition team said in a statement.

The aides are expected to begin their efforts by the end of the week. Information from the teams will be used to complete the confirmation process for Obama’s cabinet, help key administration members in leading their departments, and begin implementing policy.

The announcement comes as John Podesta, a top Obama transition aide said under Obama, “the American people will see a transition of government that is efficient, that is organized, that is bipartisan and more open and transparent than others before,” in a conference call Tuesday.

Washington has been speculating about Obama’s cabinet pick for treasury secretary as economic conditions worsen. Key lawmaker’s efforts to stave off further turmoil were bolstered earlier this week when General Motors Corp. reported it could run out of cash by 2009.

The appointment of defense secretary has also been under close watch as many on Capitol Hill anticipate the departure of current Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Podesta would not comment on whether Gates will be asked to remain with the agency. He did say a thorough review of government agencies would begin Monday to determine how Obama will go forth in selecting cabinet members and establishing policy.

Leading the Treasury Department review team are Josh Gotbaum and Michel Warren. Gotbaum is a White House veteran having served in the treasury from 1994 to 2001. He also worked in the department of energy. Warren is the CEO of Stonebridge International LLC, a business development company, and the former executive director of the President’s National Economic Council.

Tom Donilon, former department of state chief of staff under President Bill Clinton will lead head that review team. Wendy Sherman, who serves on the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, will also head the department of state team with Donilon.

John P. White, former deputy secretary of defense under Clinton will serve as a lead for the department of defense. Michele Flournoy, co-founder of the Center for a New American Security and deputy assistant secretary of defense and strategy under Clinton will be leading the group with White.

The AP and others have been reporting that the transition team had hired former Sen. Sam Nunn and Clinton official Warren Christopher to take up key roles in the transition process. Apparently, that’s not true.

Sen. Sam Nunn will play an informal senior advisor role throughout the defense transition process. His expertise and the respect he has earned will be invaluable to ensure a smooth transition. Secretary Christopher is deeply respected in the United States and throughout the international community. However, he is not playing a role in the transition process. There’s a lot of disinformation out there.  We’re working hard to put the agency review teams together and expect they’ll be announced this week and inside the agencies by the end of the week,” said Obama-Biden Presidential Transition Spokesperson Stephanie Cutter.

Obama’s national security transition team will work with the Bush administration to hand off management of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and diplomacy efforts with North Korea, Russia, and other nations. Obama has not announced his choices to be defense secretary and secretary of state and doesn’t plan on making any announcements today.

Deborah Creighton Skinner is the editorial director at BlackEnterprise.com