Prana Will Pay Someone $100K to Pursue Their Dream Job

According to Prana, $100,000 is just what you need to launch into your dream job. This morning, the outdoor-apparel brand announced it will be giving that amount to one lucky winner as part of its “Day Job to Dream Job Promotion” contest. The catch: you have to quit your current job and pursue your passion for a year.

The application, due September 16, requires you to submit a 30-second to three-minute video about how the money would help you pursue your dream job. (Candidates need to be at least 21 and a U.S. resident to apply, among other requirements.) 

Prana is looking for  “boldness” and “originality,” and, as much as possible, wants applicants to show their passions in action. “If you’re an aspiring filmmaker, include an example of your work; if your dream is to be a pastry chef, show us your dishes,” reads the submissions page. 

The winner will get their prize money in quarterly installments of $25,000, starting in November. Over the course of the year, they’ll be asked to produce a series of videos documenting their progress towards their dream. 

Even though only one person will win the grant, “[We want the campaign to] spark passion in people, and help them to rethink what they are doing today,” said Jeff Haack, Prana’s vice president of marketing, in the brand’s press release. “Our hope is that it motivates the audience to really look at their current situation and make some quality decisions about what is most important to them, and how they can pursue their very best life.”

This isn’t the first time a company has offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and when these kinds of campaigns appear, they’re often mobbed by hopeful applicants. Rooftop tent manufacturer Tepui hosts an annual contest for a dream road trip, and in 2015, Columbia announced a gear-tester gig that attracted thousands of applicants. In 2017, when The New York Times listed its new “52 Places Traveler” position, 13,000 people clamored for a chance to quit their jobs and travel the world for a year. 

On its own, the promotion probably won’t get a business off the ground or get you into astronaut training. Prana implies as much, calling the money “a friendly nudge” towards a passion project. But that’s not to say that an infusion of financial security can’t be liberating.