Baggyone, get on that phone and find out from your local BKA where your nearest beekeeper/farmer is and ask if he needs a hand. Arrange a meeting to discuss the arrangement and be prepared to arrive early and lift and lump a lot of boxes until late while getting your hands dirty. Supply your own beesuit, gloves and a desire to learn. It will keep you in exercise, fresh air, education and if you can only manage one day a week the contribution you can make should endear you to your mentor, reward his trust and show to any future employer that you have a bit of initiative and aren't afraid of re-training or thinking outside of the box.
I suppose my own inspiration came from reading books about the early days of the aviation industry when people with visions asked to be taken on for three months for free on the basis that they could gather experience while the employer could decide if the person was worth employing. I couldn't find myself a full sized aeroplane designer, and so decided that bees were part of the aviation industry as well - oops, my nose is growing again.
Good luck, go for it. The rewards will be indirect and intangible, but by the end of the season you will have learned an immense amount and be a known quantity to at least one person in the beekeeping community. Who knows, it might even give you a whole new perspective on life and work that will make you a much better prospect to a future employer.
