10 wonderful, unusual and outright weird jobs you could try if you want
It takes all kinds to make a world. Jobs are no exception to the rule. There are people who are butchers, bankers, nurses, or salespeople, and then there are the others, those who work in much less conventional professions. Trades that many dreamed of in their childhood, often get set aside as adults think it was impossible to get one.
Some of these wonderful professions are done on the other side of the world and others perhaps next door to you. Your future job maybe just a few lines down!
1 - Westerner
In China, appearances are very important. Therefore, some companies readily employ white people to give the illusion that it has an international reputation. These extras are called in for a conference or the signing of a contract with a foreign company. Whether you have a patent or a bachelor's degree, all that matters is that people see you. There are many testimonials from some of these employees on the Internet. For example, one of them had to pretend to be the vice-president of an Italian company.
2 - Cruciverbalist
There aren't many of them left. Cruciverbalists are the people who construct crossword puzzles. Not like you, on Sunday afternoon, after coffee or in the subway, in the morning, to make the journey. No, crossword puzzle artists make crossword puzzles that you fill in. It's a complex activity that requires a good knowledge of a working language, general culture, and experience. However, this job is low paid since the arrival of robots that make wordy mind-benders at a lower cost.
3 - Bicycle fisher
Amsterdam is known as the bicycle capital of Europe. The legend even has it that in this very touristy city where it is good to live, there are more bicycles than inhabitants. However, the canals and rivers are full of bicycles. To limit pollution and congestion of the rivers, city employees are in charge of retrieving them with the help of large boats. 15,000 bicycles are collected in this way every year.
4 - Waterslide tester
Note to older children: you can get paid to have fun. A British company once employed a person to test slides from around the world. Their job is to travel, try out new slides in water parks, and score them according to the ‘splash’ at the finish or the adrenaline rush on the way down. Six months of actual work paid 27,000 euros per year.
5 - Parking meter siren
In Australia, you can become a mermaid... a parking meter siren. Wearing a golden bikini, the ladies employed by the City Hall inform tourists about parking meters near the beach. This system dating back from 1965, in addition to being a tourist attraction, makes paying a parking fee more easily accepted!
6 - Subway pusher
In some cities, people may think they live through hell in the subway in the morning. They are mistaken. In Japan, there are ‘pushers’. As their name suggests, these people are in charge of literally pushing people inside subway trains. More specifically, ‘squeezing’ them, so that everyone gets in. Sounds surreal, but everyone has to get to the office on time!.
7 - Chicken sexer
We don't suspect this, but it is very difficult to recognize the sex of a chick. It is, however, essential for most breeders. Indeed, many choose to keep only females, judged more interesting (and profitable) than males, because they lay eggs. One does not really jostle to exercise this difficult and very profession that requires a lot of experience. In Great Britain, for example, there was a shortage of candidates, despite the salary of 55,000 euros a year.
8 - Island warden
This job is often described as ‘the best job in the world’. In 2009, the government of Australia offered a six-month fixed-term contract paying 78,000 euros to stay on the paradise island of Hamilton, located in the heart of the coral reef. The lucky person only had to do some soft job and explore the island to feed a weekly blog with photos and videos. The offer was relayed around the world.
9 - Nanny for pandas
Spending the day cuddling, feeding, and pampering live cuddly toys: the dream of many. In China, it is possible to do all this with pandas. The Research and Protection Centre for the Giant Panda regularly seeks out ‘panda-sitters’. No need for exceptional skills, just to be at least 22 years old and to know the way of life of these animals. The work is very well paid for China (nearly 2,000 euros per month) but full-time: ‘365 days a year,’ said the center’s managers.
10 - Human Scarecrow
The scarecrows, you thought they are made of straw? Well, you are not quite right. Ask your English friends and they would tell you there are some ‘special’ scarecrow’ made of flesh and bone! No, it’s not a Helloween story! After trying everything, an English farmer decided to recruit a young student to drive partridges out of his field. The job description? Sitting for 8 hours a day wearing a fluorescent raincoat and playing the accordion, for a little over 300 euros a week... A summer job that finally pays off!