Every kid has a dream job. Many times they want to be a firefighter, or a veterinarian, or a teacher: If it’s in the public eye, you can bet that some child will name it. But there are so many other interesting—and sometimes unorthodox—jobs out there. Even you might not have thought about them. We listed 9 dream jobs in our last post on this topic, but here are 6 more for you to peruse!
Professional Pet Sitter / Dog Walker
Flickr user Wally Gobetz
Animal lovers, this one is for you. Working as a professional pet sitter/dog walker is a great way to spend time with animals for your job. This is especially useful in areas where animals and their humans are living in apartments. When the owners are at work, you get to hang out with the pets!
There are a couple of ways to go about this. You can start up your own company (here you go, Business Majors), which includes working to gather clients and figuring out your own fees and hours. Work with your friend in the area and leave fliers to help spread the word. You could also choose to work for an existing organization. Either way, you should have quite a bit of experience in caring for animals. It might be to your benefit to have taken some sort of class on animal behavior as well. Organizations such as Pet Sitters International are a great place to start. Animal Science majors might find this job intriguing.
Food Tester and Critic
Flickr user foodiefollies
If eating and talking about food is your idea of a good time, this might be a good job for you. A professional food tester is one with a refined palate that can identify the many aspects of food (i.e., how crunchy is it, what is the texture, what is the taste, among other qualitative questions). Then you have to be able to explain why something is or is not good. This ability to explain your thoughts is key, and also very useful if you want to become a product or restaurant reviewer.
To get into this profession, it’s a good idea to have a Culinary Arts background. Training your taste buds takes a while if you aren’t one of those supertasters. Certain companies hire food testers for marketing purposes, while others send out surveys every few months. Getting on those survey lists is a good place to start.
Wilderness Guide
Flickr user Greg Willis
The outdoors are calling! If you love breathing the fresh air of the outside world and don’t mind the possibility of run-ins with animals, then consider becoming a guide! There are many national parks, wilderness reserves, and other areas where guides are frequently hired by tourists, hikers, and campers. It’s also a great way to explore the many fantastic places in the US and beyond, as you can change which regions you work in.
In addition to a love of the outdoors, this job requires excellent people skills. Many guide positions have a focus on education, so make sure you can retain historical and nature-related facts about the area you want to work in. Some safety training is recommended before your application process: This would include basic first aid, CPR, and swift water rescue courses. There is also a Wilderness First Responder certificate that will only bolster your resume. If you are in college, look for classes in the Recreation and Leisure Studies departments.
Body Painters
Flickr user Guido Andolfato
Have you ever had the urge to smear paint on someone? Well, here is a job that pays you to do that—artistically of course. Body painting can range from those little stalls at fairs where the workers put face paint on kids to full-body works of art that you see in magazine shoots (think Ronda Rousey in a recent Sports Illustrated) and on shows like Face Off (if you like movie make-up, check the show out). You might even be able to break into the movie-making business depending on your specialty. Or maybe you can become a YouTube star with realistic celebrity portraits drawn on your legs.
Regardless of what you intend to do with it, here are some things to keep in mind. While no official training is necessary, you obviously need to have some level of artistic skill (looking at you, Art Majors). Keep in mind that a professional painter uses professional materials: brushes, sponges, airbrushing, etc. You should be good with people, as you want to keep the person you are painting relaxed.
Stunt Person
Flickr user aj-clicks
If your idea of a good time is flying through the air via wires, stage combat, and running from explosions, you might have the makings of a stunt person. These are the people whose faces you almost never actually see clearly in a movie (think of all those faraway shots during intense fight sequences) unless they aren’t the main character. These people drive car crashes, are lit on fire, and thrown off buildings. I mean, how cool is that?!
Stunt school is mandatory: Safety comes first—to an extent—for these people, and learning how to pull off intense stunts without getting hurt is critical. As this is often a physical job, being fit and active is highly recommended. Some acting background is also a good idea, as you have to be able to imitate the actor you are standing in for. You might also be able to turn your skills to stunt coordination once you have enough experience. Then you can tell other people how to take a punch.
Power Line Helicopter Pilot
Flickr user cody_7147
This job is self-explanatory. You fly a helicopter that has cameras attached around power lines to inspect them, and for quite a bit of money. You get to be up in the air for hours at a time, looking out at the landscape you’re flying over. This is definitely one way to keep your feet off the ground! In addition, the ability to fly helicopters is cool. You can supplement your power line inspections with all sorts of activities. Examples include taking photographers out for aerial shoots, doing candy and toy drops, giving rides at fairs, and being an aerial chauffeur for newlyweds between the ceremony and the reception.
Obviously, you’ll need a helicopter pilot license (which entails Flight School, flying a certain number of hours, and essentially everything you needed to do to get your driver’s license. Only you’ll be in the air), plus 2,000 hours of flying under your belt. You’ll also have to have routine vision checks to maintain said license. Having steady hands and good reflexes is a must. Also, I would recommend those who suffer motion sickness to stay away from this profession.
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Interested in any of these professions? Use College Raptor’s free match tool to discover the best college matches that offer necessary majors!
