When you’re considering your future career, you probably roll through all the traditional candidates like teacher, doctor, accountant, or even artist. These well-known jobs offer some excellent opportunities for long-term career success, but they’re not the only choices available.
Just for fun, here’s a list of six unbelievable, rare jobs. These unusual careers are so extraordinary you probably never even knew they existed.
1. Professional Human Bed Warmer
In 2010, select Holiday Inns offered complimentary human bed warmers to get your bed nice and toasty before you hopped in. The idea for the service was based on science that proves people can fall asleep faster in a bed that’s already warm.
The service, which rolled out during the winter months, was also intended as a way to help guests beat the chill. Bed warmers don a special suit and cap for the toasty role.
2. Technical Manager Watching Paint Dry
This is a rare job, but a 2006 interview with Keith Jackson proved that it does exist. Though his official title is technical manager, Jackson’s job is to literally watch paint dry.
He assesses the drying time of various paints in an effort to improve existing formulas and create a paint that’ll dry quickly and efficiently for jobs where the area can’t be out of use for a long time. In addition to watching the paint, he also gets to touch the samples and test the tackiness as part of the assessment process.
3. Pet Detective
Ace Ventura isn’t the only pet detective out there. This is actually a real world career. Pet detectives help clients find lost animals. They use behavioral profiling and search probability theory to help them determine the most likely location of your missing pet.
They may also work with high-tech equipment like search cameras. Some detectives work with their own trained pets who can act as detection dogs.
4. Laughter Therapist
It’s scientifically proven that periods of laughter can reduce stress-related hormones, decrease pain, and even boost your immune system. Laughter is an effective therapy for all types of patients, especially for those who are dealing with difficult diseases. Laughter therapists often work in multiple therapies, combining laughter with other exercises like yoga.
5. Scavenger Hunt Master
If you love the thrill of the search, whether you’re playing scavenger hunt apps or taking on the real world task of finding rare antiques and unbeatable deals, you may be perfect for a career as a professional scavenger hunt master. The Original Masters of the Hunt employs a team of pros who help organize large-scale scavenger hunts for corporate team building or promotional events.
6. Gumologist
Gumologists have a very specialized job evaluating the various qualities of chewing gum. The ideal stick of gum produces a strong flavor, is easy to chew, lasts a long time, and may even produce some great bubbles. A great deal of technology goes into gum creation, and gumologists test the product at every stage of development to help produce the perfect stick.
These outrageous jobs are pretty hard to come by. Pursuing a more traditional education, (such as engineering, computer science, business, web design, finance, graduate taxation degree), will give you many lucrative options to fall back on if you can’t land one of these rare careers.
This post was submitted by JT Ripton. Ripton is a business consultant and a freelance writer who enjoys writing about a myriad of topics, business, careers and technology being a few of them. You can follow him on Twitter: @JTRipton.
