Dream Jobs You Didn’t Know Existed
Most of us find ourselves doing jobs we hadn’t originally planned to do. Very few of us start out dreaming of replying to emails and filling out spreadsheets all day, yet that is the reality for millions.
It shouldn’t be too shocking then, that almost two-thirds of people in their 20s want to start a business of their own at some point. However, given that the vast majority of startups fail before they reach the 10-year mark, perhaps some people should search for a more interesting job instead.
Thankfully, changing your career isn’t too difficult and there are plenty of interesting and exciting roles out there – you just need to know where to look.
Professional Poker Player
Poker is a sport that millions of people enjoy playing and watching around the world. Although its popularity had grown steadily throughout the 20th century, interest exploded in the early 2000s thanks to the rise of online poker.
The majority of people play poker just for fun, but others have turned it into a career. Some pros choose to go it alone, but the majority sign deals to become ambassadors for online poker sites. These deals work similarly to those signed by athletes in other sports, with players wearing branded merchandise while taking part in tournaments.
Professional poker players come from a wide range of different backgrounds, often taking up the sport later in their careers. One of these is Jennifer Shahade, who became a double US chess champion before becoming a semi-professional poker player.
Ostrich Babysitter
Ostriches are pretty aggressive birds. And as the largest bird on the planet today, they can pack quite the punch. However, they start off in life as small and very cute little balls of fluff.
For ostrich farmers, these tiny creatures can cause big headaches. They have a tendency to try and escape and can sometimes peck each other too hard. To help keep everyone safe, farmers employ ostrich babysitters to watch them and break up any baby ostrich brawls.
Iceberg Mover
Anyone who has seen the movie Titanic (1997) will know how much danger an iceberg can pose to a ship. Following the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic in May 1911, the International Ice Patrol was formed. This is an organisation that locates and tracks icebergs, alerting ships to their whereabouts so that they can find safe passage around them.
Sometimes though, this isn’t enough and the International Ice Patrol needs to move the icebergs to clear a route for naval traffic to safely navigate through.
Panda Nanny
In a similar vein to the ostrich babysitter, the role of panda nanny is one that allows you to spend your time with cute animals. If you’ve seen the viral videos of pandas getting themselves stuck or falling off trees and climbing equipment, you’ll be familiar with the types of antics and shenanigans they are always embroiled in.
These cute black and white creatures are officially classed as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They’ve only recently had this status upgraded from “endangered” and that’s partly thanks to the efforts of the panda nannies.
They help to keep the pandas safe, play with them, care for them, and help them bond with other pandas.
Professional TV Watcher
Have you ever spent hours binge watching a TV show and wished you could do it for a living? Well, for some, this dream is actually a reality. Professional TV watching might not be as easy as it seems though, as it requires you to pay close attention to everything happening in the forefront and background of everything you see.
They do this in search of funny or interesting clips that can be used in clip shows like Harry Hill’s TV Burp and The Daily Show.
According to Investopedia, Jimmy Kimmel Live employed TV watchers at a rate of around $500 per week back in 2005, though it seems not all shows and companies have budgets as big as that.
