Jobs You Didn’t Know Existed

Feel like it might be time for a career change? How does getting paid to sleep, steal or taste ice cream sound? If you’re looking to shake things up with a more unusual career choice, here are some ideas with our 10 ‘weird’ jobs you didn’t know existed.  

Penetration Tester

Penetration testers get paid to break into corporate buildings, warehouses, and even hospitals to access classified areas and steal or compromise equipment. These roles help organisations review their current security systems and procedures and where changes need to be made.

Ice Cream Taster

Is this one of the world’s tastiest jobs?

Also known as a sensory analyst, or flavourologist, this job is all about taste-testing hundreds of different ice cream flavours. Ice cream tasters evaluate each flavour objectively as possible and will need healthy taste buds, a discerning palate and a love of the cold creamy stuff. Brain freeze and extra kilos are hazards in this choice of career.

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Professional Bridesmaid

You’ll walk down the aisle and give a toast to a bride you barely know like she was your best friend.

Hired bridesmaids also give behind-the-scenes help in a personal assistant meets therapist kind of way. They keep brides on track with their endless to-do lists and provide support during any pre-wedding meltdowns and dramas on the big day. Patience and excellent organisational skills definitely needed for one of these professional bridesmaids jobs. 

Video Game Tester

Video game testers are paid to play. It’s their job to try and uncover flaws and ‘break’ the game then write up reports about issues, bugs and possible improvements.

It sounds fun but the role can get monotonous when the same game must be played over and over again to spot glitches. Working from home is common for game testers which means time flexibility and freedom you won’t find in an office job. A super high level of attention to detail is required.

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Pet Food Taster

You read right. Pet food tasting jobs are for humans.

No pet should be subjected to a tasteless meal, so their food is tested on people first. Tasters aren’t actually required to down a bowl of kibble, they can simply chew the pet food carefully, spit it into a bucket and give honest feedback about the texture and aroma.

Voice Actor Jobs

Voice acting is still a career path largely unknown by most people but this vocation is everywhere. Voice actors provide their voice services for everything from radio adverts to video games and phone messages.

Due to an incredibly diverse range of voices and accents needed, all kinds of people can make money from this profession.

Crime Scene Cleaner

Not a career path for anyone with a weak stomach, a crime scene cleaner spends their days cleaning up homicides and accidents. Blood, bodily fluids and hazardous materials mean cleaning up these scenes can be extremely confronting.

A compassionate attitude, good problem-solving skills and a high level of fitness is required for crime scene cleaner roles.

Professional Sleeper

The one profession where you can fall asleep on the job and get paid for it.

Scientists and doctors study the brain and body activities of professional sleepers while they are asleep. They also test beds, mattresses and even hotel and hospital rooms. Sound like a dream come true? You need to be able to nod off anywhere, feel ok being hooked up to monitoring equipment and having people watch you while you sleep.

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Subway Pusher

Subway pushers are paid to make sure commuters don’t get stuck in the doors of packed trains in Tokyo. The “pushers” called “oshiya” aren’t as common as they once were but can still be seen cramming commuters into trains as politely as possible occasionally during rush hour.

Veterinary Acupuncturist

It’s not just humans who turn to ancient the healing technique of acupuncture. It can help our furry friends too. 

A veterinary acupuncturist treats a variety of conditions in animal patients such as arthritis, neurologic disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, paralysis and muscle injuries. Usually, a veterinary acupuncturist will treat horses, cows, dogs, and cats but occasionally may treat smaller animals like rabbits and birds.

Damaged Real Estate Appraiser

Have you heard the term ‘stigmatised property’? Well stigmatised property is a property that buyers or tenant by be deterred by due to the death of an occupant, murder, suicide, cult activities or criminal activities that have taken place there, notorious former owners, it’s located close to a chemical or natural disaster, or the belief that a house is haunted. The role of the appraiser is to see what this property might fetch and how these activities have damaged its sale or rent price. 

Your career path is your own decision. Jobs like these prove you really can make it whatever you want to be!