A Look At Some Out Of The Ordinary Jobs
by Edwina Fits
http://www.fitsjobs.com
One of the most interesting bits of reading you'll find on
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics web site is a column
called 'You're a What?' It's a part of their magazine,
available both in print or online. Occupational Outlook
Quarterly is published with students and employment
counselors in mind and is widely reprinted across the net.
Every occupation has niches. Some of those are familiar to
most people the difference between a corporate attorney
and a criminal defense lawyer is pretty clear. But in some
industries, the niches are so specialized that a person
skilled in one area of it would be as unqualified for jobs
in another as a tenth grade dropout. A degree in chemistry,
for example, is only the first step towards a job as a
flavorist a person who develops chemical flavor enhancers
and flavors for the food industry.
A flavorist will go through five years of intensive post-
degree training, take a certification test and spend two
more years as a junior flavorist before having a chance at
one of the lucrative jobs as a full-fledged flavorist for a
major flavor house. What's a flavor house, you're wondering?
It's a research lab that develops flavors that are then
purchased by soft drink manufacturers, baking companies,
cereal companies and many other food manufacturers. Earnings
prospects? In the neighborhood of $50,000 to $80,000
annually at entry level.
Perfusionist Since I brought it up - a perfusionist is a
specialist in keeping the heart functioning with heart/lung
devices during, before and after heart surgery, as well as
in some circumstances when the heart is failing. It's one of
those jobs that offer many exciting moments the
perfusionist interviewed may work in the back of an
ambulance, in an operating theater or even in a foreign
country. There are only 21 schools in the country that offer
the specialized training needed to complete program
requirements for a perfusionist, and altogether they
graduate less than 150 students a year. An entry level
perfusionist can expect to earn $58,000 to $61,000 a year,
and one with ten years experience can earn $85,000 to
$100,000 a year.
Greeting Card Writer Does sitting around a studio with a
bunch of other writers, tossing humorous verse back and
forth and brainstorming silly ideas sound like a fun way to
make a living? In 1999, there were about 210 people employed
by greeting card companies as salaried workers. The average
wage they earned was about $40,000. Besides those that work
full time for greeting card companies, there are hundreds of
freelance writers who sell their work to greeting card
companies on a regular basis. A talented greeting card
writer can earn $60 to $150 per greeting card verse.
Jobs for writers in most niches are at a premium, but the
field for good freelance writers who can consistently
deliver well-written, keyword optimized articles is still
wide open. Earnings are greatly dependent on reputation,
experience and your own marketing ability. The only
education requirements is an ability to write.
How would you like a job where you never know from one hour
to the next what you might be called upon to do? As a
personal concierge, you may find yourself making hotel and
plane reservations, picking out a birthday gift for a wife,
or trying to book an elephant for a child's birthday party.
It's not a new field, but it is a growing one.
Sommelier Do you love fine wines? Are you the one at the
dinner table who always knows the best choice for wine to
complement the salmon mousse for dinner? You may enjoy a job
as a sommelier. A sommelier is an expert in wine. His job
may include making wine suggestions to diners in a fine
restaurant, choosing the wines for its wine cellar, and
consulting with the chef to plan meals around choice wines
and acquisitions to match the restaurant's proposed menu.
While anyone can call themselves a sommelier, there are
several professional organizations that designate those who
have completed education through them with titles. The Court
of Master Sommeliers, for instance, has a three part
examination process for awarding the title Master Sommelier
and that distinction has only been earned by 112 people
worldwide. An experienced Master Sommelier can earn up to
$160,000 a year.
And then there's the historic interpreter. If you live near
to a historical restoration like Old Sturbridge Village in
Massachusetts or Colonial Williamsburg, it's one of those
unusual jobs that can be a lot of fun. You'll be paid to
dress up in period costume and pretend to be a historic
character from the time of the restoration. While you're on
duty, you'll be expected to be totally authentic, from the
language you use to the things you eat and drink. You'll
answer questions from visitors as if you were your
character.
Those are only a few examples of non-traditional jobs that
few people consider when asked what do you want to be...?
There are hundreds of others, ranging from personal
concierge to dog walker to medical aesthetician. If you're
interested in learning about other unusual jobs, pay a visit
to the web site of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and
wander through their handbook of occupations. You'll be
surprised at the new horizons you'll find listed.
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