Most people are content with normal jobs. My mom is a nurse. Fairly conventional. My dad is a dentist. Nothing out of the ordinary. I write for Brainberries. Extremely normal! But occasionally, a regular job simply will not do. If you’re looking for something that truly sets you apart from the rest, check out these 8 actual jobs that are totally weird.
1. Drying Paint Watcher
What it involves: Watching paint dry would have to be one of the most boring jobs imaginable. It would be as exciting as…waiting paint dry. But regardless, there’s an actual purpose for it. For example, it’s useful for measuring how long it takes for new color mixes to dry. In addition, as a professional drying paint watcher, you would be responsible for checking for changes in texture and color. So that changes everything, doesn’t it!
What you need
to be successful: A stopwatch. And functioning eyes.
2. Line Stander
What it involves: Some dork wants to be the first to buy an iPhone XXXVIII, but they’re not enough of a dork to want to stand in line for 19 hours to wait for the Apple Store to start offering them. So what do they do? They hire somebody to stand in line in their place!
What you need to be successful: A pair of sturdy legs and a sober mind.
3. Dog Food Taster
What it involves: Contrary to what you might think, a dog food taster isn’t literally spending his or her workday snarfing down heaping spoonfuls of wet Alpo. It’s just one of the elements of a job that also involves a lot of laboratory testing. They measure things like the nutritional value of the food as well as texture, taste and smell. You would have to nibble on the food, but thankfully you wouldn’t have to swallow it.
What you need to be successful: The power of prayer
4. Professional Cuddler
What it involves: Platonic snuggling is obviously the main draw here, but you’d also get paid to keep your client company if they’re looking for somebody to join them for dinner, concerts, etc. It’s strictly non-sexual and 99% of the clients are males.
What you need to be successful: First, you need to be a girl. Sorry dudes, but there really isn’t much of a demand for male cuddlers. Also, realize that you’ll be dealing with a lot of old men. Most of the clients are 50 and above.
5. Snake Milker
What it involves: Acquiring the snakes’ sweet, sweet milk, of course! Okay, not really. It’s about extracting the venom of poisonous snakes to be used in anti-venoms and other medical purposes.
What you need to be successful: The ability to laugh Death in the face! And perhaps mad snake-charming skills?
6. Subway Crammer
What it involves: Lots of pushing. Tokyo is one of the largest cities in the world, with well over than 37 million people living in the metropolitan area. Most opt for public transport, so you can imagine how insanely crowded it gets on those subway platforms. How do they get as many passengers into the subway cars as possible? By shoving them in like a can of sardines!
What you need to be successful: Strong biceps and pectoral muscles, one would presume.
7. Worm Collector
What it involves: Remember as a kid when the end of rain meant you could leave your home and go hunting for worms? It’s sort of like that, but now you’re a full grown adult. With adult challenges. Oh, and you’re getting paid. Gas stations and bait shops are in need of worms, and since the worms are unlikely to wander into these establishments on their own, your assistance in collecting them on the sidewalks and in the soil would be much appreciated, kind sir/lady.
What you need to be successful: A lack of apathy towards the plight of the worms.
8. Professional Mourner
What it involves: In certain Southeast Asian cultures, a funeral full of loud, wailing guests will provide the deceased with a smoother journey into the afterlife. The most effective way to achieve this is by hiring people to attend funerals and sob away. Evidently it doesn’t matter whether the mourning is actually sincere. They just have to be convincing actors.
What you need to be successful: A loud, booming voice that looks at the dead 90 year-old man while crying out, “Why him and not me???”
