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A Look At Some Out of the Ordinary Jobs
By Edwina Fits
What do you want to be when you grow up? Chances
are if you ask that question in any third grade class,
your answers will include at least one fireman, one
policeman, one cowboy and an assortment of other
jobs that are glamorized on television and books.
But there are far more jobs than those that make
good reading and television. Some of the most
interesting and unusual jobs are those that most third
graders have never heard of - unless, of course, a
relative happens to be a flavorist or a research chef.
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.
For a flavorist, that expertise is in the blending of
chemical components to create new flavors for use in
the food industry. A chemist must put in up to seven
extra years of training to be able to designate
themselves as a flavorist, but at the end of that time,
they can expect to earn well over $50,000 a year.
Usability Engineer How would you like a job that lets
you shape new software and web sites into
something that most users will find enjoyable and
easy to use? Usability engineer is one of the jobs that
has grown more important over the past several
decades. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists
about 3500 people working as usability engineers in
the country, but that number may be higher or lower
than registered members of their professional
organization. A usability engineer can expect to
make in the neighborhood of $75,000 to $100,000
annually. Since the job is so new, there's no defined
'career path', but a computer related degree with a
minor concentration in psychology is likely to help.
Other jobs may be in niche industries, such as
museums or entertainment. Those might include
jobs like clown and historical interpreter. Both are
performers, but the aim of their art is very different.
Not all clowns are employed by circuses. There are
many who freelance, working for flower and
message delivery services and hospitals where they
entertain children. They may do corporate events,
children's birthday parties or carnivals and fairs. Their
annual income is dependent on how well they can
market themselves, who they work for, and whether
or not they are employed full time.
Those are only five of the roughly two dozen unusual
jobs highlighted in the Occupational Outlook
Quarterly. In addition to the column "You're a What?"
the OOQ features articles of interest to those entering
or re-entering the job market, and those that work
with them.
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.
About the Author
Edwina Fits is the webmaster of FITS Jobs
A wide collection of information for anyone looking for a job. Anything to do with jobs is available at your fingertips on this site.
Visit: http://www.fitsjobs.com
Article Source: http://www.simplysearch4it.com/article/9001.html
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