Jobs – Odd and Bizzare!

A good job is more than just a paycheck. A good job fosters independence and discipline, and contributes to the health of the community. A good job is a means to provide for the health and welfare of your family, to own a home, and save for retirement. – James H. Douglas, Jr.,US lawyer and State official (1899-1988).

In Ramayana we come across a cute incident which has left its fingerprints much beyond the mythological age. Lord Rama ordered his army of monkeys to build a bridged to Sri Lanka. As the monkey brigade was carrying large stones to the bridge site, a little squirrel also joined in, carrying small pebbles to the site. The monkeys mocked it for its miniscule work and rudely ordered it to get out of their way. The squirrel explained its love contribution to the project. Laughing off its explanation, one monkey caught the squirrel by its tail and tossed it as far as it could. The squirrel landed on the palm of Lord Rama. Realising its love service to the project, he stoked its back and his three fingers got imprinted on its back and remain there in the form of three white lines to this day.

Even today there are people who work or render service for love. But most work for reward or to earn a living. But, not all who wish to work get a conventional job like in an office or factory. So many resort to odd jobs just to keep hunger away for themselves and their families.

The scene in this respect in America offers bizarre jobs as listed by Venus Wong in an article titled “ 7 insane jobs you won’t even believe exist” and published in Refinery 29 (29-6-15) and excerpted here.

Venus Wong starts by asking: “When was the last time you held a conversation without complaining about your job? With a lifetime average of more than 99,000 hours spent at work, it’s rather worrisome that 80% of Americans are reportedly dissatisfied with what they do for a living. To make things even more depressing, only 30% would say that they’ve landed their dream jobs, according to a LinkedIn survey.

To us, the ideal career is one with flexible hours, abundant opportunities for travel, and the freedom to pursue our passions. But what exactly might such a job look like for people with varying interests? We’ve investigated and compiled seven unreal-sounding jobs and their average salaries. From cuddlers-for-hire to professional ninjas, these titles would surely make for more than just very bad-ass business cards.” Here is the list:

Back in February (2015), a Japanese Twitter user spotted a hiring notice for ninja instructors on HelloWork, a government-run employment database. This “master” will be in charge of running the martial arts training center located in Koka, a region with rich ninja heritage — wearing full ninja regalia, of course. The position entails teaching nine different shadow arts to enthusiasts who will most certainly stop by the themed museum and historic ninja base camp nearby. Unfortunately, the ninja lifestyle is not a lucrative one. According to the posting, the prospective candidate will only be required to work weekends, and while the pay is negotiable, the starting hourly wage is about $6.35 to $8.50.

Those of you who have trouble getting out of bed every morning, a hotel test sleeper might be your true calling. This sweet gig allows you travel the world and review accommodations based on comfort, service, and the overall experience provided. In other words, it’s a secret-shopper type of position — but with Egyptian cotton sheets and unlimited room service. Sound tempting? Don’t rush to sign up just yet: Only the most painstakingly meticulous will qualify for the job. No detail is to be missed in the rating process, and that means everything from the specks of dust on your pillow to the toilet paper texture. We don’t know about you, but we wouldn’t want to sweat the small stuff when we’re at a fancy hotel. A hotel bed tester makes $60,000 per year.

Here’s an ideal vocation for snap-happy globetrotters: Google-certified photographers are often hired by local businesses to document sceneries around the world for the tech giant’s Street View feature. The lucky ones are sent to shoot stunning panoramas for the world’s most extreme settings, from prehistoric ruins to scarcely photographed jungles. The only downside is the Trekker — a 40-pound filming device you have to schlep around at all times. These snappers are not directly paid by Google for their services, but instead by the institutions who want their shops visible on Google Maps. The going rate ranges from $299 to $999 per package.

A tequilier (an amalgam of the words “tequila” and “sommelier”) is someone who spreads the knowledge of tequila and hosts regular tastings at fancy resorts. Similar to a wine expert, these connoisseurs also educate restaurants and hotels on the best cocktail pairings for their menus. Plus, you get to travel to different countries to promote the liquor.  An advanced-level sommelier takes home $80,000 to $160,000 per year.

It’s been scientifically proven that gardening is a therapeutic habit, but a horticultural therapist takes it to the next level: These professionals use landscaping and plants to help patients make progress with overcoming various illnesses and disabilities. It’s almost like being a Plant Whisperer, but also improving lives in the process. The average salary range for a horticultural therapist is $25,000 to $63,000.

Having orgasms for a living sounds like a pleasurable job, indeed. To ensure their designs deliver the maximum amount of pleasure, adult toy manufacturers regularly contract freelancers to test drive their latest creations — and that means everything from your standard vibrator to fetish equipment. More often than not, these reviewers blog about their experience and accumulate sizable followings.

Successful part-time reviewers can make an average of $ 27,000 to $ 39,000 a year

In USA as well as in India, new, exotic jobs are surfacing. Female escorts to visiting corporate VIPs has been long known – though their range of services have been a matter of speculation. Now the male escort for females is catching up. According to an article published in The Week (July 5,2015) titled “Tall, dark and pampering”, ManServant, a US-based start-up, lets women hire attractive men to do their nonsexual bidding. There are three things a ManServant will say no to. No sex, no drugs and no drinking while on the job. Besides that, he can offer whatever he deems fit – and ladies are free to demand what they want. In India there are male strippers at all-ladies parties. According to The Week article, Nidhi Kejriwal, who, along with her sisters Ritu, Ruchi and Vasudha, runs Hop, Skip and Party, has organised hundreds of bashes, many of them bachelorette parties. Their base packages start at Rs. 40,000.

Beyond the exotic, we can think of down-to-earth jobs. For instance, these rainy days when I am invited for dinner parties, driving becomes difficult for a 77 man, specially with high-beam lights in the opposite direction almost blinding you. Also with grater enforcement of no-drink dictats, hiring a driver becomes a attractive option. But it involves search for the driver and negotiating rates. If we had a driver aggregator, as in the case of taxi aggregators like Vola, it would be easy for prospective casual driver-hunters to access the service with a reliable agency vouching for them. Such a service can also be offered in the case of fixing broken pipes, electricity fuses, etc. This would be great help for senior citizens with the aggregator having already screened the service-men and thus assured safety.

Of course, these jobs will not be as exciting as testing adult sex toys noted above – but will be of great help for the needy client and additional income for the service-man.

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About the Author

Born in 1938, John B. Monteiro was raised and educated in Mangalore, a coastal city in Karnataka, India. He earned a master’s in economics, political science and public administration from Bombay University.

After a stint as lecturer at St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, from where he had graduated, he went to Bombay (now Mumbai) and got into journalism and, later, corporate communications. He now lives in Mangalore, continuing to write for print and electronic media, and his website, www.welcometoreason.com.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Newskarnataka.com and Newskarnataka.com does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same