THE WORLD'S MOST INCREDIBLE JOBS AND WHAT THEY PAY
Drinking endless cups of coffee or testing water slides might seem like activities you'd do in your spare time, but there are some people who earn a living doing these things. Find out more about some of the world's most incredible and unusual jobs and what they pay.
Cancun Experience Officer
Most people associate the job of a CEO to be full of pressure and stress. Well, that's about to change with the opening of a position with the city of Cancun as the Cancun Experience Officer. They are looking for someone to live there between March and August to experience all that Mexico has to offer. You'll get paid $60,000 (㿙k) and be housed in luxury hotels for the duration of the stay. All you have to do is be a great brand ambassador and show off Mexico to the rest of the world.
Absolut vodka professional drinker
Absolut Vodka had an opening for a “billion-dollar nose” to join its ranks as a professional taster. The successful candidate would be a “tastemaster and trendspotter” who would take part in “brainstorming” innovative ideas. And, of course, they’d need to be a “storyteller and star”, a “doer and a team player”, so a solid, all-rounder individual… Although there isn’t a salary disclosed in the description, the position would be mid-senior level.
Royal Tweeter
Would you like to work for the Queen? The UK's Royal Household was looking for a Digital Communications Officer who could find “new ways to maintain The Queen’s presence in the public eye and on the world stage.” The position was paying $38,700 (㿊k) and, as well as tweeting, the successful applicant will also write features for the Royal Household’s website.
Professor of Play, University of Cambridge, UK
Love learning about how children think? Cambridge University recruited a professor of play to ensure “children are equipped with 21st century skills like problem solving, team work and self-control". The successful candidate will study the importance of play and playfulness in education. And get paid $108,000 (䀀k) for the privilege.
Instagrammer for Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International was looking for someone to join their team for a three-week summer internship on three different cruises. To get ‘on-board’ with this dream job, all you’d need to do is take three stunning photos every day and post to Instagram. And the happy snapper will take home the equivalent of a $67,111 (㿠k) salary.
Caretaker of an exotic island
Back in 2009, Tourism Queensland in Australia advertised a position described as the Best Job in The World. The successful candidate would spend six month taking care of the islands of the Great Barrier Reef. However, this is not unique. Private island caretaking is actually a job available to a select lucky few and can earn you a salary of up to $120,000 (䀉k) per year.
Water slide tester
This job is not for those with a weak stomach. Water slide testers are responsible for travelling the world to test the speed and landings of slides as well as the standards of pools at resorts around the globe. The role makes them an average $28,500 (㿂k) annually.
Chocolate taster
This dream job lets chocolate lovers indulge in an abundance of chocolate every day while earning an average annual salary of $54,000 (㿖k). The position can be based in either a supermarket buying department, or within a chocolate-making company where they are responsible for testing the product and researching the competition.
Panda nanny
The main duties of this role are to keep the pandas company, plain and simple. The nannies are in charge of making sure the pandas are cuddled and feel loved. At a research centre in China, these minders get paid $32,000 (㿅k) annually for cosying up to the cute cubs.
Luxury bed tester
Getting paid to sleep sounds like an oxymoron, but it is in fact an actual job. Experts monitor the sleep quality and patterns of the tester while they trial different mattresses. This job is usually on a contract and could make you up to $5,600 (٢,400) richer each month.
Director of fun
The National Railway Museum in York has a Director of Fun and the position is filled by a six-year-old boy. His appointment came after his fascination with trains prompted him to write a letter to the museum asking to come in for an interview for a vacant director’s role. When the museum received his letter, they created the Director of Fun position and offered it to him. His duties include making sure other kids visiting the museum have as much fun as possible.
Gadget reviewer
Gadget reviewers get first dibs on the latest innovations before they hit the markets for the general public to purchase. These people get to test out the products and are paid to give their professional feedback about it. While the tech toys are usually returned after the review, the role can command a salary of up to $77,000 (㿨k) per year.
Laughter therapist
While you could possibly enrol the assistance of your friends to help you have a couple of laughs, laughter therapists are trained to use special techniques to combat both psychological and physical pain. Their average salary is $42,267 (㿍k) per annum.
Professional snuggler
Everybody loves snuggles. Whether you'd admit it or not, cuddling is great. And there are people out there who get paid to do just that. Professional snugglers get paid around $60 (㿚) an hour to cuddle up to strangers and help them relax after a long day. Ahhh.
Flavourist
Also known as flavour chemists, flavorists earn a yearly salary of $80,000 (㿪k) to use their expertise in chemistry to manufacture the yummiest food flavors that are, of course, safe for humans to eat.
Santa letter writer
These individuals have the very important job of helping Santa Claus reply to the abundance of letters he gets swamped with come Christmas time. You can either start up your own letter writing company and charge customers as you see fit, or sign up to an existing one where how much you’ll earn depends on the amount of letters you churn out.
Ice cream taster
All those tasty ice cream flavours in shop freezers were approved by these ice cream connoisseurs before making their way to you. Typically, this job will earn you about $56,000 (㿗k) each year.
Google Earth mapper
Ever wonder who’s responsible for taking all of those images for Google Earth and Maps? Well, it could be you if you become Google Earth’s next bicycle mapper. You’d receive a salary of $58,000 (㿙k) to ride around a 250lb tricycle with a large digital camera attached to the back getting shots of areas inaccessible to cars.
Fake ｅxecutive
Westerners in China, specifically males, are being hired to be fake ｅxecutives. They are paid $1,000 (𧾾) per week and given ｅxecutive titles. They are usually required to give a couple of speeches and a few attend important events so it appears as though the company has a link to the Western world. However, that’s the extent of their responsibilities.
Netflix tagger
Could you imagine getting paid to watch Netflix? It doesn't seem real, does it? But it is. Netflix tagging is essentially a job that allows you to binge watch Netflix on the basis that employees then enter key describing words into the system for each show. Sounds like a pretty good deal.
Pet psychologist
For $30,000 (㿃k) a year, you could become a pet psychologist. The job title is quite self-explanatory as the role involves analysing the behaviour of animals and helping their owners to discover the cause of problem behaviour. You do, however, need to be a qualified vet for the role, or have a PhD in something similar.
Sweet taster
Every child’s dream job is a reality for a select handful of adults around the world who make an average salary of $31,100 (㿄k) annually. This job requires you to taste the goods that your company is producing, as well as its competitors.
Video game tester
Getting paid to play the latest video games seems ludicrous, but it’s actually a reality for some professional gamers. They play games before they’re released to ensure there are no glitches and that it provides an enjoyable experience for those playing. Experienced testers can earn up to $58,000 (㿙k) per annum.
LEGO certified professional artist/sculptor
Honing your LEGO skills as a child could lead to a paid job later as there are several people who craft LEGO sculptures and sell them to willing buyers for a variety of events. On average, an expert LEGO builder will bring in a yearly salary of $37,500 (㿉k).
Listening officer
Yep – you can listen for a living. And get paid up to $79,000 (㿩k) for it. Technically, you need to be more savvy with social media than you do with people, as the role involves monitoring a brand’s presence across all social media platforms and taking notes of any comments. Great title though isn’t it?
Hotel reviewer
Travel companies want to ensure they help their clients book the best quality hotels. So they offer a salary of $48,000 (㿑k) to qualified individuals to visit hotels all around the world and review them and report back.
Professional traveller
Professional travellers usually run a successful blog or some type of social media platform where they catalogue their travels and review various attractions around the world. The amount of money made in this job can reach up to $53,000 (㿕k) on average, but this varies drastically from person to person due to profile, location, experience and any sponsorship or endorsement deals they have signed.
Film critic
Are you a self-proclaimed movie buff? Then this is the career path you should take. Film critics critique and provide their own opinion on several movies throughout their working week. Established critics earn an average salary of $82,000 (㿬k) and occasionally get the opportunity to attend exclusive Hollywood awards shows to interview movie stars.
Beer taster
While most jobs ban alcohol consumption during work hours, this job wouldn’t be able to be done without it. Beer tasters get to taste a huge variety of beers every day to ensure the quality of the brew and usually bank $45,000 (㿏k) annually.
Fortune cookie writer
You've probably never really thought about how those profound little messages appear in your fortune cookies, but in case you were dying to know, there is actually somebody who gets paid to write them. And you could too, all for around $53,000 (㿕k) a year.
Cruise ship entertainer
Not only do cruise ship entertainers get to travel the world, but they also get to perform and have fun while they do it. They are provided room and board and make an average of up to $4,500 (١,487) each month.
Sand castle builder
This job will require a combination of artistic skills and unleashing your inner child. You’ll need some pretty nifty tools beyond a bucket and spade to construct the type of masterpieces that will earn you a salary of $65,000 (㿞k) per year if you’re lucky. One of the biggest perks will surely be basking in the sun beside your artwork as people show their appreciation through generous donations.
Golf ball diver
Ever wondered what happens to all the golf balls that disappear into water? Well it’s somebody’s job to dive down and collect them. And that somebody gets paid $33,000 (㿆k) just for retrieving said golf balls. On an average day, divers can reportedly collect around 4,000 balls.
Celebrity party planner
If you want to get up close and personal to the stars and attend some of their parties, what better way to do it than to be paid to organise them? Typically party planners can expect to be paid around $68,000 (㿡k).
Mermaid
Quit your jobs now and practice your swimming, because the possibility of becoming a mermaid has become reality. Being a professional mermaid is essentially like being a model you just sit there and look exquisite all day. Aside from that, you'll also be taught how to swim with a fin so you can wow the people who will be staring at you all day. Oh, and you'll be paid around $62,000 (㿜k) a year.
Coffee taster
Gayan Munaweera has every caffeine addict's dream job as a coffee taster at Lyons Coffee. Regularly travelling the world to find the finest beans, he can taste up to 500 cups a week.
Article Source: https://www.lovemoney.com/galleries/62106/the-worlds-most-incredible-jobs-and-what-they-pay?page=1
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VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Disclose (v.) ~ make (secret or new information) known
2. Exotic (adj.) ~ originating in or characteristic of a distant foreign ｃountry
3. Unique (adj.) ~ particularly remarkable, special, or unusual
4. Oxymoron (n.) ~ a figure of speech in which apparently contradictory terms appear in conjunction (e.g., faith unfaithful kept him falsely true)
5. Dibs (n./ informal) ~ rights or claims regarding the use or possession of something
6. Connoisseur (n.) ~ an expert judge in matters of taste
7. Ludicrous (adj.) ~ so foolish, unreasonable, or out of place as to be amusing ridiculous
8. Savvy (adj.) ~ well informed about or experienced in a particular domain
9. Nifty (adj./ informal) ~ particularly good, skillful, or effective
10. Retrieve (v.) ~ get or bring (something) back regain possession of
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Which of the jobs mentioned above are the most interesting for you? Chose at least three and describe each briefly.
2. Which of the jobs are the least interesting for you? Discuss your reason.
3. If you could create a job that would perfectly suit your personlity, likes and dislikes, what would it be? Explain your answer.
