Unusual Jobs

Although unusual or weird jobs can be a way to get out of a rut and make some money, they can also be fun. In the past I've worked as a repo-man (very fun) as an investigative process-server (fun), and I even spent some time handing out free samples in grocery stores (not so fun). Those are a few of the many jobs (both ordinary and different) that I've had. Some examples of other odd jobs follow.

Wrinkle Chaser

A wrinkle chaser is the person that irons wrinkles from shoes as they are being made to ensure they are perfectly smooth when you buy them. He or she also inspects shoes or parts of them inside or outside for wrinkles and other flaws.

Chicken Sexer

This is a real job title. A chicken sexer sorts through baby chicks to determine if they are male or female, and then segregate them. You may have seen Mike Rowe doing this on his "Dirty Jobs" television program. If you did, then you know that this is a dirty, stinky and perhaps even disgusting job. But someone has to do it.

Citrus Fruit Colorer

A citrus fruit colorer, with the help of steam and chemicals, gives citrus fruit a more natural looking color, because fruit is usually picked before it is fully ripe. In other words, in this job you help deceive orange and grapefruit buyers.

Celluloid Trimmer

A celluloid trimmer shaves down a golf club and then adds celluloid bands onto the golf clubs to make the leather grip stay in place.

Odor Judgers

Odor judgers get to smell armpits all day to help make deodorants that will work well. I'm not sure why somebody other than some strange fetishist would want this job, but we all have to pay the bills somehow. I suppose you definitely get the day off if you have a stuffy nose or a cold.

Furniture Tester

Now here's a good one. The La-Z-Boy Company (and probably others) employs furniture testers to check out their products. Of course, one of their most well-known and popular products is their recliners. Want to relax for a living? Good luck getting one of these jobs. I suspect there are less than a dozen such positions available in the country.

Cowpuncher

Cowpunchers herd, castrate and brand cattle. When you get bored castrating cattle, you get to repair fences, watering troughs and do other maintenance work on the ranch. It is hard work, but you get to be outdoors for most of every day.

Alligator Wrangler

This is one of the more dangerous jobs, and probably not worth the pay, unless it leads to a starring role in a television show like the The Crocodile Hunter. There are two ways to make money wrestling with gators. One is to wrestle and otherwise annoy alligators as entertainment at a tourist-based alligator farm. The other is toget a job removing alligators from people's property when they become a nuisance.

Airboat Captain

If you would rather help people see alligators in their natural habitat rather than with your hand in their mouths, you can become an airboat tour captain in southern Florida. The pay is okay, and you get tips from passengers if you provide a nice and informative ride. We certainly tipped our captain after a recent trip into to the Everglades--especially because he went really fast down narrow channels, which was a lot of fun.

Note: We certainly have more than one page on weird jobs on the site, so why not take a look around?