Odd Jobs

Not sure what your calling is? Have an interest or talent that’s ultra-unique? Sometimes, the coolest jobs are those you never even knew existed or those you create yourself.

For inspiration that demonstrates you can pretty much make a career out of anything, we’ve compiled a list of the oddest jobs you won’t believe people are actually paid to do.

Check out these awesomely unique jobs you likely didn’t know existed:

1. Pet Food Taster

Pets are like family so, if we wouldn’t eat something, how can we possibly expect them to? Luckily, there are pet food tasters whose refined palates can test for palatability, texture and tartness since dogs and cats can’t let us know when they’re unhappy with dinner. One stipulation? The pet food tasters are not required to swallow.

2. Foley Artist You know the sound when someone gets punched in a movie but, did you know it’s not actually a recording of a person getting punched? Foley artists come up with all sorts of creative ways to utilize objects in daily life to mimic sounds necessary for television, movies, radio and advertisements.

3. Chocolate Consultant What a sommelier is to wine, a chocolate consultant is an expert in the different type of chocolate, consultants with different chocolate brands and has a trained palate devoted to everything related to the cocoa bean.

4. Waterslide Tester Well, this sounds like a blast. Waterslide testers have the unique task of testing new attractions for factors like height, speed, water quantity and quality as well as the type of landing. They test for safety, too, so it’s not all splashing around!

5. Nail Polish Namer Any girl knows, nail polish names are often catchy, smart and witty. The companies hire creative individuals to come up with names you’ll remember to ask for, like “Sew Psyched,” “Miso Happy with this Color” and “Pink-ing of You.”

6. Greeting Card Creator When you have something to say but can’t put it into words, you get a greeting card that articulates your thoughts for you. Writers work tirelessly to think of and create the perfect messages so loved ones know exactly how you feel.

7. LEGO Sculptor LEGO actually hires professionals to create and build models and displays around the world. With limited jobs, competition for these builders is fierce!

8. Odor Testers How else will companies ensure your deodorant or mouthwash is up to snuff? These people sniff the before and after odors to detect what’s working and what needs to be improved. Pun intended, by the way.

9. Fortune Cookie Writer Believe it or not, your cookies aren’t magically filled with fortunes by Confucius. There are actually writers who come up with them, which may seem easy but likely becomes difficult when thousands of unique messages are necessary!

10. Pet Psychologist Is Fido fraught with fear? There’s someone who can help! Assessing disorders, prescribing medication and behavioral therapy are some of the tasks pet psychologist deal with on a daily basis.

11. Food Stylist Doesn’t that food look delectable in advertisements and commercials? It’s all due to the food stylists, who work tirelessly to make it look delicious for photo shoots and videotaping.

12. Roller Coaster Tester In addition to being engineers who develop control systems and safety sensors, they get to be the first to test run the tracks. Do you think a strong stomach is a requirement of the job, too?

13. Furniture Tester Paid for jumping on mattresses and testing new furniture to rate durability and comfort factors doesn’t sound so bad – though some furniture testers evaluate up to 200 pieces of furniture per day!

What other crazy jobs have you heard of?

Need Money to Pay for College?

Every semester, Fastweb helps thousands of students pay for school by matching them to scholarships, grants, and internships, for which they actually qualify. You'll find scholarships like the Sallie Mae's $1,000 Plan for College Sweepstakes, and easy to enter scholarships like Niche $2,000 No Essay Scholarship, and internships with companies like Apple, Google, Dreamworks, and even NASA!

Join today to get matched to scholarships or internships for you!