There are all kinds of people in the world, and we all have different strengths, weaknesses, and interests – so it follows that, ideally, there’s some type of work that fits everyone.
I imagine in can be hard to find the right fit, if you’re someone who doesn’t enjoy things that are considered mainstream, but these 15 people didn’t give up until they found their perfect job.
15. And you’re doing a good deed, too.
I mix fire retardant for fighting wildfires.
A lot of people know that airplanes drop retardant on fires but don’t think about the millions of dollars of infrastructure that is behind that operation.
Everyone who works at my base started by working at the local ski resort.
It’s a good way to earn enough money in the summer to coast all winter so we keep the jobs among fellow ski bums.
14. I’m really glad people do this work.
Water Quality testing.
I go around and collect samples for various testing to ensure the water meets the state standards.
I got lucky and met someone who was volunteering at my previous job and she told me to apply.
Was not the direction I saw my career going but it was definitely worth it.
13. Sometimes the work just finds you.
Mine isn’t necessarily weird but how I fell into it was!
Around 10 years ago I was working in the IT industry, I decided to help my dad out one weekend sell hunting gear at a military expo (basically antique military gear and army disposal). One of the sellers had a ‘vampire killing kit’. Knowing very little about antiques at the time I pulled out each piece, checking them over. The story checked out, did some research on my phone throughout the day and found out that it could be a fake in two ways. It could be a kit put together by someone out of antique pieces to make it seem real. And technically even if it was authentic it was a Victorian fake. With the fear of vampires in the late 19 century, con men put together vampire killing kits and sold them to rich businessmen visiting Europe.
What stood out to me though was the main reason I bought it. In the middle of the kit was a crucifix with an ivory inlay, that doubled as a god damn percussion pistol!!! Long story short I took a chance spent $1000 on it and got persecuted by my father for such a dumb move, I didn’t have much in my savings at the same. I took it to Ripley’s Believe It Or Not in Australia and they flew someone out from the US to look at it which was pretty exciting. Within 5 minutes of looking at it they offered me a ridiculous sum of money for what I thought was a large investment to begin with.
While in ways I do regret selling the kit, it allowed me to start a career in the antiques trade. Five years later I moved to the UK to study a degree and now I specialise in rare obscure antiques that have allowed me to travel all around the world sourcing new weird objects!
P.s don’t worry, I gave my dad a cut of the vampire kit profits for believing in me 😛
12. A line of work I bet many would enjoy.
My jobs not weird.
I’m a welder. But what I do isn’t very common.
I build Virginia Class Submarines.
11. That’s some stringent screening process.
I used to cut pictures of weewees and hohas off packaging of adult toys. All day every day. I got the job by being able to pass a drug test.
The interview Boss: can you pass a drug test Me: yes Boss: you sure? Because if you don’t pass I won’t hire you. Me: I understand Boss if I pay for your piss test and you fail I’ll be mad. Me: I haven’t smoked in like 3 months don’t worry.
10. Those aptitude tests can be awesome.
I work as an Air Traffic Controller. Not weird but not many of us around.
I pretty much fell into it after passing an aptitude and it’s just been swell since.
Albeit, the classic phrase from strangers: isn’t that the job with the most suicides?
It might be, but I don’t know anyone. It’s actually super chill and rewarding when you get it right. (We always try get it right, but when you get it super right you’re dead pleased).
9. I am completely jealous.
Im diver. When i was 13 i started diving and in the army, i did it, too. So i love my job now as an underwater worker
8. You get a little thrill every single day, I bet.
I don’t know if this is obscure, but my boyfriend is a high rise window cleaner. There are only 4 in our city. He loves his job! Sometimes when he is working, I will go to the city to the building he is cleaning and look up at him on the street. So cute.
7. He/She makes kids happy every single day!
I design water parks.
I went to college for Graphic Design and Advertising. In my last year I had to do an internship, so I took one at an aquatic engineering firm to help organize photos. 10 years later I am a project manager and create resort deck and water park programs.
6. You CAN make a living as an artist, then!
I’m a potter.
Not sure if that fits the bill for weird. I used to be the manager for a museum art school, and began taking classes there years ago.
Eventually transitioned into being a full time potter and pottery teacher.
5. It’s nice unless you ever want to eat out again.
I have a job tracking rodents in restaurants. I set up cameras, movement sensors, IR sensors and other gear, and get an idea of the problem and how to fix it.
Here’s a video of a couple of teenage girls checking out one of my cameras.
Sometimes I’m in a hot roof area of a restaurant trying to get the super rats to back off and let me work. I use a Bluetooth speaker and prodigy on full volume. Who knew rats don’t like prodigy?
Despite that, I love my job and the pay is pretty good.
4. Etsy has made life so much easier for so many.
Not terribly weird, but definitely unique. I own a handmade business and I make cool things out of felted sheeps wool. It started so I could have extra cash to pay off my nursing school loans. Then I quit my nursing job. Now I am a top 1% seller on Etsy and get to sit around and craft fun and colorful items that I ship all around the world.
3. I hope you didn’t fall in love with your own hand.
I used to be a hand model.
Apparently I have really really good looking hands. Although they look completely normal to me.
People were always asking me how I got into it so it was fun to bullshit people I was “discovered” on the street, now I moisturize 15 times a day and sleep with my hands in plastic bags….
The money was great but I’d have to spend long days on set being careful not to wreck my manicure. (Which they paid for of course! Also paid for the time it took to get the manicure)
Mostly did tv commercials
Now I tell people at parties I’m a retired international hand model but gave up show business for the much more worthwhile and rewarding career of teaching kids to read….
2. They need to be guarded, though?
In the summer I guard and clean the toilet units (not the toilets) for festivals. I got the job trying to find a cheap way to go to the big festivals and this organisation was looking for volunteers.
So all I have to do is stand in front of the units, make sure the ground stays clean, everyone had toilet paper and clear a block of units so the cleaning team can do their job.
Another part of the job is making sure no one dies or passes out in such an unit. You can’t imagine how many drunk (often naked) people we need to get out of these units and escort them to the First Aid.
1. Woot! Another art student making their way.
I’m a chyron operator.
I trigger motion graphics on live tv. I was an art student and also was in stage crew in high school.
These things got me jobs backstage in theater, which got me a job in TV doing normal stuff like cameraman and stuff like that. Since I was an art major I asked if I could do graphics and they let me on the weekends, and my specialty eventually turned to the chyron which ingests the graphics that artists make and plays them back through the switcher that controls the news broadcast. It’s not technically an art position but at my job specifically I could make the graphics in after effects and photoshop during the day (if I have a computer free) and in the afternoon I play the chyron.
Usually you are one or the other, because chyron operators don’t need art skills, it’s just another tech job like audio operator or camera operator or stage manager or whatever. These kinds of jobs are getting rarer because they are being automated.
But since I’m also an artist I get to keep my job because if someone leaves I can take their job.
The only way to live is doing a job you love – or at least don’t hate – every single day, so don’t settle!
Do you have an interesting or odd job? Tell us what it is and how you got it in the comments!
