Want to get paid to eat ice cream, watch TV and fly around the world? You can. Check out our guide to a few offbeat careers for your future and how to get them.
The gig: Spending days at the mall talking to people and figuring out what’s cool. The expert: Liana Morgado, Research Manager, Look-Look The best part: Talking to trend-setting teens and traveling around the country to find them. Getting there: Watch TV and read magazines. Then study sociology, anthropology, psychology, marketing or business in college. Cool fact: Being conscientious is “in.” (Think Brad Pitt in his environmentally-friendly Toyota Prius.)
The gig: Tasting 60 packages of ice cream each day to ensure the quality is consistent. The expert: John Harrison, Official Taste Tester, Dreyer’s & Edy’s Grand Ice Cream The best part: Isn’t it obvious? “I get paid to taste ice cream,” says Harrison. Getting there: Keep your taste buds in tip-top shape, so no onions, garlic or spicy foods that can tweak your taster. In college, pursue a food science or dairy science degree. Cool fact: The tasting spoon is made of pure gold. Unlike wood or plastic, it doesn’t have an aftertaste. Unlike silver, it doesn’t tarnish.
The gig: Cooking, arranging and making sure food looks yummy in TV commercials and magazine ads. The expert: Brian Preston-Campbell, food stylist The best part: Facing extreme assignments like styling a burnt goat head snack for New York Magazine. Getting there: Work in a restaurant to learn basic food prep, cooking and baking. Then think about culinary or art school. Cool fact: The ice in most TV commercial drinks is made of acrylic or glass, not water.
The gig: Work with chemists, engineers and designers to create and improve markers, crayons and colored pencils. The expert: Dave Rowan, Research & Development Manager, Crayola The best part: “I get to carve out a piece of my day just to be creative and think like a kid,” says Rowan. Getting there: You’ll need a solid technical background. Take chemistry now and engineering in college. Cool fact: While it only takes 10 minutes to make a crayon, it can take up to a year to come up with a new shade and name it. Who knew all that work went into mango tango?
The gig: Sketch designs and build prototypes of Barbie’s clothes, accessories and hairstyles. The expert: Cassidy Park, Vice-President of Barbie Product Design & Development, Mattel The best part: “Helping to inspire children,” says Park. Getting there: Draw a lot. After high school, consider going to art or design school. Cool fact: You and Barbie could be wearing the same shirt. Park’s design staff is inspired by the same sources and uses similar fabrics as human clothing designers.
The gig: Rescue and rehabilitate reptiles confiscated by law enforcement. The expert: Russell Johnson, President, Phoenix Herpetological Society The best part: “Dispelling myths and fears,” says Johnson. When he isn’t out wrangling alligators or vaccinating rattlesnakes, he teaches kids to respect their scaly friends. Getting there: Volunteer to work with snakes at a zoo or animal shelter. Then study exotic animals at veterinary school. Cool fact: Having a little reptile as a pet can be a big responsibility. A cute 12-inch-long crocodile can grow to 8 feet and live 30 years.
The gig: Traveling the world in search of rare and expensive timber, then supplying it to jetliner companies, RV manufacturers and custom cabinetmakers. The expert: Keith Stephens, President, Woodworkers Source The best part: Seeing the world. According to Stephens, Bolivia and Peru have a “combination of cultures you don’t see anywhere else.” Getting there: Math and foreign languages are key. Before you head to Paraguay with an ax, you’d better brush up on your Spanish. Cool fact: Wood can be super expensive. Rare African blackwood can cost up to $90 a foot.