Does the thought of an 8:00 to 5:00 office job make you yawn?  Do you become restless thinking about performing routine tasks?  Perhaps you are in need of a unique job!  I recently stumbled upon the book Nice Job! The Guide to Cool, Odd, Risky, and Gruesome Ways to Make a Living. If you are determined to lead a less routine lifestyle, this book may be for you.  To peak your interest, I have included five of my favorite job positions for you to consider.

1.  Christmas Tree Farmer
A green thumb paired with a business savvy attitude makes for a successful Christmas tree farmer.  Today’s holiday trees sell for about $35 a tree.  Earning around $4,000 an acre, one could earn a comfortable living harvesting a 15 acre Christmas tree farm.  A successful farmer should be patient, have a background in marketing, and be knowledgeable of the land and farming procedures.  For more information, visit www.christree.org.

2.  Product Name Developer
The best marketing strategy a company can have is to find a catchy name for its products.  In this position, you would be responsible for brainstorming and generating lists of names for the new products of companies.  While each name suggested only earns about $1.00 each, a full time namer employed for a high-level company could bring in a six-figure salary.  Knowledge of linguistics and languages is helpful, creativity is common, and working to meet deadlines is a must.  Flexible hours and working in any environment are enjoyed by employees of this title.

3.  The Real World & Road Rules Editor
MTV’s real life soap operas aren’t captured as they appear.  A skilled film editor works through hours of tape to determine the best segments to include in each 22 minute film episode.  A person in this position needs a great sense of drama and an understanding of human behavior.  An eye for juicy and interesting subject matter is a must with film and script experience being helpful.  A perk of the job: you always know what will be happening before the rest of the viewing audience!

4.  Ice Cream Flavor Developer
Perhaps my favorite job: tasting and evaluating lots and lots of ice cream.  Ice cream flavor developers begin at a starting salary of $25,000 a year with opportunities to grow to $50,000.  Candidates for this position have sensitive, evaluative taste buds, are creative, and have the ability to deal with media.  Developers are involved in quality control, product development, and the training of ice cream sales people.  However, four to five hours a day can be expected to be spent on the tasting of ice cream.

5.  Bicycle Messenger
Bicycle messengers serve in both big cities and small communities as quick deliverers of packages, letters, and time-sensitive documents.  They can expect to bring home $500 a week before taxes while putting on 20 to 60 miles of bike travel per day.  Agility, quick-wittedness, and a powerful survival instinct make up the best bicycle messengers.  Keeping fit while on the job is a welcomed perk of this adventurous position.

These unique opportunities are but five of many.  If you are interested in reading the full book, there is a copy available in the office of Career Services as well as the OSU Library.  You might also check out the following websites:

• http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2009/01/24/fun-jobs-do-they-pay/
• http://www.ehow.com/how_4967503_unique-unknown-creative-jobs.html
• http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/Media/now-hiring-hotel-duck-master-unique-jobs/story?id=10886910&page=1

A unique job may be the perfect fit for you.  Be creative, be persistent, and be open to adventure!

Posted by Bobbi Meyer, Career Services Graduate Assistant