Past generations had very different career prospects to the people entering the job market today. Throughout most of the 20th century, people would get a job with a company and stay with them for their entire career.
Today, things are much different. Half of all people in Britain plan to change jobs within the next five years, meaning far fewer people have a “job for life”.
Not only that, the types of jobs that people do have changed drastically over the last century. Your local bowling alley no longer employs pinsetters to reset the bins after each ball has been thrown. Your local city or town council also doesn’t employ someone to manually light the gas street lights around the city either.
New jobs have taken their place. There were no social media influencers in 1950. Nor were there any SEO managers or software developers. In addition to these more “mainstream” jobs, some more unusual roles have been created.
Professional Zombie
In 2011, a member of the British public submitted a request to Leicester City Council under the Freedom of Information Act, requesting information on their zombie invasion preparations.
The council’s head of information governance was forced to respond that the council didn’t have any specific zombie plans, but some of its emergency protocols could be applied during a zombie apocalypse.
This, and TV shows like The Walking Dead and the popularity of zombie modes in video games that were released around the same time, created a demand for professional zombies.
Professional zombies can work on film sets as extras, in tourist attractions where live-action zombies are required, or even as part of zombie apocalypse enactments. It might not always be steady work, but it can be fun.
Professional Mourner
While it may seem weird on the surface, there is a large market for professional mourners. These people attend funerals to show support, increase numbers, and have conversations with others in attendance.
It’s not as simple as showing up and turning on the waterworks, though. Professional mourners must learn about the person they’re mourning – where they lived, the names of relatives, favourite food, where they worked, and more. They must then be able to improvise and discuss these topics with others in attendance.
Typically, a professional mourner in the UK is paid £45 ($57) per job and works with one or two others so that they can help each other out.
Professional Poker Player
While for many people, playing poker is just a bit of fun, there are some that have turned it into a career. Professional poker players enter tournaments, both online and in real life and earn their crust by finishing in a high position or even winning.
The most successful ones often get ambassadorial roles with brands like PokerStars, making appearances at live events and taking part in online tournaments like the Sunday Billion. Others take part in regular online streaming sessions on platforms like Twitch, just like many esports stars.
Related Article: Careers in Online Gambling: Market, Legality in India, and Jobs
Ostrich Babysitter
If you’ve ever seen an ostrich, you’ll know that they can be pretty aggressive towards each other and people. They’re certainly not an animal you’d consider that needs babysitting.
Baby ostriches are a little different though, meaning they can need a little bit of TLC from a human. Without this help, baby ostriches are prone to pecking each other and many will attempt to run away.
To stop this from happening, ostrich farmers often employ babysitters for their young birds. The job isn’t too intensive, it’s two main requirements are to break up fights and catch any runaway birds. Pay isn’t too bad, but you also get to spend your day with cute fluffy birds, and not many people can say that about their job.
Professional Pusher
If you’ve ever seen videos of people cramming into Japanese commuter trains, you might have noticed the smartly dressed people pushing people onto trains. These professional pushers are responsible for squeezing as many people on board as possible, maintaining safety, and making sure the trains run on time.
Being punctual is an important part of Japanese culture, so professional pushers play an integral role in society.
Image Credits: Unsplash