Young professionals and new graduates are on the lookout for jobs. Though there are thousands of open positions available in the country, most graduates do not have the skill set nor the relevant experience to fill these positions.
However, there are a number of odd jobs that pay surprisingly well in America. For workers who don’t like to be confined to an office cubicle or who are willing to go out of the box, these weird jobs appear to be the answer towards financial freedom.
Here are five odd jobs that pay surprisingly well.
Professional bridesmaid
If you love everything about weddings and don’t mind listening to problems, and if you’re willing to be a bride’s personal assistant, then this job is for you. Companies such as Bridesmaid for Hire are currently recruiting pro bridesmaids, and it was reported that women get $300 to $2,000 per wedding.
Sommelier
If you’re a wine enthusiast and would like to have a career making wine recommendations and working with chefs at restaurants, then this would be a good fit for you. There are no specific educational requirements to be a sommelier, but you do need to train take an introductory course.
If you’re looking to get certified, you can take the Court of Master Sommeliers course and Wine and Spirit Education Trust. If you pass the Court’s exam, you become a Master Sommelier, according to the Huffington Post. Sommeliers earn an annual median salary of $50,000.
Live mannequin
If you’ve got the patience to stand still for long periods of time, then you can work as a live mannequin. This job pays up to $100 an hour, so basically, you get paid for doing nothing at all.
Human scarecrow
If you love to be out in the fresh air and you’re willing to frighten birds for a living, then being a human scarecrow would fit you just fine. In 2012, the BBC reported that Bangor University graduate Jamie Fox worked as a human scarecrow at a farm in Norfolk, England.
“It’s not a bad job,” said Fox. “I get to sit and read for a lot of the time but whenever I see partridges, I have to get up and scare them off.” At the time, Fox got paid £250 (about $300) a week to scare birds.
Fortune cookie writer
Ever wonder who writes those witty little sayings in your fortune cookies that came with your takeout? Those sentences were made by a fortune cookie writer, and yes, it is a real job. Salary is said to be anywhere from $38,000 to $75,000.
For more, check out Jobs & Hire’s report on creative ways to make money.
