What are some lesser known great jobs?

Engineering.

I guess it depends on what you consider fulfilling and stressful. I would offer any career where you work with children or the disabled population is good but other people might find that stressful.

I heard there are people who raise falcons and get their primary source of income from flying their falcons near buildings where pigeons are a nuisance. Apparently once a week keeps the pigeons away.

Not even sure that qualifies as a job!

Working as a delivery driver. It depends on the circumstances and the company, but it generally pays decently and you get to be out and about all day. Sometimes it can be lonely, especially of you’re just dropping packages and ringing the doorbell. For the most part, though, your mind is your own both during and after work.

Working at a non-profit or discovering new talent.

Sign language interpreting. Average- $25—$50/hour depending on location. Demand- sky high. Predictability- low. Hours- flexible. Stress- low to medium. Mental stimulation- never stops. Paperwork- low. Training to become highly qualified- 6 years, minimum.

Jobs I sometimes wish I had / Jobs I enjoyed in the past

1. Parking Lot Attendant (You can write the great American novel, listen to NPR or watch a little TV all day while waiting for the next car to exit & pay their parking fee)

2. Floral Delivery
It doesn’t make you or your car smell bad, people are always thrilled to accept a flower delivery and it’s not heavy lifting.

3. Librarian for a University
You learn something new every day (assisting others with their research) and meet people who striving to learn. The hours aren’t too long and the greatest aggravation you face is a stapler that jams. (Granted – you probably have to first earn an MS in MLS)

4. UPS/FedEX Depot Worker
The hourly rate was pretty good, my job was to 10-key enter or RF handheld device scan small packages (typically under 50 pounds) as they fell down a chute into my bay. Later I loaded and unloaded trucks. It was like being paid to work-out. The shifts were only 4 to 6 hours long and left plenty of time..it made a great and well-paying second job.

I’ll second @geeky_mama‘s Floral Delivery suggestion. Great college job, especially if they provide the wheels.

I’ll tell you what features I really enjoy about my current job:
– No weekend work
– No holiday work
– Occasional business travel, but always home for the weekend
– A real office with a real door, no cubical hell
– Autonomy with my manager’s office several hundred miles away
– Flexibility to work at home whenever I want
– Unlimited sick leave (personal and family)

I second the “librarian for a university” vote. I have never done it, but I was a library aid in high school, and I can see how that would be a great job. I’ll bet it pays quite well, too, and probably has good benefits.

The most amazing job I ever had was working the galley on a whale watch/deep sea fishing boat

A dance escort on a cruise liner (Well up until recently that is.)

One of the greatest jobs you could possibly get is Lifeguard at a neighborhood pool (NOT a municipal public city pool).

*You can do the job as early as 16 years of age, sometimes 15
*Your uniform is a swimsuit
*You have a reasonable amount of authority
*You usually only actually work half of each hour you’re getting paid for…and by work I mean sitting in a chair under an umbrella.
*The other half hour you’re getting paid for but not working, you go swimming.
*You get to blow a loud ass whistle and yell at nuisance kids
*You will come to see stormy days as the most beautiful days ever – Thunder and lightning means a day of sitting and playing cards and other games with your co-lifeguard, or however you want to pass the time… and you get paid for every bit of it.
*Depending on your neighborhood, there’s always chances for some sweet eye-candy in bathing suits.
*The pay is pretty damn good – even better if you lifeguard at private parties on the side… and even MORE better if you teach private swimming lessons to the little rugrats in the neighborhood.
*Lifeguard Competition – Yes its a thing. All the guards in your region compete at a waterpark for prizes and glory, doing lifeguard stuff. The “practice” meets are just giant games of sharks and minnows and marco polo with margaritas and beer.
*You have access to a huge awesome swimming pool at any time of day or night.
*You’re pretty much guaranteed to get a sweet tan.

The list goes on and on, you just have to do it for one summer and find out. It’s an easy job, the schedules are flexible and very easy, lifeguards are always in demand, and in the event you have to make a save, you could change someone’s life by keeping it from ending.

@gambitking I had to laugh at your answer. It sounds like a great job if you have the qualifications. You would have to be fit, young, look good in a swimsuit, be a good swimmer, able to handle being bored, like loud whistles and enjoy being around nuisance kids.

Otherwise it would be a nightmare!

Translation.

Baker in a donut shop.

@YARNLADY – I did that job in college (donut baker). It was not fun. Most donuts are fried dough and getting them out of the oil as it spatters and burns your arms is mildly painful, messy and smelly at best..

The job I do now is pretty cool. I have very little responsibility, I can finish most of the weeks work in about 3 hours and the rest of the week I am surfing the net and reading. I get every weekend, holiday and summer off. I have great benefits, pension and a union. It would take something extreme, like getting arrested for child porn or murder to get me fired. This is the perfect job for someone who wants to go back to school and earn a degree because I have so much free time to study (which is why I’m going back to school this fall). I can also get pay upgrades for college credits earned. Oh and did I forget to mention I make all the free copies I want. Of course the pay isn’t the greatest but it pays the bills and the perks evens it out.

I know a Harvard-trained lawyer who gave up law to become a minister. The money isn’t anything to write home about but he was happy to regain his life and ethics.

@JaneraSolomon, the late Greg Giraldo had a similar trajectory. He turned to comedy when he became tired and disillusioned with “screwing other companies out of an extra dollar per square foot.”

@Akua what is your job?

@wilma clerical work in a school

<< Community manager of a website you love.

An industrial maintenance technician. Most of the better paying positions require one to have at least an Associate’s Degree level and be at a journeyman level in several different trades/disciplines. The downside can be getting underpaid and the stress levels (depending on the company and type of industry) can be quite high.

This is also a very dangerous career since you’re usually required to work on high voltage systems and other potentially hazardous scenerios. It is definitely one of the most underated careers out there but the pay can be decent depending on the company you work for or the type of industry you’re in. Also, many companies (decent ones) will pay for advancing your skill level through more schooling.