The number of weird jobs out there is pretty staggering. And not just in Florida.
Read on for a run-down of our favourite strange occupations.
Scuba-diving pizza delivery man
Florida is a weird place. That’s a pretty uncontroversial observation. Need an example? How about the fact that it’s home to ‘the only underwater hotel’ in the world, called Jules’ Undersea Lodge? Its past guests include Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada. So it should come as no surprise that the Sunshine State is home to a host of weird jobs.
In Key Largo, Jules’ Undersea lodge employs a pizza delivery man whose job it is to don scuba gear, place a pizza in a watertight container, and deliver it to the resort’s submerged guests.
No word yet on whether Trudeau ordered one during his stay, or if he puts maple syrup on his pizza (though, let’s be honest, he probably does).
Royal ravenmaster
Ravens are clever birds. They can communicate complex information to other ravens, solve puzzles, and even use tools.
The Tower of London is home to six ravens, which are looked after by a professional ‘ravenmaster’ (old superstition dictates that this landmark must always host six ravens, or risk collapse).
So how can you become the royal ravenmaster? Well, you’ve first got to be a yeoman warder (ceremonial guard), which all formerly served in the armed forces; if you’ve served for at least 22 years and reached the rank of a warrant officer with an exemplary record, then you’re eligible.
The next step is to win over the present ravenmaster, whose social media following is pretty impressive.
Professional bed-warmer
Have you ever stayed in a hotel and found its bed was too cold for your liking?
If yes, you might be interested in staying at a Holiday Inn. They’ve employed a new team of professional bed warmers, whose job it is to slip into your sheets before you do and raise the temperature. They wear special all-in-one sleeper suits, which are, of course, adorable.
So what’s the optimal temperature for dozing? According to sleep scientists, you want your bed to be around 20 degrees centigrade. To that end, Holiday Inn now offers professional help in the dead of winter in both London and Manchester.
Snake milker
Snakes are scary. Especially the venomous ones. But for some professionals, handling them, and even ‘milking’ them for their poison, is just part of the (weird) job.
As it turns out, snake venom has a ton of lifesaving medical use. Derivatives of snake venom are already used in medications to treat heart disease and diabetes. And its potential to treat sundry maladies such as arthritis, kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s is now being explored.
Moreover, snake venom is the essential ingredient in anti-venom, the antidote to dangerous snake bites.
So how do you ‘milk’ a snake? Well, you grab them, place their fangs into a jar, and squeeze.
Yikes.
Apology service agent
Are you not-so-good at making apologies? Fret not, dear offender. You can now hire an agency to say sorry on your behalf.
The caveat: these agencies are all in Japan.
The Shazaiya Aiga Pro Agency charges 25,000 yen ($240) for face-to-face atonement, or just 10,000 yen ($96) for an email or a phone call. If that’s a bit above your price range, another agency, called Nihon Shazai Daikokao, charges 3,500 yen ($33) per-hour.
So if you’re especially good at humbling yourself and saying you’re sorry, you may have more than a few career opportunities in Japan.
Water-slide tester
Want an all-expenses paid trips to Faliraki, Turkey and Jamaica?
Want to rate water slides for their safety and fun and various other criterion?
Looking for a weird job that pays well? How’s £20k sound?
Well, you’re a bit too late. One student from Leeds University nabbed this gig back in 2013, when Splashworld Resorts hired him for a role that included all of the above.
But, from what we hear, other slides remain untested, and these (weird) jobs do come up from time to time.
Here’s to hoping.