Unusual JobsBy Steve GillmanAlthough unusual or weird jobs can be a way to get out of a rut and make some money, they can also be fun. In the past I've worked as a repo-man (very fun) as an investigative process-server (fun), and I even spent some time handing out free samples in grocery stores (not so fun). Those are a few of the many jobs (both ordinary and different) that I've had. Some examples of other odd jobs follow.

A Wrinkle Chaser is the person that irons wrinkles from shoes as they are being made to ensure they are perfectly smooth when you buy them. He or she also inspects shoes or parts of them inside or outside for wrinkles and other flaws.

This is a real job title. A Chicken Sexer sorts through baby chicks to determine if they are male or female, and then segregate them. You may have seen Mike Rowe doing this on his "Dirty Jobs" television program. If you did, then you know that this is a dirty, stinky and perhaps even disgusting job. But someone has to do it.

A Citrus Fruit Colorer, with the help of steam and chemicals, gives citrus fruit a more natural looking color, because fruit is usually picked before it is fully ripe. In other words, in this job you help deceive orange and grapefruit buyers.

A Celluloid Trimmer shaves down a golf club and then adds celluloid bands onto the golf clubs to make the leather grip stay in place.

Odor Judgers get to smell armpits all day to help make deodorants that will work well. I'm not sure why somebody other than some strange fetishist would want this job, but we all have to pay the bills somehow. I suppose you definitely get the day off if you have a stuffy nose or a cold.

Now here's a good one. The La-Z-Boy Company (and probably others) employs Furniture Tester s to check out their products. Of course, one of their most well-known and popular products is their recliners. Want to relax for a living? Good luck getting one of these jobs. I suspect there are less than a dozen such positions available in the country.

Cowpuncher s herd, castrate and brand cattle. When you get bored castrating cattle, you get to repair fences, watering troughs and do other maintenance work on the ranch. It is hard work, but you get to be outdoors for most of every day.

Alligator Wrangler This is one of the more dangerous jobs, and probably not worth the pay, unless it leads to a starring role in a television show like the The Crocodile Hunter. There are two ways to make money wrestling with gators. One is to wrestle and otherwise annoy alligators as entertainment at a tourist-based alligator farm. The other is toget a job removing alligators from people's property when they become a nuisance.Airboat CaptainIf you would rather help people see alligators in their natural habitat rather than with your hand in their mouths, you can become an airboat tour captain in southern Florida. The pay is okay, and you get tips from passengers if you provide a nice and informative ride. We certainly tipped our captain after a recent trip into to the Everglades--especially because he went really fast down narrow channels, which was a lot of fun.Note: We certainly have more than one page on weird jobs on the site, so why not take a look around?

Unusual jobs with six-figure salaries!If you asked most people for an example of a high paid job, perhaps they would say a lawyer, a doctor or a Wall Street banker. These are certainly well paid jobs but there are other more unusual jobs out there where people routinely earn six-figure salaries for doing something out of the ordinary that’s often a little risky too.

are highly specialized individuals that carry out welding repairs on structures that can’t be brought onto dry land. For example, they may be required to repair an oil rig platform out at sea or an oil tanker moored in the ocean. The job is certainly dangerous as they use electric welding equipment, often at great depths, in order carry out the work. To enter this field you need to be both a first-class welder and an experienced diver. Most underwater welders work on a contracted self-employed basis often charging over $1000 a day for their services.

If you possess fluency in both Arabic and English and you don’t mind working in Iraq you could find a very lucrative role as an___. Translators are required to help army personal communicate with civilians. Competent translators command salaries over $150,000 a year; however the good salary is also a reflection the inherent risk in this job. Translators have to travel extensively and you may find yourself working in unpleasant and dangerous situations.

work in towers and communication centers helping pilots to navigate the skies efficiently and arrive at their destinations safely. Controllers work in a fast paced, high pressure environment and are responsible for the safety of thousands of people every day. With this responsibility comes a good salary, experienced controllers routinely earn in excess of $150,000 a year. To enter this field you must have an aptitude for maths and physics plus possess excellent communication skills.

are some of the highest workers in the world earning as much as $50,000 for 3 to 5 days work. However there is no guarantee to this salary, the work is seasonal and it’s also extremely dangerous as you sail into treacherous, remote locations. If you run into trouble you’re on your own. The working conditions are also extreme with most fishermen only sleeping for a couple of hours a day.

ReadingFill in the paragraphs.1 Air Traffic Controllers 2 Alaskan Crab Fisherman 3 Arabic Language Translator 4 Underwater Welders Match paragraphs and pictures using

Classify the statements Correct (√) or incorrect (X).___ Lawyers and doctors get good payment.___ Some other jobs get good payment too.___ Underwater welders' job is to repair things at home.___ People who work as Arab translators always work in safe conditions. ___ Air Traffic Controllers work in a relaxed environment. ___ Alaskan Fishermen can make $50.000 in three days of work.

Fill in with a word from the texts.

Match words and meaning in the text.1 Six-figure (paragraph 1) __ Stopped or paralized.2 Ordinary (paragraph 1) __ Dangerous or not to be trusted.3 Moored in the ocean (paragraph 2) __ Normal or usual. 4 Command salaries (paragraph 3) __ With anxiety or speed.5 Fast paced (paragraph 4) __ Over $100.000. 6 Treacherous (paragraph 5) __ Deserve payment for a service.