In high school, we had to take a test that helped us determine what we wanted to be when we graduated. I’m not sure if all high school students had to go through that test, but if so, I’m curious to know what your results said you were going to be—and are you actually in that position?
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My test results said I would make a great undertaker, mortician, coroner, or any other position in the field of death. I’m not very morbid, but at the tender age of 16, I just wanted to be outside, away from people. Clearly I answered some of the questions wrong! And now, lo and behold, here I am, in an office surrounded by great people. It’s crazy how things turn out! But I digress.
Time recently reported on seven bizarre careers that may seem totally unnecessary now, but in the future, they could be as common as HR directors or CEOs. Some of these jobs include:
Simulated Astronaut. According to Time, there are currently six simulated astronauts in the United States, and more will inhabit this role for as long as needed. The last crew returned from a year-long mission to Mars in August 2016. Why are you just hearing of this now? Well, these astronauts haven’t actually left Earth. They haven’t even left the country!
The team was stationed on the slopes of a Hawaiian volcano, living in a celestial home. Time reports that “the HI-SEAS IV Habitat, was a 1,200-square-foot dome perched on a former cinder rock quarry comparable to the geology of Mars—just big enough for a kitchen, lab, bathroom and sleeping quarters for a crew of six.” The goal of the group was to answer NASA’s biggest question, “Is a Mars mission humane?” Future crews will help NASA determine the answer to that question as more research is conducted.
YouTube Sex Education Teacher. I’m sure this one doesn’t really need an explanation into what the role entails, but why is this so important? According to Time, only 24 states and Washington, D.C., mandate sex education in schools, and finding accurate and reliable information on the Internet can be difficult to find. What’s equally more astounding is the annual salary of a YouTube sex ed instructor: $100,000, which is strictly from YouTube revenue, including sponsored videos, and well more than what your average public school sex ed teacher is currently making!
Vegan Butcher. Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Well the title doesn’t do the role justice! A vegan butcher is actually more like a “meat” scientist. Ethan Brown, creator of “Beyond Burger” a vegetarian burger, is a meat scientist. He created a veggie burger that actually bleeds, to simulate the juices of a beef patty. Don’t be too alarmed. The “blood” is actually pulverized beet juice. Brown and other scientists are continually working on making the vegetarian food market more mainstream and trying to reduce the stigma of an all vegan diet.
Bug Bounty Hunter. This is another career where the name doesn’t fit the role. Bug bounty hunters, according to Time, are actually “hackers paid by companies to find vulnerabilities in their software and websites.” After the recent WannaCry ransomware incident, bug bounty hunters may be seeing an increase in hiring.
You can read the full list of jobs, here.
 Melissa Blazejak is a Senior Web Content Editor at BLR. She has written articles for HR.BLR.com and the HR Daily Advisor websites and is responsible for the day-to-day management of HR.BLR.com and HRLaws.com. She has been at BLR since 2014. She graduated with a BA of Science, specializing in Communication, from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2008. Most recently, she graduated in 2014 with a MS of Educational Technology. |