Short on funds after paying your taxes? Want to sock away a little money for your summer vacation? Check out Odd Jobs: 101 Ways to Make an Extra Buck, by Abigail R. Gehring.
According to the book’s publicity, the author herself has held 24 of the 101 jobs listed in its pages, some of which truly merit the adjective “odd.” In her introduction, Gehring says her book is for “anyone who could use a little extra cash, who wants to add some spice to his normal work routine, or who’s ready to murder his boss and jump the next plane to New Zealand.”
The book lists a multitude of part-time, temporary, and seasonal employment opportunities, from Crossing Guard to Mystery Shopper to Virtual Assistant. Among the many choices are ones that can be done from home or online, as well as some that require travel. For each, she provides the typical duties of the job, how to apply, what pay you can expect, expenses you’d have in getting started, and websites where more detailed information can be found. She also notes, with a nice sense of irony, “perks” and “downsides” of each job. Though you might not see yourself posing nude for a college art class, Gehring points out that the job is open to men and women of all body types, normally pays at least $15 an hour, and says encouragingly, “You’ll probably never make money doing less physically or mentally. Most of the time you just sit there.”
Even if you’re not in the market for part-time work, Odd Jobs is fun to browse, and some of the occupations we’ll bet you’ve never heard of. Somewhere in the world today, there’s a worker earning money as a Motivational Dancer, Vacuum Dust Sorter, or Gustatory Athlete. Just think — it could be you.
So, DCPLivers, what’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
- Fun Book Alert! Odd Jobs by Abigail R. Gehring
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March 26th, 2008 at 4:42 PM
Mine are more run-of-the-mill than the ones mentioned, but over the years my odd-jobs have included working in a dog kennel (mopping, feeding, walking, and bathing dogs and cats) and delivering phone books. I almost applied to work in a toll booth once but chickened out.
March 27th, 2008 at 3:28 PM
I one time worked as a substitute teacher. I subbed for a class of middle-schoolers on my first day. Never did that again.
March 28th, 2008 at 11:57 AM
most of my jobs haven’t been all that odd, but a few that might bear mentioning include working for a college theatre department (mostly building sets and helping with theatrical productions but also helping with classes here and there), a doggy daycare/kennel (doing pretty much the same stuff Nolan mentioned), and the specialty department of a pet store chain (where I was responsible for the care and sale of the fish, birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals).
March 31st, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Many years ago…I applied to demonstrate a cooking pan (by making omelettes) in a Penney’s department store in Puerto Rico. Flight from Atlanta and accommodations in Puerto Rico were included. Can’t remember how long I was supposed to stay in Puerto Rico. Got the job, but then didn’t want to leave Atlanta at that time. Had most fun working jobs in Europe to avoid coming back to college here in the States. (For example, pub waitress–which included lodging in a room above the pub).