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Alternative careers
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Quirky and quick?
Have you ever been paid to fill up the salt, pepper and ketchup? Maybe you've taught prisoners to play the guitar or run a comic stall? Many people are happy to do something out of the ordinary, for the money or the experience. But do these short-term jobs ever lead to a career that is similarly strange?
From casual to career
Strange jobs can help you to pick up new, unexpected skills, which you can develop. Sarah, who sold ice-cream one summer, told us she learnt about queue management, which came in handy for organising students when she became a teacher.
Adam, who sold comics, became adept at recognising customer types and predicting their questions, which was another useful skill for his teaching career.
Training for the future
Judy, who is currently a People and Wildlife Manager with a wildlife trust, didn't have a career in mind when she started doing voluntary conservation work from personal interest. Judy eventually took some formal qualifications to advance her career.
Now her days involve building shelters with children in the woods, making mud faces, animal spotting and looking up at the tree tops. She talks about her love of what she did that made this possible: 'You have to enjoy the outdoors and wildlife, love working with people, be highly adaptable and organised'.
Be surprised
Nigel, used to be a truck driver, but was involved in an accident, giving him time to re-think his work options. It was only much later when he sold up house and bought a long boat to live in that he discovered his second career: repairing boats on the canals. Seeing the opportunity, and boosted by engineering courses, he now has a thriving business.
Remember, if you want to do something different, there are many routes to get there. And it can be the strangest small jobs that lead to a great career.
Glossary
a stall (n.) : a booth where articles are displayed for sale
come in handy (exp.) : to be useful
adept (adj.) : skilled
adaptable (adj.) : able to change to fit the situation
a long boat (n.) : a long boat that carries freight and is narrow enough to be used in canals
a canal (n.) : man-made channels for water
thriving (adj.) : doing well
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Thu, 07/02/2008 - 9:31pm — river_xu
Good to know! Thank you!
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