Okay, time for fun facts! What a way to kick off July!
Fact: I’m fascinated by Ridley’s Believe It Or Not and a fan of the Guinness Book Of World Records. So for a bit of fun, I decided to turn to Google and dig out some weird jobs in the world. After pouring list after list, these are the top 10 jobs that, in my opinion, are the weirdest jobs I ever come across.
Rental Boyfriend / Girlfriend
It started in Japan and in recent years, it spread to China and Singapore. It is simply a way to stall your parents and well-meaning aka pesky relatives from asking awkward questions about your personal life in forcing their intention to matchmake you. I didn’t know how serious it is until one of my Chinese colleagues confessed that she was forced to go 10 matchmake dates every month to appease her mother.
Want a fake boyfriend / girlfriend?
Professional Mourner
I’m quite surprised that this service is actually quite popular in the Western world. For the Asians, it is extremely important to have mourners (the more the merrier pardon the pun) to bid farewell to the deceased. It shows the living that he or she is well loved when they are alive. The harder and louder a mourner cries, the more filial and respect are shown at the funeral.
Rent someone to cry at your funeral?
Professional Iceberg Mover
These folks will move the iceberg away to prevent it being a danger to ships and oil rigs. After the Titanic sunk, the International Ice Patrol was set up to keep the seas clear.
If only we had this before Titanic sank…
Professional Stand-In-Liner
Love to be the first one to get the latest iPhone or want to have the best seat in Bruno Mars concert but hate queuing? You actually can hire freelancers to queue for you. It’s a job that pay pretty well for someone who just have enough patience to stand in line on behalf of you especially when you have better things to do.
Professional Sleeper
This one is plain weird although I probably will be really good at this job even with scientists and researchers staring down at me while taking note of my every twitch and snores (not to mention accidental drool as I dream of salted caramel ice cream or Captain America). I can sleep everywhere and anywhere.
Wedding Guest For Hire
For a lot of people, a big wedding is a must. It is a matter of showing who has more friends. I don’t actually quite understand this concept because I always prefer smaller weddings. Even mine was kept to less than 100 guests – an amazing feat considering that most Singapore weddings average number of guests is 250 to 300.
Looking to fill up the wedding halls?
Paint Drying Watcher
Besides being a weird job, it must be really boring just to sit in one spot to watch the paint dry. Just the thought of it makes me yawn! I don’t even want to find a picture of a man watching the paint on the wall to dry!
I probably will fall asleep on this job.
Professional Ear Cleaner
I know this for a fact it is a true profession. I love having my ears clean by the masters when I was living in China. You may cringe at the thought of someone other than yourself, your doctor and your mom entering one of the most sensitive body parts, trust me, I was sceptical at first too. But the feeling of cleanliness of my ears are just so good that I’ll return again and again, putting the risk of going deaf in the hands of a stranger.
Much respect for them, seriously…
Golf Ball Picker
Besides watching the paint dry, this must be the most boring job to do. I rather stand in line for something than to hunt and pick up balls all day. It’s like Easter Egg treasure hunt everyday under the hot sun.
Not my ideal way to tan myself…
Netflix Viewer
Oooo.. this must be a wonderful job except that I really don’t like watching horror. So if I can get to pick and choose, I wouldn’t mind. Netflix get you to watch shows that hasn’t been aired in order to tag the shows, write about its plot summary and provide reviews. A great excuse for not doing the dishes because I’m watching Kerry Washington in the yet-to-aired Scandal. Haha!
Are these weird jobs or what? Have you come across strange jobs on the web? Care to share with us at the comments below.
If you like my compile list of weird jobs, I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy reading these as well:
Fantasy Jobs that I have always wanted to Try
Unconventional Jobs that I Had
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I like the professional sleeper! Since politicians rarely appear on Netflix, I could get into that one, too!
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Hahaha. I love your comment on Netflix one!
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I have not even heard a single of these weird jobs
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They are very real. Click on the links at the end of each job to see the real advert.
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Paint dry watcher – I thought it was just an old saying!
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Lol
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😊
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Me too!! But it is an actual job that pays. Not that I want to be in that job.
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Haha! Yes, sign me up too!
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I think I’ll make a lots of money by becoming a rental girlfriend, professional stand-in-liner, professional sleeper, wedding guest for hire, netflix viewer and also… professional crab peeler… Please keep me informed if there are such jobs available. I’m keen. Thanks! 🙂
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Well, the links to the jobs are under each description if you are really keen. I know Netflix viewer job is definitely open, the last time I checked the link. Best of luck should you apply any one of these jobs. Let us know!
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Thank you so much for your advice and kind reply!
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Always happy to help!
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Really fun to read, a few of jobs mentioned there I had no clue about earlier….
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I’m glad I Have brighten your day, Fariha!
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Paint drying watcher is absolutely weird, the rest I can say uncommon but not weird.
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I wouldn’t be a paint drying watcher. I think I’ll be bored to death. Unless I can use my mobile on the job.
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I need to get the sleeping job. My favorite thing to do.
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Then you’ll have to fight me for it.. haha.
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The professional stand in liner exists, in Italy. The progessional sleeper is the dream of my youngest son 😀
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The sleeper job is a dream job for many of us…. I probably will snore on the job. Haha!
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Fascinating!
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Thanks! I find these jobs fascinating too!
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You’re welcome, Kally. 🙂
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The professional mourner I have heard about but the others, really who would pay for these. I thought it so funny. Kally thanks for the share made me laugh.
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So happy that I made your day 🙂
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Instead of a Netflix Viewer, there should be a M M Watcher (Middle Me and Mister Muse). 🙂
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Hahahahaha.. love your comment the best!! 😘 You’re the best.
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I always wanted to be a mattress tester…..
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I wanted to be very specific here. I only want to test hotel mattress. Hahaha.
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Thank you for sharing this out
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The painter and mourner are new to me, never heard of those before. Jeeeeez, indeed weird jobs, haha
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I had a treat digging up weird jobs on the Internet, one more morbid than other.
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Most of these jobs sound like they originated from people who worry too much about what family members and other people think. As for the professional sleeper job, I wouldn’t be able to do that since I have problems sleeping enough on most nights and knowing that someone is sitting there, watching and analyzing my sleep patterns wouldn’t help matters much.
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Then you should be a paint dry watcher, you’ll never sleep on the job! Or a mattress tester so if a mattress really puts you to sleep, it means that mattress is really really good.
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Mmm, mattress tester… zzzzzz…
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You’ve put together a nice list of jobs that I absolutely would not want to do, with the exception of Netflix, of course. Several years ago, I interviewed a researcher who was studying people’s passion, including work related. Among the subjects were those who had a boring job. The most annoying job she found: washing the aquarium rocks. In the end, even the most motivated people saw this task as a boring chore!
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Haha. I think any job that do with washing is kinda boring to me. I’m a people person so I rather be a cashier at a supermarket than to wash rocks. But interesting job though….
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Hehe… I would not mind to wash rocks but only if they are diamonds and I get to keep one!
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Ahh.. good reply. Now I wish I am washing rocks..oops.. diamonds.
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