It can be fun reading about jobs, whether they existed in the past, right now, or might even exist in the future. So here are 11 careers you may never have heard of – hopefully this list sparks your curiosity and gets you thinking about your own potential future.
Ethnobotanist
Like other botanists, an ethnobotanist studies plants – but more specifically how people have used and interacted with them throughout history. Think of it a bit like biology crossed with anthropology.
In Australia, for example, this job might involve identifying (and preserving) plants used for food, medicine, tools, utensils, and weapons by Indigenous people over thousands of years.
Watch: Nancy Turner, Ethnobotanist
Respiratory Therapist
Respiratory therapists help people who suffer from breathing issues, including those who have had heart attacks, live with sleep disorders, and even premature babies.
These specialists interview and examine patients, provide emergency care, and work with medical teams to provide the best care for their patients.
Industrial Psychologist
Industrial psychologists specialise in solving mental health issues that arise in or from the workplace. Not only do they help increase productivity, they also improve the mental health and wellbeing of employees and create better working environments for everyone.
You might collaborate with management to plan policies, carry out employee screenings, provide training, or even work directly with employees who need help.
Genetic Counsellor
As our understanding of genetics develops and testing capabilities improve, we’re able to diagnose (and even predict) genetic issues. That’s where genetic counselling comes in.
In this job, you would inform and educate individuals or families about genetic factors that might affect them or their loved ones, as well as advise them about their options and the outcomes that treatment might have.
Ocularist
An ocularist is a trained professional who crafts prosthetic eyes for people who were born without them or have lost an eye due to injury or disease. They fabricate and paint them to look as realistic as possible, and also help clients with fittings.
These days, this kind of work is more likely to be done by a 3D printer, but there are still some experts who do things the old-fashioned way.
Watch: Creating Artificial Eyes and Facial Prosthetics
Doula
Doulas aren’t medical professionals, but they are informed and trained workers. Their main goal is helping and supporting people during major transitions in their lives. They’re most commonly hired by women to help them through pregnancy and birth. They might support new mothers and their babies with post-natal care too.
It’s becoming more common for Doulas to help people who are near the end of their lives by providing emotional, social, and practical support. They might also provide bereavement support to family and friends who’ve been affected by the loss of a loved one.
Chief Listening Officer
A relatively new and niche role, your job as CLO would be to gather intelligence on behalf of your organisation in order to help them become more competitive – almost like a corporate spy.
You’ll find out out how the company is viewed by customers and competitors, then pass on this feedback to help improve client relationships (and make more money, of course). You could also be listening to employees’ concerns to create better working environments based on feedback, grievances, or suggestions.
Global Mobility Consultant
With the rise of remote work, packing up and moving no longer means you need to leave your job. Global mobility consultants help organise and oversee the movement and relocation of employees and their families, both within the same country or internationally.
You could be organising visas and plane tickets, shipping furniture, finding homes or schools, settling employees into a new work environment, and making sure they know what’s expected of them.
Greenskeeper
If you think you already know about this job, we actually have a surprise for you. Greenskeepers don’t just look after sporting fields and gardens – this job can also refer to a member of a production team on a film or TV set.
In this role, you’d be responsible for finding, buying, and taking care of anything that’s “green” or natural to be used in a production, like plants, grass, trees, or flowers, and other natural and landscaping materials like rocks, gravel, or sand.
Parabolic Flight Crew
Similar to an astronaut, just without the going into space part. No, really. In this job you’d be working on aircraft that simulate low or zero gravity environments, helping to train astronauts, pilots, actors, or just provide thrill seekers with an experience.
Or, as professional Tim Bailey puts it, “teaching people how to throw themselves to the ground and miss”.
Watch: How Do Zero Gravity Planes Work?
Futurist
Futurists, as the name might suggest, specialise in making predictions and researching possibilities about the future based on data, historical facts, technological advances, and more.
These predictions are used to help out businesses, community organisations, and even government departments.
Find more careers that might interest you
If these unusual careers aren’t quite right for you, there are heaps of other job options you might like to explore on our website.
Source: Study Work Grow
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