10 Dream Jobs You Never Knew Existed

We all have a dream job, but whether it’s in sports, entertainment or science, it seems there’s always some days we’d rather be somewhere else. We can all list off a few jobs that spark our imaginations, but some lesser-known opportunities are simply magnetic. From snoozing for cash to traveling the world to drink tea, these 10 unexpected dream jobs will surely have you picturing your new resume.

Professional Snuggler

▲ Janet Treviño, Professional snuggler

• Duty: Professional snugglers platonicly snuggle with clients in a cuddle session. The cuddle session is usually conducted in a studio. In the session, the interaction between the professional snuggler and client is not limited to snuggling. They can chat, have a meal, play chess… as long as it stays platonic.
• Salary: Conventionally $1 per minute. Each cuddle session lasts for 15 minutes to 5 hours. The hourly rate can rise to as high as $1.5 per minute for more experienced snugglers.
• Example: Janet Treviño, a full-time snuggler working in San Antonio, U.S.. She charges clients $80 per hour and spends around 20 hours a week cuddling people. Started in August 2016 as a part-time snuggler, she soon realized the overwhelming demand for cuddles and turned full-time a month later. She even has her own website to promote herself!

Stand-In

▲ The real Bruce Willis and the other “Bruce Willis”s

• Duty: Stand-ins substitute the actor/actress before filming, typically for the time-consuming technical purposes such as lighting and camera setup. They usually share similar physical characteristics with the actor/actress. They allow directors to adjust the lighting and camera setup to obtain the more visually brilliant cinematographic outcome even in the absence of the actors and actresses.
• Salary: A stand-in earns on average $33000 a year. The income is highly dependent on multiple factors which may make the number fluctuating.^[1]
• Example: Adam Bryant, the stand-in for Robin Williams, has been working with the star for a very long time.

Gumologist

▲ Jesse Kiefer, a Gumologist for Cadbury Schweppes

• Duty: Gumologists taste gums and review new products and developments for chewing gum companies. They play a crucial role especially in designing new flavours. Gumologists need to have the ability to distinguish over 70 ingredients from a pack of gum.
• Salary: Approximately $37,400 – $107,500 a year, dependent on experience
• Example: Jesse Kiefer, the chief gumologist at Cadbury’s Gum Center of Excellence in New Jersey

Chocolatier

▲ Stéphane Bonnat from Bonnat Chocolatier

• Duty: A chocolatier is basically an artist with chocolate. Chocolatiers make all sorts of confectionery out of chocolate. Not to be confused them from chocolate makers who turn cacao beans and other ingredients to the treats. Chocolatiers work with chocolate exclusively and craft them into incredible treats, desserts, and candies to delight customers of all ages.
• Salary: Average salary is $21,000 according to Simply Hired but the number can vary significantly based on the brand, experience and location.
• Example: Stéphane Bonnat from Bonnat Chocolatier , the gold prize winner of the 2016 International Chocolate Awards in Plain/Origin Dark Bar Categories.

Personal Shopper

▲ Belly Halbreich, personal shopper

• Duty: Usually work with one person (and usually with renowned celebrity or businessman!) or fashion magazines, personal shoppers are fully in charge of keeping the wardrobe filled with the latest must-buys in the fashion industry.
• Salary: Around $34,500 a year. For well-established personal shopper, the salary can rise up to a stunning $300,000 annually.^[2]
• Example: Belly Halbreich, probably the most famous personal shopper on the planet, has been working at Bergdorf Goodman for 37 year and has dressed celebrities like Lauren Bacall and Joan Rivers.

Tea Taster

▲ Sebastian Michaelis, the tea taster whose tongue is insured

• Duty: Literally, sipping tea. Tea tasters are expected to taste up to 200 cups of tea a day and must be versed in every type of tea imaginable. Tea tasters are required travel around the world to test new suppliers and products. Pretty alluring huh? We are deeply sorry for those sensitive to caffeine.
• Salary: Tea tasters earn an annual salary of $38,000^[3]
• Example: Sebastian Michaelis whose taste buds are so incredibly outstanding Tetley, the tea manufacturer, has insured his tongue for a stunning 1 Million pounds. Fun fact, his tongue is now as valuable as Madonna’s breasts, Heidi Klum’s legs and Julia Robert’s smile.

Voice Actor

▲ Tom Kenny, the voice actor for the title character Spongebob in Spongebob Squarepants

• Duty: Unlike regular actors who require outstanding body gestures and facial expressions, voice actors vitalize an animated character by their voice. One important thing to note is that they never appear on camera, so they can show up in whatever suits them. Pajamas. Onesies. Suits. Night gowns. Anything we can think of as long as our vocal cords are functioning.
• Salary: Voice actors earn around $29,000 a year. The salary is dependent on experience which an entry level voice actor is expected to earn $17,000 a year while an experienced one can earn up to $76,000.^[4]
• Example: Tom Kenny. You might not know his name but you must have definitely heard his voice. Tom Kenny is the voice actor of the title character Spongebob in the Spongebob SquarePants TV series and films.

Waterslide Tester

▲ Sebastian Smith, world’s first waterslide tester

• Duty: Waterslide tester is probably the best summer job ever. Waterslide testers travel around the world and ride on exhilarating chutes, flumes and slides. After that, they rate the rides on two factors, “Biggest Splash” and “Adrenaline Factor”. All expenses covered. There’s nothing better than a paid vacation, right?
• Salary: 20,000 pounds a year (approximately $30, 000)^[5]
• Example: Sebastian Smith, a student who beat off competition from 2,000 applicants, was reported to be the first waterslide tester which he travelled around the globe to test and review on slides and venues.

Netflix Tagger

• Duty: Netflix taggers are required to watch hours of latest contents on Netflix, then enter key describing words into the system for each show. This is done for Netflix users to search for shows more easily.
• Salary: Not indicated by Netflix but it is paid on good hourly rate and is a part-time job
• Example: N/A, but it is known to be a part-time job which can work remotely (that means our HOME!). For your information, Netflix just hired taggers to watch kids’ contents last September. So, be ready to regularly check on Netflix to hunt on your dream job.

Professional Sleeper

• Duty: Whether they’re sleeping for scientific studies or for NASA, professional sleepers have the literal dream job.
• Salary: Around $15,000 a year, but can vary due to company, location and experience^[6]
• Example: Pat Phillips from Boston, is paid to participate in sleep research projects at area hospitals. Helsinki Hotel, for example, hired professional sleepers to test out on their beds and write about the experience in blogposts.