The craziest jobs in the world

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]f post-university job fears have you tearing your hair out and a nine-to-five routine simply won’t cut it, why not try becoming an ostrich babysitter in South Africa, or a professional apologiser in Japan? These weird and wonderful jobs from around the world show that people really will do anything for money.

While skydiving may be a popular sport, in countries such as the US, smokejumpers take this one step further by adding the extra danger of a raging wildfire. These ‘firefighters of the skies’ parachute out of planes in order to reach wildfires in remote places, using little more than saws to stop fires from spreading. If this still sounds tempting, bear in mind the landing simulator they use is nicknamed ‘The Mutilator’, which drops trainees at a maximum speed of 10mph.

A somewhat less exciting role is that of the professional people-pushers who, quite literally, shove unfortunate Japanese passengers on to trains. Working during the morning rush hours, these conductors and train attendants make sure the trains are as full as possible by pushing commuters through the train doors until there is no space left. While this certainly isn’t a job for those wanting to make friends, for those who do, Japan has agency staff who will offer you the chance to hire friends for the day. And if you mess up? Just hire a professional apologiser to say sorry for you.

If good personal hygiene is high on your must-have list, or at least in other people, professional earwax cleaning in India might sound like the right choice. It is a generations-old profession based in Mumbai which involves inserting a needle covered in cotton wool into a client’s ear. If getting too close to bodily fluids is not your thing, best to avoid both this and the common job of the lowest caste in India – ‘manual scavenging’ or picking up excrement with your bare hands.

A somewhat less exciting role is that of the professional people-pushers who, quite literally, shove unfortunate Japanese passengers on to trains

In comparison, the job of an ostrich babysitter is both clean and fluffy. In South Africa, lucky jobseekers are hired to watch over young ostriches to separate any fights that break out, almost exactly like babysitting children. Unlike children, however, these birds can grow up to 2.7m and their curious nature means that they are at risk of getting eaten by predators, making the job a lot less cutesy than it sounds.

Overall, it is probably safer to stick to the jobs offered at the careers fairs.