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Five awesome jobs you didn’t know were real

I get it. As a return-to-work mum, sometimes all you want is a bit of extra income until you’re ready to re-launch your career. Or maybe you’d like to help the family budget along with some casual work while you’re studying for your next step.

Some jobs might not fit into your bigger career picture, but who doesn’t like to have a bit of fun while pocketing some cash?

This week I chased down those awesome jobs that sound too good to be true:

1. Professional Sleeper

Wish you could wear your PJs all day? (and sometimes you do?) What could be more fantastic than getting paid for some shut-eye? Major hotel chains, mattress manufacturers and sleep researchers use professional sleepers to test their products and write reviews. To snare the job, you’ll need to be in good health, and be able to fall asleep in new and foreign surroundings, sometimes attached to monitoring equipment. Most mums I know would have no problem at all falling asleep on demand! On the downside, the job can involve travel and staying away from home, and you may be asked to stick to some special dietary requirements like giving up caffeine. But who needs a morning cup of coffee when you’ve been lolling about in bed all day? Sounds like a dream job to me…..

2. Life Model

As a mum, you probably get to the end of the day and realise you haven’t sat still since you first got up. Being a life model could change all that – you get paid to do absolutely nothing. Ahhh, the serenity! In fact, staying still can be one of the challenges of the job – poses need to be held for up to 20 minutes. It can also be cold and uncomfortable, but generally the atmosphere in art classes is warm and welcoming. And of course, it might be confronting getting naked in front of others. But if your shape is more Botticelli than Beyoncè, there’s no need to fret – all shapes and sizes welcome. And once your initial self-consciousness has passed, you’ll quickly realise that the artists are not looking at ‘you’ but concentrating on their work. Most life models will attest to the environment being quite professional and not at all intimidating. There are training courses available in Brisbane, and it’s advisable to learn the skills of the trade so you know what to expect and can cater to artists’ needs. Flexible hours are a bonus, and professional life models can expect to earn around $30 an hour. Could you be game to strike a pose?

3. Professional Mermaid

Release your inner mythical enchantress and swim for your supper! As a professional mermaid, you’ll find yourself appearing at promotional events and children’s parties, posing for photo shoots or perhaps instructing other mer-people. First stop if you want to sign up for the sea-life is to go to professional mermaid school. It takes special skills to swim in a tail! You’ll also need to ‘shell out’ for some specialised equipment including a costume and mono-fin. But who wouldn’t want to spend all day splashing about while getting a great workout? If there’s one thing The Little Mermaid taught us: “It’s so much better down where it’s wetter!”

4. Book Reviewer/ Narrator

Calling all bookworms! Relaxing with a book and a cup of tea is a luxury for most mums, but would it feel like such a guilty pleasure if it earned you some cash? Despite a common perception that we are on the road to communicating entirely through the use of emojis, millennials are actually reading more than any other previous generation. If you have a way with words, and can write in an entertaining way, start submitting your reviews for publication or apply to get into a reviewer pool. There are lots of online magazines, blogs and literary publications seeking content. Or, if you have the gift of the gab, you might consider becoming an audio-book narrator. There are a number of volunteer opportunities for audio narrators locally if you’d like to try it out. It takes some training to be a voice-over artist, and you need to have acting skills. But this kind of work is flexible, can earn you up to $100 per finished hour, and…well, what fun!

5. Professional dog walker

Did somebody say “puppies”? If you are a dog-lover, walking in the fresh air surrounded by furry friends could be a fab way to spend your day. Canine day care services are the number one trend in pet ownership in Australia, so job opportunities are on the rise. There are many on-line dog walking websites and agencies connecting pet owners to dog walkers in your local area. You can set your own hours, and in some cases, your own hourly rate. Dog walkers typically earn around $20 per hour. But before you sign on, ‘paws’ and investigate to make sure you’re suited to the job. After all, you’ll be looking after someone’s fur-baby! To manage dogs properly, you need to have experience in animal behaviour, training in veterinary first aid, and ideally have some qualifications in animal handling. You will need appropriate insurances, and may need a licence depending on your local authority requirements. You might also consider getting accredited with an industry representative body. Apart from the obvious need to be physically fit, you’ll also need to be organised and reliable, often having to take dogs out rain, hail or shine. And then there’s the endless pooper scooping. But if you’d rather spend your days talking to dogs than people, dog walking could be the perfect side-earner.

If your return-to-work wish list is less about pay scale and more about perks, there are plenty of professions out there for you to explore. Who says work couldn’t be fun?