Dream Jobs
Have you dreamed of becoming a best selling author, professional footballer or a rock star? There are jobs that are more readily accessible and you friends will be envious of you. Check these out.
Acting Extras
Do you love your soaps, Emmerdale, Eastenders etc. Why not be a film extra. Extras are required to appear on TV drama, soaps, music videos or even a blockbuster movie. If you are lucky enough you could be working alongside some famous actors. You don't have to be super skinny or have great looks to be an extra, people from all walks of life are sought after and acting experience is not necessary. You will need to be able to take direction and be proactive and professional.
There are casting agencies up and down the country so have a look online to find one in your area. Some agencies charge a commission and a registration fee while others don't charge upfront but can take a cut from your earnings.
You could be looking at getting paid around £50 to £200 a day but it all depends on the production and what is involved with the job you are given. Sometimes the work can come in at short notice and you will need transport to drive to film locations. It takes time to make a film or drama so you will have to wait around for a bit for your slice of the action.
Voice Over Artist
Do you ever wonder who the gruff husky voice is on the movie trailers or on computer games and the voice on TV advertisements? Voice over artists are paid to use their voice to bring a script to life. You don't need to have qualifications or have a background in drama. If you have the voice that they are looking for them you are in with a chance. Try approaching agencies such as The Showreel. They can help you to put a professional demo together and offer coaching and courses. Once you have this then you can then approach TV production companies and radio stations for advertisement work.
Chocolate Tester
I think most people would agree that being paid to eat chocolate for a living sounds pretty good. Just about every company in the food industry employs a taster who checks the product quality and works on developing new products.
To be a food technologist you will need to have a degree in food science and technology. If this is your specialty then you could look for the ideal company to work for and be involved in creating and developing new products and recipes and have input on design and final decoration and of course tasting the end product.
Ferrari Test Driver
Do you own a Ferrari? Would you like to test drive one for your job? You could be lucky enough to work with the company's engineers and test the entire vehicle to make sure everything works as it should.
A background in mechanics or mechanical engineering would be an advantage but not necessary. You will also need to be an excellent driver as you will be speeding round a race track up to 200mph! You will need a lot of nerve.
Agony Aunt
Are you a good listener and enjoy helping out your friends and giving advice. You could become an agony aunt and write columns for newspapers and magazines. You can answer readers questions online.
To become a professional agony aunt you will be expected to have a qualification to give advice so it would be good to have a qualification in psychology or being a trained psychotherapist or have a background as a counsellor. Also a good command of English and writing experience you could show would also be helpful for you to find work.
All the Best
Andrea Howard