Many of us strive to find that perfect career path that makes work feel a lot more like play. We all dream of escaping the normal 9 to 5 world and securing a position that makes us excited to wake up every morning.
Well, here are five dream jobs that some lucky people out there actually get to do every working week.
Mattress Jumper
When we were younger, we all loved jumping up and down on our beds. Some of us still enjoy a bounce every now and again. Well, Reuben Reynoso has made a career out of it. He is a professional mattress jumper, testing handmade mattresses at the McRoskey factory by springing on up to three per day.
However, although it may sound like fun and games, Reynoso takes his job very seriously. “It’s work. It’s not for everybody. There is a right way and a wrong way to do it,â€� he said. “This is not a game. Not to me.â€� It still beats sitting around the office though.
Professional Poker Player
Playing your favorite game for a living sounds almost too good to be true, but for many professional poker players it’s a reality. Not only do you get to travel around the world and attend major tournaments in some beautiful destinations, but many players also secure lucrative sponsorship deals as well.
Daniel Negreanu, a Team PokerStars Pro and Global Poker Index’s Player of the Decade is one of the most famous and successful players on the scene. “I’m just so happy that I found something that I could compete at a very high level at,â€� he said. “It’s a dream come true in so many ways.â€�
Perfume Smeller
Also known as noses, highly trained perfumers work with professional perfume companies to create and evaluate scents, or have even been known to go on to establish their own firms. It sounds like a job that will land you in the lap of luxury, but it’s not an easy career to break into.
There are only around 50 well-respected professional noses in the world, due to the difficult training process. Many study in Grasse, France because of the region’s centuries of renowned perfume production. The training can take up to seven years or more, with many noses also seeking out advanced degrees in chemistry or psychology to aid their understanding of the perfume industry.
Waterslide Tester
Tommy Lynch has the enviable job title of Professional Waterslide Tester. Travelling around the world’s holiday resorts on behalf of First Choice, Tommy is responsible for checking the speed, height, water quantity and landing process of some truly spectacular slides.
“As you can imagine, there were no shortage of applicants for the job,â€� said a First Choice spokeswoman. “Tommy takes his job very seriously and he has left no stone unturned in his pursuit of the world’s coolest pools, trying and testing each and every flume, slide and wave machine on the way.â€�
Chocolate Taster
Nothing could be sweeter than eating chocolate and getting paid to do so. Many chocolate companies hire professional tasters, to test products and ingredients to ensure the highest of standards. William Leigh works for Green & Blacks, munching his way through delicious treats in the course of his working week.
William explained: “Every week I receive samples from our chocolate manufacturing site and I have to taste these to ensure they meet our quality standards in the taste and texture, appearance and aroma. Another large part of my job is tasting our Raw Materials – nuts, dried fruit, butterscotch pieces – to ensure what we’re putting into our chocolate is the very best we can find.â€�
