Top 10 Offbeat Careers in India That You Might Not Know About
Did you know that there are several offbeat jobs in India? These jobs aren’t as obvious as we think as you don’t see them advertised too much or talked about. They are not even common among your friends and acquaintances as most people are probably unaware of the existence of these professions in India. But they do exist!
The first question here is obviously, what is an ‘offbeat’ job? It is a job that is not conventional and mainstream – something unusual or unique. For example, web designing and coding are very common professions or ‘mainstream’ jobs. On the other hand, a career option like a social media specialist is an offbeat job, as not too many people are even aware of such a career!
So, if you want to take up a career that is unique, interesting, and challenging at the same time, ProTeen is here to help you discover your ideal career fit. So read on to discover a whole new world of interesting careers and make an informed career choice with ProTeen!
1. Conservation Engineer
If you are passionate about nature and its conservation, then this can be a great career option for you. A conservation engineer is responsible for protecting biodiversity, wildlife, forests, rivers, lakes, and other natural resources. They must have a keen interest in biology and ecology. You can specialise in any of the disciplines. For example, you can be a wildlife conservation engineer, a forest engineer, or a marine engineer. The growth of engineering in India has led to an increase in demand for conservation engineers. Moreover, conservation engineers get to travel a lot and go to some remote areas, which makes the job even more interesting.
2. Video Game Tester
Dream career in sight? It can be if you are a gamer at heart! Video game testers are people who play video games to find out about their functionality, check for bugs, and then provide their feedback so that the game can be improved and made more user-friendly. If you love playing video games and want to make money by doing so, then this can be a great career option for you. Most game testers work online and are hired on a contractual basis. Some game companies also hire testers on a full-time basis. With enough experience, you can wander into a career as a game developer.
3. Voice-over Artist
If you have a smooth and pleasant voice, then you might want to explore a career as a voice-over artist. A voice-over artist lends their voice to commercial advertisements, movies, animations, games, cartoons, documentaries etc. You can also partake in dubbing for different languages across multiple mediums. With the increasing popularity of the internet and content consumption, the demand for voice-over artists has increased significantly. This flexible career option can even be incredibly rewarding if you possess a unique voice and are skilled at adapting your voice to different projects.
4. Animator
If you are creative, imaginative, and love to create colourful and lively characters, then you can make a career out of it and become an animator. An animation is a simulation of movement created by changing the image in a sequence. With the growth of technology, the need for animators has increased significantly. Almost every form of media is being converted into animation, like children’s books, YouTube channels, and short films. The increasing popularity of animated movies and shows means that animators are high in demand across the world! You can also pursue a career as a 3D artist or a graphic designer.
5. Food Taster
Do you love food? Well, who doesn’t? But what if you have to keep trying different types of food and be paid for it? Then your career calling could be to become a food taster. But mind you, this is a serious career as food tasters are responsible for testing and reviewing new food products. These products include food, beverages, and even cosmetics. A food taster needs to have a keen sense of taste, accurate palatal appreciation, excellent digestive capacity, and high sensitivity. Becoming a food taster is not as easy as it sounds as certain qualifications are essential and you must be invited to join the profession.
6. Pet Groomer
Didn’t think about this as a career option? You’d be surprised at how well you could do. All you need is a certification or diploma, and this could be a good option for you if you like pets! Pet groomers are in charge of maintaining a pet’s hygiene. A professional pet groomer is required to care for the pets, keep them healthy and provide services such as regular cleaning, bathing, nail clipping, trimming fur etc. Pet groomers typically work in pet stores, shelters, veterinary clinics, or pet grooming salons. They can also provide personal services to clients at their homes.
7. Screenwriter and Dialogue Writer
A screenwriter is responsible for writing the storyline and dialogue for a movie or TV show. When watching movies, you might find that the storyline is written so well that it keeps you engaged throughout the movie. This is the work of screenwriters and dialogue writers. But becoming a screenwriter is not easy as experience is vital. You can also become a dialogue writer, which is a different but equally challenging profession. Dialogue writers write the dialogue between characters and are responsible for making the characters come alive. This extremely creative and challenging field can be a career where you get to rub shoulders with famous people and enjoy bringing your creativity to life!
8. Ethical Hacking
Imagine getting paid for something that is illegal in the normal world. Crazy? Not really, because that is what happens if you are an Ethical Hacker! An Ethical Hacker’s main goal is to keep the system from being hacked, and he or she must use various methods to accomplish this. They run tests on a system to find various security breaches/weaknesses, loopholes, and assess the security system’s effectiveness. With the digital domain becoming the norm for every single industry, companies need to ensure their systems are robust, secure, and up-to-date. This is why a career as an ethical hacker could very well be extremely rewarding!
9. Sommelier
This is a rare and extremely niche career, but one that is valued incredibly highly at the right places and comes with high job satisfaction! Other than the wine tasting, maintenance, handling, and storage of wines are some of the other responsibilities of a sommelier. The key responsibility? The knowledge of pairing which wine with an appropriate dish. Wine drinking is an art and a sommelier’s suggestion for the perfect wine can elevate that experience. This is why leading hotel chains, vineyards, and breweries employ wine tasters or sommeliers. A badge or certificate from a leading vineyard or institute is required to become a wine taster or sommelier. Globally experienced sommeliers are paid handsomely for their services.
10. Fashion Designer
If you love fashion and have a knack for designing new outfits, then you can make a career out of it and become a fashion designer. A fashion designer is responsible for creating new and unique designs for garments and accessories. They are responsible for designing fashion items like apparel, accessories, shoes, and bags. Creating new and innovative designs is challenging, but can also be very rewarding, provided it is the right career fit for you.
Conclusion
If you are someone who wants to walk your own path and take up a career that is unique, interesting, and challenging at the same time, then one of these professions listed above will be just perfect for you. Not everyone has to choose a career that is well-known and accepted by society. What is more important, is that you pick a career where you’ll be happy and excited for as long as you work! But to make the right choice in the world of new, unexplored, obscure careers, proper career exploration is vital.
So, how can you make the right career decision at the right time? The only answer you need – ProTeen! Head to the ProTeen website and register for personalised guidance that covers everything a young student needs to navigate the modern career world. From helping you discover your true strengths to finding the right career fit for you, and even guiding you to the best colleges available, ProTeen and our career experts are on hand to resolve any queries and guide you to your dream career!