Somewhere between formatting 12-point, Times New Roman resumes and applying to your zillionth internship, you may have forgotten that your career search should be fun and exciting. And if “fun and exciting” means pursuing law, business or medicine to you, go for it! But if you’re on the lookout for something a little off the beaten path, Her Campus is here to remind you that your options are limitless. Don’t believe us? Check out these five careers that you may have never considered—until now.
1. If you’re addicted to Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook…
Stop treating it like an unhealthy addiction and put those hours of tumbling, tweeting and tagging to use. Social media management is a hot ticket in the job market, and who better to apply than you—a member of the most tech-savvy generation yet? “When I graduated in 2009, there were few jobs that focused specifically on social media,” says Chelsea Clements, a graduate of Miami University. “Now, there are jobs devoted to nothing but social media: strategy, implementation, analyzing, etc.” Just a few years out of college, Chelsea has already advanced in the field and now works as the New Business and Relationship Lead at Tarte Advertising, Inc. There, she uses her networking-related skills to fulfill responsibilities like finding and reaching out to clients, writing for the company blog, Facebook and Twitter, attending networking events, and helping brands realize their full potential in creating a social media, website and email marketing presence. Her involvement in social media even helped her get her job there! “I got my position at Tarte Advertising after following the owner and CEO [of Tarte] Audrey Keyes on Twitter for a few years,” says Chelsea. Who knows? You could be following your @futureboss right now, too.
2. If you’re the campus activist…
Consider a career in human rights. One way to do get involved is to join a non-governmental organization, or NGO. The aim of NGOs is to implement positive social change; there are multiple types of NGOs and their focus can be of widely varying magnitudes, from local to international. Most people are familiar with wide-scale service NGOs, like the Red Cross, OXFAM, and Save the Children, but don’t make the mistake of thinking NGO work is limited to volunteering! While that’s an option, organizations are always on the lookout for researchers, analysts, and other kinds of specialists, and often provide internships and fellowships. Check out sites like Human Rights Watch and Idealist.org if you’re interested in a career involving saving the world (no big deal).
3. If you’re a pet person…
Don’t give up on that childhood dream of playing with puppies all day! Dog-walking and –sitting is just as much in demand as it was when you were in middle school. “I always walked dogs for money in my neighborhood, but a friend of mine turned her hobby into a business by advertising and taking a ton of doggie clients,” says Alex Court, a collegiette from The College of William and Mary. “She makes enough money dog-walking that she quit her old job and bought space for a mini-pet motel.” But even if you’re not a doggie entrepreneur, your options in animal-related careers are limitless. Feeling a little unsure about medicine, law, or psychology? Sign up to be a veterinarian pathologist, an animal welfare lawyer, or an animal-assisted therapist. Still skeptical? According to AOL Jobs, the salaries of such professions can range from about $50,000 to $150,000. So your dreams of playing with puppies for a living aren’t too far-fetched after all (ha!).
4. If cooking is your jam…
Look into the culinary arts—the truly artsy side. People tend to think that careers in food are limited to managing restaurants or becoming a chef, but the field offers plenty of other cool jobs as well. Ever wonder how Olive Garden makes its pasta look so good, or how food magazine pictures make your mouth water? Chefs are involved, but the key players in jobs like those are food stylists and photographers. These may seem like obscure professions, but restaurant owners, book authors, commercial producers and magazine editors of various food media are constantly seeking professionals to advertise and present their products. Hey, you’ve already had lots of practice making smiley faces in ketchup—why not take it to the next level and get paid for it, too?
5. If tutoring is your thing…
Let’s say you’ve considered teaching before, but don’t see yourself in front of the classroom every day. Check out the field of curriculum development! Developers are in charge of optimizing approaches to education and finding the best strategies for effective teaching. “My favorite part about building lesson plans and unit plans is targeting all types of learners: people who learn visually, auditory, tactile, and so on,” says Mary Beth Hills, a collegiette from Aquinas College who is planning to study curriculum development in grad school. “Until last year… I had never even realized that was a career path before.” And despite our tough economic situation, the field of curriculum development is booming. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicted that job openings for all instructional coordinators will increase by a whopping 23 percent by 2018 because of changes in the national standards for education, which means employers are just waiting for you to apply!