Odd Jobs Sprouting
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Jobs are scarce due to the prolonged economic slump. Still, unusual and adventurous vocations are drawing greater attention from young job seekers. Pet funeral arrangers, sugar craftsmen and weather consultants are among the extraordinary jobs, according to the Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS).
In its 2009 fun and new occupations report, the organization suggested 30 jobs newly introduced to the market or that are gaining popularity. Here are some of the most adventurous.
Pet funeral director is one of the most sought-after positions. Undertaking one's beloved animals will become more important as the number of nuclear families and single member families is increasing and more people think of the pets as real family members.
Taking care of the whole funeral procedure ― from cremation to finding the right cemetery and holding memorial services ― is drawing greater attention from many job seekers, the institution said.
A long time ago, Koreans said ``one should never fool with food.'' However, dissolving sugar and making various figures to decorate not only cakes and other food but wedding bouquets and dinner tables is becoming more popular.
There is no course to prepare for the job yet, but private baking schools and senior sugar crafters offer some skills and techniques.
Weather consultancy is already popular these days, as the weather is more volatile than ever. There are several weather-related institutes already for organizations planning big events or companies producing products related to weather.
More companies are planning weather-related events, such as giving out vouchers on the first day of snow and the necessity of weather risk management is growing, which means brighter days for consultants in the future, the KEIS said.
What makes people attracted to new movies? Many would say it's the trailer. These days, trailers are becoming more diverse than ever. Editing a few frames from the movie isn't enough.
Using creativity, some film additional trailers while others use various computer graphics to catch the eyes of moody theatergoers. It is a mixture of marketing and art with various computing skills and story telling and those interested in movie industry are strongly advised to inquire.
When watching movies, the sounds you catch are sometimes not real. They can be anything from rubbing tree branches to popping balloons. Foley artists, who take care of all the sound effects of a video or audio program, are needed as audiences are getting pickier about what they hear.
There is an internship course for hopefuls at the Korean Film Council, but there is no regular class for it yet.
The KEIS report featuring such intriguing jobs will be available at local Ministry of Labor job search centers.