Cool Careers

Think laterally to find a cool career: A linked very cool career is Air Traffic Controller. It requires quick reflexes and a high degree of skill, as well as a cool, calm character.

Unusually cool: a Seaplane Pilot In the golden age of the 1930s and 1940s, seaplanes complete with smoking lounges and cocktail bars would fly around the British Empire, but they are much rarer nowadays. A new seaplane school has recently been set up in Glasgow but there are likely to be only a handful of seaplanes flying in the whole of the UK in the next five years. The exclusivity of being a seaplane pilot creates an unusually cool classification. (If you want to find out more contact the UK Seaplane Association.)

EXAMPLE 2: A COOL CREATIVE CAREER

Classic cool: Singer There are many types of singer, from backing to nightclub to opera. Some have low-paying jobs; others find fame and fortune. If you specialise in one type of music, or have a fantastic vocal range, there is work in recording studios, musicals, the theatre and opera.

Very cool: Singer (niche) How about developing a line in overtone singing, English folk, Gregorian chanting, Mongolian folk or country and western? If you are one of the few people in an area with a skill, you are likely to open up a nice niche in the market.

EXAMPLE 3: A COOL CAREER USING YOUR BODY

So-so: Sports/physical activity teacher/trainer This is an average career. There are plenty of careers around in this area. It may be an enjoyable career, but not particularly aspirational in terms of monetary or status rewards. There are lots of ways you can teach a physical activity – in a school or college, in a club, in a gym.

Classic cool: Trainer in yoga/pilates/martial arts You can up your cool factor by choosing an unusual speciality within the same field. Some of the classically coolest right now are yoga, pilates, martial arts. Keep an eye out for the latest fashions in fitness to become even cooler.

Very cool: niche opportunities in personal training How about giving training in Israeli self-defence for an additional cool factor. Or take a dance class in Bollywood Bangra? Or how about being a celebrity personal trainer? While being a personal trainer in the average gym isn’t going to win you many ‘cool’ points, thinking laterally and changing your geographical location rather than your job title can have the same effect of upping your cool. Make a move to Beverly Hills or Los Angeles, get yourself a DVD and an agent, a celebrity endorsement and some good PR and suddenly you become very cool indeed.

In fact, thinking ambitious and being prepared to move to an exciting or unusual part of the world can make many careers cooler.

EXAMPLE 4: A PEOPLE CAREER

So-so: Counsellors Being a counsellor is not very rare nowadays. You don’t have to have a psychology background to train as a counsellor, e.g. as a relationship counsellor. Think how you could make it a little cooler, though.

Classic cool: Counselling psychologist Extra cool points come from the fact that this requires more training and so is rarer. You will help individuals understand and take action to overcome their problems to promote well-being. Counselling psychologists believe that behaviour is affected by a person’s environment, including family, social issues and psychological issues in the individual. They may also teach and do research with individuals, organisations or groups.

Classic cool: Rehabilitation psychologists They help victims of accidents and developmental disabilities, such as autism, deal with everyday life, including areas such as pain management. They may also work as expert witnesses in legal investigation into the effect of a disability on a person’s ability to work.

Very cool: Police profilers Use their understanding of criminals and psychology to catch the bad guys.

Unusually cool: An Expert in serial killers takes their understanding a little bit further and uses research to create a really unusually cool career.

EXAMPLE 5: A PRECISE AND DETAILED CAREER

Classic cool: Doctor Being a doctor is cool. Not all of us could qualify, it takes years of training and hopefully provides a lifetime of status in the community and good financial rewards.

Very cool: Plastic surgeons are almost celebrities nowadays. Being a plastic surgeon is cool. However, being a female plastic surgeon is more rare and so, arguably, cooler.

Unusually cool: Australian bush doctor It may not provide you with the same financial rewards, but working in the Australian bush will bring you excitement and variety. The location and adrenalin make this career unusually cool.

Finally

We hope that, whatever you do currently, the career lists in Part Two will inspire you to think about what you really want to do. Fire up your imagination and get thinking about careers you may never have considered, or even heard of, before.

Enjoy finding your new cool career!

Part Two

1.In the know (#ulink_95756811-9c47-5dbc-baee-7469b4e53ff0)

What could be cooler than knowing about things before everyone else? Throw in a little adventure, travel to exotic places and your career will be top of the party gossip.

Here are a bunch of cool careers for people who like to get to the bottom of events, gossip, or uncover international, criminal or business secrets.

I can keep a secret (#ulink_23f2a1e8-eb39-5afa-bd0c-32fc516e091f)

Going undercover has to be one of the coolest types of careers around. But it is not just James Bond. There are undercover jobs across a range of industries.

You’ll need to:

Be good at keeping your work confidential - you probably won’t be able to talk much about what your job involves

Be keen on adventure and risk

Be able to keep calm even in the midst of some uncomfortable circumstances.

If you still want to go undercover to nail the bad guys, carry on.

Three skills to be cool undercover

1. Common sense is vital. Undercover, you may be required to make quick decisions in difficult circumstances and under pressure.

2. Be happy with a certain amount of autonomy. If you want to work undercover, you will sometimes need to work alone and must, of course, have a matching amount of fear and suspicion.

3. A good memory and the ability to analyse facts objectively is helpful. How good you are at retaining detail may make the difference between a successful and an unsuccessful investigation. Make the wrong decision and your cover could be blown.

COOL UNDERCOVER

Environmental Crime Investigator – These investigators usually work for government agencies; they search out people who have broken environmental laws. This could mean a company dumping waste or carrying out activities that are hazardous to human health. As rules become more stringent, this is set to be a growing profession.

Private Investigator – Private investigators carry out a range of investigations, including surveillance, security consultancy, insurance fraud investigations, and matrimonial/partner investigations (fidelity). This is a growth market because of the number of lawsuits nowadays. Store detective work can be a good place to start this career.

Corporate Investigator – Corporate investigators carry out due diligence, covert surveillance and a range of investigations into areas such as fraud, substance abuse investigations, computer forensics, workers’ compensation fraud, sexual harassment allegations, and accidents.

Legal Investigator – In the USA, particularly, there is a growing market for legal investigators who are trained to work with court cases for law firms. They may analyse evidence, collect witness statements, help to prepare defence cases and carry out background investigations on anyone involved in the court case. Some may be called on to give evidence in court.

Financial Investigator – Financial investigators have developed a speciality in investigating banking and financial fraud cases. Some may be forensic or Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), or they may have a background in banking or a related industry. White-collar fraud is a growing area and Banking compliance may be a useful background for this career. Money may be moved internationally so it is important to thoroughly understand the international financial systems.

Mystery Shopper – A mystery shopper works for an external consultancy and secretly tries out services as a member of the public and rates the service they receive. As well as customer satisfaction services, they may also check on staff compliance with regulations, security and training needs, and benchmark a company against its competitors.

Undercover Narcotics/Drugs Agent – Undercover agents and deep-cover officers work for institutions such as the police and customs. They carry out surveillance, undercover activities and searches. Clearly it can be a risky career and one you are not likely to get into without a lot of training and experience in other related areas.

* UNUSUALLY COOL

Undercover Animal Rights Investigator -

You may not get paid directly to do this, but, if you have a passion for animals, you could work undercover for an organisation like PETA, infiltrating industries that use animals for experiments, fur or food, and documenting any abuses or cruelty. Armed with a notepad or secret camera, undercover investigators have been remarkably successful in producing material to be used by campaigners. You must be able to keep accurate notes, stay within the law, keep secrets, be good at building working relationships and if need be, be able to observe animal suffering while staying objective.

I want to be the first to know (#ulink_fa4af3da-c421-5579-8722-5444be33790d)