weird jobs
Inside the World of Pet Funerals
'We've served families who had budgies, parrots, rats, guinea pigs, hamsters, chinchillas. We've had a couple of snakes.'
How to Make It as a Fur Trapper in Northern Alberta
This is what it's like making a living at something that many people don't believe still exists.
Meet the Montreal Guy Getting Paid to Cuddle People
Cuddle parties are so 2010; welcome to the world of affection capitalism.
How One Guy Turned Standing Around for Hours into a Full-Time Gig
We talked to a professional line sitter about 48-hour waits, bathroom breaks, and making a business out of boredom.
'I'll Come Back': The Woman Who Spent 32 Years on the High Seas
When Juana García Miniño separated from her husband, divorce was illegal in her native Spain. So she spent the next three decades working on cargo ships and sailing the world.
The Nanny Spy of the Upper East Side
When hidden cameras aren’t enough, Limor Weinstein covertly steps in to watch the nannies watching children.
My Summer of Picturesque Purgatory Working in a National Park
Breathtaking views, friendly foxes, hungry bears, casual sex in communal showers—I saw it all in my months of working at Grand Teton National Park.
Death of the Author: Ghostwriter Maya Sloan Gives Life to Celebs' Stories
Maya Sloan's intensely collaborative writing process defies conventional understandings of ownership, authorship, and the personal brand.
The Strange, Sensitive World of Plastic Surgery Photography
When photographer Mia Berg started working for a plastic surgeon, she learned that before-and-after photos can be about much more than looking good.
What I've Learned Ghostwriting Other People's Texts and Emails
I've written letters to clients' grandmothers, offered replies to late-night sexts, and sent sympathy cards to sick loved ones—all pretending to be someone I'm not.
This Is What It's Like to Be a Bail Bondsman in Las Vegas
"The largest bail we fronted money for was $500,000. It was for a doctor who had a clinic here in Vegas. He was re-using syringes and infecting people with hepatitis C."
What It's Like to Create Fake Medical Crises for a Living
I help train doctors in horrifying life-or-death scenarios using fake patients, fake blood, and fake shit.