Hugging Pandas For A Living (And Other Dream Jobs)

Want to earn about $32,000 per year while playing with adorable panda bears? If you live in Beijing, you’re in luck! The China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Ya’an, Sichuan province is currently recruiting for the position of Panda Nanny. “Your work has only one mission: spending 365 days with the pandas and sharing in their joys and sorrows,” organizers said.

While the job sounds like the cutest addition to your resume, it still comes with demands. They’re looking for individuals who are at least 22 years of age, and have a basic knowledge of pandas, as well as a desire to protect them.

Sure, this might be the coolest job ever. But if pandas aren’t your thing, here are four other jobs that are equally pretty amazing.

Fake Executive

Oddly enough, this job is also based in China. China-based companies have been known to hire Americans and individuals from other Western nations to serve as “fake executives”, who attend events, give speeches, and generally look important in a suit. They assume it’ll give their company a little more credibility.

Freelance writer Mitch Moxley snatched up the job while living in Beijing. He stated, “Face is hugely important in China, and having foreigners in suits I guess gives some credibility to the companies. You’d be amazed how often this happens.”

While Moxley was recruited through people he knew, he said that you can often find ads in the local classifieds for this type of work. While many state that “men with suits” are the sole candidates, I’m positive that a woman would dominate with this (fake, but real) job.

Water Slide Tester

Okay, so this is definitely a dream job. Who doesn’t like water slides? Can you imagine writing serious reports about how much fun you had, in the form of pie graphs?

In 2013, British company First Choice advertised for an open position, which ended up going to a college student named Seb Smith. The company asks its employees to rate the slides according to the “biggest splash” and the “adrenaline factor.” I’m sure the dress code was “modest bathing suit.”

The job also requires travel. Yes, you read that right – International Water Slide Travel.

Luxury Bed Tester

Something I learned while researching this job is that Travellodge actually has a “Director of Sleep” position. I’m wondering what type of college degree is required to have the qualifications — is sleeping through class good enough?

In 2009, Roisin Madigan had the chance to be a Luxury Bed Tester for Simon Horn Ltd., and tested beds while under different situations (read: drunk, or over-caffeinated) to figure out which bed was best for the weary traveler. She even got to blog about the beds for her company, which sounds amazing. I’m getting tired just thinking about it.

Google Tricycle Photographer

We all love Google Maps, especially looking at the street view. (Isn’t it strange if the cameras caught your car outside your house?) But unfortunately, there are a few places in the world where the Google car can’t go. Enter the bike photographer!

Google used a tricycle to get a few views around college, which have helped a bunch of prospective students familiarize themselves with the campus of their choosing. In 2012, Google sent two men to France on tricycles to snap up photos of famous historical buildings that weren’t accessible by vehicle.

Can you imagine seeing great sites, getting exercise, and working for one of the best companies out there? Dream job!

Image Credits: Featured, Executive, Waterslide, Bed, Google