Accountants. Civil Servants. Insurance Agents. When you ask about someone’s career in Singapore, these are the most common replies. But are there other jobs we’re not hearing about? What could Singaporeans be doing for a living? Check out these unusual jobs and you’ll have your answer.
1. A Mermaid
Singapore has her very own little mermaid and no, her name isn’t Ariel.
What started out as an idea for a Halloween party soon turned into fun business idea and Singapore’s first mermaid has been doing it ever since.
She graces children’s parties and corporate events and guarantees you a splashing good time with a little of her ‘mermaid magic’.
If you’re thinking of becoming a mermaid yourself, you can! Syrena offers classes at her very own school.
Syrena – Singapore’s Mermaid
What: Mermaid for hire
Who: Cara Nicole Neo (Her alter ego is Syrena)
Earns: $200/ 45 mins
Website: The Mermaid School
Facebook: The Mermaid Syrena
Did you know? Syrena’s tail weighs a whopping 15kg, is made of Silicon, and cost thousands of dollars.
2. Food Stylist
Well, no one would buy it if it doesn’t look good right?
If you always find yourself saying “Eh! Why my food like that?” whenever it arrives and looks completely different from the display, you’ll now know why.
Food Stylist
What: Food stylists ensure that the food on display always looks good. They’re the ones who help restaurants entice their customers by making the food look as appealing as possible.
Who: Food stylists mostly work behind-the-scenes. Their works are most notable in Japan, where fake food is almost everywhere. You can also find their craft in advertisements, where the food looks incredibly delectable.
Did you know? Most food in advertisements are made out of stuff that’s not even edible. That yogurt in the commercial you just saw? It could be glue.
3. Tarot Card reader
We predict that you’re enjoying the article so far…
Hailing from a family of highly intuitive women, Ms Joanna was an extremely sensitive child who realised she had the ablility of empathy.
She decided to turn to tarot reading after experiencing a series of downs in her life and is now a fully certified professional tarot reader, numerologist and astrologer.
She now helps others whom seek to better understand their current situation and to lend insight into any situation based on her client’s astrological and numerological influences.
Tarot Card Reader
What: Providing a client an inside to his/her past, present and future
Who: Joanna Ong-Ash, founder of Sun Goddess Tarot
Earns: $180 (per face to face session), $88-$208 (For email readings)
Facebook: Sun Goddess Tarot
Did you know? Instead of the usual elements (Air, Water, Fire, Earth, Metal) found in most horoscopes or fengshui, tarot cards have Cups, Pentacles, Swords and Wands instead.
4. Perfumer
Being nosey is no longer a bad thing.
Everyone has a certain smell they love. Be it vanilla or floral, you’ll want to thank the perfumers for always making you smell extra good.
Not only are perfumers expected to differentiate a variety of fragrance ingredients, but also know how each ingredient changes in scent when mixed with others.
In Singapore, you can customise your own perfume at Je taime. You may not be Taylor Swift or Gwen Stefani but you can still create your own perfume!
Perfumer
What: Perfumers are trained in the art of fragrance aesthetics
Who: The most notable perfumers in Singapore are working at Je time. They specialise in helping you create the scent you most desire. They once even helped recreate the scent of fear during the Japanese Occupation for a project with the National Museum of Singapore.
Did you know? Perfumers are sometimes affectionately called the Nose (or le nez in French) due to their extremely good sense of smell and their skill at their craft
5. Taxidermist
They make ’till death do us part’ invalid.
Taxidermy has a long history but only became an art during the Victorian era where mounted animals became extremely popular interior decorations.
Today, it is used as a means to teach. Preserved animals are placed in realistic settings in museums so people may learn about the animal. It is extremely useful when the animal is already extinct.
One such example is Sheba the polar bear. Known as the mother of the first polar bear born in the tropics, Sheba is currently preserved as an exhibit.
Mr Ken Mar, who was given the project to immortalise Sheba, had studied taxidermy in New Zealand. Cats and dogs are usual pets he is tasked to preserve. However, he has also seen unusual projects such as an iguana, a hedgehog and a tortoise.
Demand for the art has also grown. Mr Mar mentioned that he now receives seven requests each month as compared to three from a few years ago.
Taxidermy
What: Preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals
Who: Ken Mar (One of Singapore’s leading taxidermist)
Earns: Depending on the size of the animal, up to $200 for a smaller animal like the guinea pig to $2500 for a larger animal like the golden retriever
Did you know? Vegetable tanning agents are used to turn the animal’s skin into leather, while foam and plastics are used to make up the body.
6. Chilli maker
Every Singaporean loves chilli but how many of us would think of dabbling into chilli making as a career?
While they were overseas, these two sisters brought a bottle of chilli along with them everyday. They just had to have chilli on everything they ate. Their love for chilli was known by both friends and family.
Know someone like that? They could be a chilli maker too!
After much encouragement, the sisters decided to pursue their passion and start Mofo Chili.
Chilli maker
What: Customised halal and vegetarian chilli.
Who: Monica and Steffi (The name Mofo is a combination of Monica’s name and Steffi’s nickname)
Did you know? The second bite of a chilli always feels hotter. That’s because the part nearer to the stem contains the highest concentration of capsaicin – the components that gives you that painful burn.
7. Sexologist
Yes, you read that right.
When she noticed a lack of positive conversations surrounding sex and sexuality in Singapore, Dr Lee decided to pursue a career in the former to help advocate for positive sexuality.
Dedicating her time to coaching couples who experience problems in the bedroom, Dr Lee welcomes all kinds of individuals of any sexual orientation who may require help.
She has been actively serving as Men’s Health Singapore and Malaysia’s sex expert and has even published two books: Love, Sex and Everything in-between and Orgasmic Yoga: Masturbation, Meditating and Everything in-between.
Sexologist
What: Sexuality coaching, sexual education workshops,
Who: Dr Martha Tara Lee (Singapore’s first and only expert in sexology)
Did you know? Common problems in one’s sex life include vaginismus, unconsummated marriages, premature ejaculations and erectile difficulties.
So now that you’ve seen all these unusual jobs, you’ll know better than to sign up for them yes?
We kid.
Unusual or not, you can’t help but admit some of these unusual jobs are pretty cool. They kinda make your current job a wee bit boring don’t they?
Header Image Source: The Mermaid Syrena
Also, read 8 Jobs In SG You Never Thought Would Pay Well But Actually Do
