Quirky Career Facts

Certain careers seem inherently fun, while others seem boring and lifeless. However, dig a little deeper and you’ll find every job has its quirks. I can’t list every fun piece of trivia for every career out there, but here are ten facts you might be amused by:

Looking for a career that suits your interests? Take Mentoria’s holistic psychometric career assessment test to discover your ideal career based on your unique interests, skills and personality!

1. Civil engineers designed water slides

The aqueducts found in Ancient Rome led to what we now know as water slides in amusement parks and they were designed by Ancient Roman civil engineers. It may seem like a boring job on the surface, but civil engineers are the only reason we’ve been able to go “WHEEEEEEE” in our lives.

2. DJs can’t count past four

Aspiring DJs would know that four beats make up a bar. This habit of counting up to four while making their music spills into any other rhythmic tasks they may perform, such as during exercise.

3. A pilot doesn’t share food

A pilot and his co-pilot have separate meals to ensure that, if one of them gets food poisoning, the other one will be healthy enough to take charge. This is a smart contingency because no one waiting at the airport wants to hear an announcement that says, “Ladies and gentlemen, your flight has been delayed because both our pilots have explosive diarrhoea”. No, Sir!

4. Itchy Nose… in… SPACE!

What’s worse than having an itchy nose that you can’t scratch, you ask? Having your nose tingle while you’re in a bulky spacesuit literally out in space.

For obvious reasons, you can’t take your helmet off to rid yourself of this pesky irritation. As expected of them, the brightest minds of the world came up with a simple but effective solution – installing a velcro patch inside the spacesuit helmet for astronauts to rub their noses against. Not even kidding!

5. Judges break off their pens’ nibs after passing a death sentence

Traditionally – and morbidly – when a judge passes a death sentence, he/she breaks the nib off the pen with which they sign it. It’s a symbolic gesture to distance themselves from the fact that they just ordered a human being’s death. Now you know.

6. A veterinarian’s job is dangerous

Some of their patients may be cute and cuddly, but on an operating table, all bets are off. Research shows that 61-68% of veterinarians may suffer from serious animal-related injuries at work.

There are multiple instances of friendly pets suddenly becoming aggressive and headbutting, scratching or biting the medical staff.

Love animals but want to know everything about the job before you pursue your career?  Speak to Mentoria’s expert career counsellors for personalised step-by-step guidance for your future career path.

7. Workaholics can rack up a staggering number of work hours

If you work 40 hours a week from age 20 to 65, you’ll have worked 90,000 hours in total.

For some scale, in 90,000 hours, you could watch all 10 seasons of the TV show ‘Friends’ 1000 times and still have 700 hours to spare.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S. or the Excel sheet, you prefer?

8. Accounting has been around for millennia

Tokens dating back 7000 years were discovered in ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq, Turkey and Syria). These are thought to be the earliest documented records of goods received and traded.

This tallying business has been going on for ages if you thought otherwise. And we aren’t getting rid of it anytime soon either.

9. Dalmatians are a firefighter’s best friend 101% of the time

Dogs are man’s best friend in general, but in America, firefighters share a special bond with Dalmatians. Back when the fire brigade made its journey via horse carts, Dalmatians would guard the horses. They worked in pairs alongside the horse-carriage, even keeping up with horses in full gallop.

Due to technological advancements, however, a Dalmatian’s role has been reduced to that of a companion. 101 Besties!

10. Chefs grow fond of their kitchenware

A chef’s job isn’t lonely as such, but they rely more on their equipment for their craft than their kitchen companions. This is why chefs tend to have a favourite knife.

There you go. So, whether you are on your way to becoming a DJ, an astronaut, a firefighter, a chef or any of the above, hopefully, we added a dash of fun into your plans.

Kick-start your career discovery journey with Mentoria & be sure to find the right career fit for you. Our 4-step career guidance solution, helps us find the right career fit for you from 3 streams, 850+ courses & 12,000+ careers.