Goofy Jobs (Way Out Work)

S B O J Y GOOF Diane Lindsey Reeves

Acknowledgements Special thanks to Jim Becker, Sarah Cole, Paul Friedrich, and Brett Roberts for sharing the secrets of their goofy jobs. And also to Lacey Reeves for sharing her goofy ideas and Joy Strickland who assisted in researching and writing this book.

Way Out Work: Goofy Jobs Copyright © 2009 by Diane Lindsey Reeves All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information contact: Ferguson An imprint of Infobase Publishing 132 West 31st Street New York NY 10001 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Reeves, Diane Lindsey, 1959Goofy jobs / Diane Lindsey Reeves. p. cm.—(Way out work) Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-1-60413-130-7 (hbk. : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-60413-130-6 (hbk. : alk. paper) ISBN: 978-1-43812-850-4 (e-book) 1. Job descriptions—Juvenile literature. 2. Occupations—Juvenile literature. 3. Vocational guidance—Juvenile literature. I. Title. HF5381.2.R442 2009 331.702—dc22 2009007054 Ferguson books are available at special discounts when purchased in bulk quantities for businesses, associations, institutions, or sales promotions. Please call our Special Sales Department in New York at (212) 967-8800 or (800) 322-8755. You can find Ferguson on the World Wide Web at http://www.fergpubco.com Text design by Erika K. Arroyo Cover design by Jooyoung An Printed in the United States of America Bang MSRF 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Contents Introduction

4

Goofy Job #1: Candy Maker

5

Goofy Job #2: Cartoonist

8

Goofy Job #3: Clown

11

Goofy Job #4: Comedian

14

Goofy Job #5: Cruise Director

17

Goofy Job #6: Magician

20

Goofy Job #7: Museum Exhibit Designer

23

Goofy Job #8: Summer Camp Director

26

Goofy Job #9: Toy Engineer

29

Goofy Job #10: Video Game Designer

32

More Goofy Jobs

35

Real People, Goofy Jobs

40

Goofy Job Playground

44

Index

46

Introduction You mean you can get paid for goofing off? Candy makers and cartoonists do it. Clowns, comedians, and cruise directors do it too. As a matter of fact, so do magicians, museum exhibit designers, and summer camp directors. Even toy engineers, video game designers, and a bunch of other out-of-the-ordinary professionals get away with some on-the-job fun. Laugh for a living? Play for a paycheck? Sound like something you might enjoy? If so, keep reading because this book is full of ideas about jobs that people do for kicks. Not that a job has to be silly in order for people to enjoy it. But the jobs featured here are, for one reason or another, heavier on the laughs than most. Some are oozing with creativity, some are downright funny, while others are—for lack of a better way to describe them—just plain fun. So what’s it like to have a goofy job, you ask? Here’s your chance to find out. First, get acquainted with 10 goofy jobs. Then check out some more goofy job ideas and stop by to chat it up with real people lucky enough to have unusually fun jobs. Plan to goof around at the end of the book with some activities to find out once and for all what kind of job is most likely to tickle your funny bone.

4

Goof

1 # b y Jo

Candy Maker

Don Stepp dips raspberry fillings in chocolate coating at his candy store, Donells Candies, in Casper, Wyoming. AP Photo/Casper Star-Tribune, Dan Cepeda

Chocolate

kisses,

jellybeans,

and

lollipops are everywhere. The air

Nope. You are a candy maker and it’s just another day at the office.

is scented with the delicious aroma

Candy makers spend their days cre-

of tantalizing sweets. The room is

ating the melt-in-your-mouth goodies

stacked with piles of your favorite

that people in the United States spend

candy bars. Huh? Have you some-

$23 billion a year to enjoy. Some candy

how gotten stuck in a game of

makers, called chocolatiers, specialize

Candyland?

in—can you guess?—chocolate. They

5

make candy bars, truffles, Easter eggs, chocolate hearts, and those candycoated chocolates that “melt in your mouth, not in your hand.” Other candy

Goofy Factor All that candy!

makers, called confectioners, focus on other types of candy like lollipops, licorice, and gummy bears.

work in factories that produce name

Most candy makers work in one

brand products that are sold all over

of three kinds of places. Many work

the world. Others work for novelty

for gigantic candy companies that

candy companies that specialize in

make some of your favorite treats—

treats like sour hard candies or gross-

like Hershey’s or Mars. These people

out candies like monster face suckers and other yucky-looking yummies.

hink? T u o Y o t What D ow tha s? you kn

Did on tree s w o r t ate g Interne e chocol t i r o ll ur fav d out a n i f Use yo o t engine o.” t “caca search u o b a n you ca

Other candy makers work in retail shops, making and selling their own delicious concoctions to customers who walk in from the street. Gourmet chocolate shops—where candy makers get extra fancy with new flavors and products—are especially popular right now.

WOW!

The one ingredient that all candies have in common is sugar. And the one thing that makes them different is heat. Hot temperatures make hard candy, medium heat will make soft candy, and cool temperatures make chewy candy.



gooFy Jobs

Go For It If. . .

You have a sweet tooth.

No matter if they sell gazillions of products around the world or dozens of treats in a neighborhood shop, candy makers learn to follow what are often super-secret recipes very carefully—measuring, weigh-

You’d be tempted to eat everything you make!

forget about it If. . .

ing, and mixing different ingredients to create new and exciting treats. They also use special equipment and machines to heat, mold, and package candy. When it comes right down to it, there’s only one word to accu-

Whether they work in a factory, in a commercial kitchen, or at the mar-

rately describe a candy maker’s job: sweet!

ble countertop of a shop in the mall, many candy makers get their start by attending special cooking schools, where they learn the secrets of making good desserts. Others work with master candy makers as apprentices or helpers—learning by doing and watching pros in action.

Go Online to Find Out More! Find out where chocolate comes from at http:// ecandy.com/ecandyfiles/ cocoa_farming.pdf.

C a n dy M a k e r  

2 # b y Jo

f o o G

Cartoonist

Matt Groening poses for a picture with the Simpsons, the main characters from his hit cartoon series. Douglas Kirkland/Corbis

Beep! Beep! Beep! It’s 7:30 A.M. and

Before you know it, some of your

your alarm’s going off. But, unlike

favorite animated characters have

most other days, you don’t hit the

you sitting on the edge of your seat

snooze button and hide under the

wondering what’s going to happen

covers. Instead, you jump out of bed

next or laughing your head off at their

and dash into the living room. Time

crazy antics. These TV pals you (and

to go to school? No way! It’s Saturday

millions of other kids) visit with each

and time for your favorite cartoons!

weekend are brought to you compli-

8

Goofy Factor Thinking like a cartoon.

cartoons and comics, often amassing huge collections of comic books as kids and constantly covering their textbooks and homework with doodles and sketches. It’s a good thing that so many

ments of the vivid (and sometimes

cartoonists really enjoy what they

zany) imaginations of cartoonists.

do because the job isn’t as easy as

Of course, television is just one

it may look. Take animated car-

place you’ll find cartoonists’ work.

toons, for instance. The cartoons

You’ll also find their work in comic

you see on television involve film-

books, graphic novels, video games,

ing a sequence of images so quickly

and Web sites. And don’t forget the comic strips in newspapers! Cartoonists are artists who, some would say, have never grown up. They see the world through the eyes of the characters they create and tell stories using an entertaining mix of words and images. Many cartoonists admit to a lifelong obsession with

hink? gy T u o Y o What Du think technoloat

th o yo e way h How d t d e ich ang e? Wh has ch d a m e g ns ar —usin n u cartoo f e r ons or be mo o t d l r a u c o w reate rs to c e t hand? u y p b m o m c ing the sketch

WOW!

Walt Disney is the world’s most famous cartoonist. His studio produced the first full-length animated musical film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, way back in 1937. Even though Disney died a long time ago, children everywhere still enjoy his creative handiwork in movies, books, and at the amusement parks named for him and based on his ideas. Cartoonist

9

Go For It IF. . . Your homework is covered with one-of-a-kind doodles. You don’t “get” cartoons.

ForGet about It IF. . .

how many images it takes to make an animated show? Hint: It takes a lot! For example, it took 370 people (including 43 animators) to create the 1,295 painted backgrounds and 120,000 drawings featured in the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast. Succeeding as a cartoonist takes more than a knack for drawing funny characters. In many cases, such as cartoonists who create comic strips for newspapers or political cartoonists who use cartoons to poke fun at society, cartoonists need to have

that it looks like the characters and background scenes are moving in a lifelike or natural way. For instance, to animate the process of running, a

something to say as well. Their art becomes a way to communicate ideas, to make a statement, or simply to entertain their fans.

cartoonist starts with a drawing of the character standing still, followed by one of the character starting to take off, showing first the right leg moving forward and then a drawing of the left leg going forward, and so on, until the character reaches its destination. Can you even imagine

10

gooFy Jobs

Go Online to Find Out More! Learn how to create your own animated cartoons at http://www.kidzdom. com/tutorials.

3 # b o J y f Goo

Clown outrageous costumes, and ridiculous makeup. You run around in your gigantic shoes, juggle a few plates (oops!

you

dropped

one!),

drive

around in a tiny car, chase a pretty lady, make fun of a bald man, and act out a variety of silly skits. Today you are performing in a circus. Tomorrow you may be in a hospital ward cheering up sick children or at someone’s home making a kid’s birthday party extra special. Other, more daring clowns actually perform A clown waves to passersby during the 11th Clown Congress in Mexico City, Mexico. Xinhua/Landov

in rodeos—doing crazy things to distract angry bulls and bucking broncos when riders fall off and make a

You’ve been hit in the face with a pie,

run for safety. Of course, bulls are a

your pants fell down around your

tougher audience than kids. They’d

ankles, and you got squirted in the

rather throw the clown for a loop

face with a plastic flower. To top it all

than laugh!

off, everyone is laughing at you. Are you having another bad day in the school cafeteria? Nope! You are a clown and you are doing what clowns do best: making people laugh with zany antics,

k? n i h T u o Y What DWo hat is it abouut Ha ha! kes yo a m t a th ? clowns e most h t h g lau

11

Goofy Factor Pies in the face!

Getting dressed for the job is almost as much work as the performance itself. When it comes to clown costumes, anything goes! But gigantic shoes, wild hair, and outlandish outfits are a must. Make

Go For It IF. . .

You are the class clown.

You take yourself a little too seriously.

ForGet about It IF. . .

sure to leave lots of time to put on the makeup—it can take nearly two

in the rink. Oh, and one last thing:

hours to put it on and an hour to take

Don’t forget the goofy grin!

it off! There’s a real art to applying

How do clowns learn to put on their

clown makeup. Maybe it’s a stark

crazy makeup and costumes? Hate to

white face with stars on the cheeks,

break it to you, but even clowns go

or maybe it’s super-sized lips with

to school. Clown schools are places

a fake red nose (honk!), topped off

where these funny folks meet other

with a crazy purple wig—whatever

clowns, learn tricks and jokes, and

it takes to morph from regular per-

refine their acts. There, clowns take

son on the street to hilarious clown

classes in things like character devel-

WOW!

Everyone loves a clown—or do they? Some people are downright scared of clowns. Those with a fear of clowns are said to have “coulrophobia.”

12

gooFy Jobs

opment, classic clowning, eccentric dance, and clown therapy. They are taught how to do slapstick antics safely, how to make balloon animals, and even how to coax smiles out of the crankiest kid.

Go Online to Find Out More! Make your own clown face at http://www.clownkevin. com/games.htm.

C l ow n  1 3

Goof

4 # b y Jo

Comedian

Moscow Circus veteran Gregory Popovich conducts a classroom of dogs during his Comedy and Pet Theatre performance. AP Photo/ The Express-Times, Joe Gill

14

Making people laugh is what come-

financial rewards for many aspiring

dians do for a living. Most comedians

comedians are no laughing matter.

start out doing stand-up comedy rou-

Most find it difficult to support them-

tines in small nightclubs and gigs at

selves on the starting pay, so they

parties—yukking it up with fun-lov-

work day jobs to make money and

ing crowds; sometimes “laying eggs,”

work the comedy circuit for fun on

as they call it, when a joke flops; and

the side.

trying to remind themselves that

Of course, a lucky few like Jay

laughs are the best reward. This last

Leno, Adam Sandler, and Whoopi

part is especially important since the

Goldberg eventually make it to the

Goofy Factor Trying to keep a straight face while everyone else is laughing.

funny, it still takes a lot of hard work and putting up with plenty of rejection to make it to the top of this profession. All comedians—even the famous ones—seem to suffer from the same recurring nightmare: telling a joke in a room full of people and

big time, hosting late night television shows, starring in television sitcoms, and making Hollywood movies. The hope of following in these stars’ footsteps keeps many an aspiring comedian at it day after day. What does it take to become a comedian? At the top of the list of job requirements are a quick wit and sense of humor. It’s not easy to keep the jokes coming for a 20-minute routine, and being funny is not something most people can fake. You either are or you aren’t—it’s as simple as that. It also helps to have thick skin because, even if you are outrageously

nobody laughs. Oh, and by the way, it’s not enough to be able to tell a good joke. Comedians have to be able to write them too. Is there a giant Comedians “R” Us somewhere that sells funny stories? Nope! They pay attention to

k? n i h T u o Y , What Duop whether “Knochky

“W osse?” or r e It’s a t h t ?” s who’ e road , h t k c s o s n o k cr t to star hicken c y e a h w t s did ou e st fam o m an com e c h u o is t y See if ch line n u a joke. p w h a ne . up wit of them h t o b r fo

WOW!

Laughter is the best medicine—literally! Some medical studies say it can even help prevent heart disease, so get giggling!

Comedian

15

Go For It IF. . . You know how to make your friends and family crack up. You always forget the punch line when you try to tell a joke.

ForGet about It IF. . .

1

gooFy Jobs

life. Sometimes all it takes to spark a great joke is eavesdropping on other people’s conversations while riding on the subway or peoplewatching while waiting in line at the supermarket.

Go Online to Find Out More! Catch up on all the best jokes at http://www.scatty.com.

5 # b o J y f Goo

Cruise Director every time you turn around? Join the conga line wending its way down the beach? Wait a second…Conga line? Pretend you are a passenger on a cruise ship enjoying an onshore excursion for the day. Thanks to the efforts of the cruise director, there is always plenty of fun to be found. In fact, boredom is simply not allowed. Who has time to be bored anyway with pools, and games, and endless activities, and all that food? When they advertised “fun in the sun,” they weren’t kidding!

A cruise director stands on the deck of a ship. Getty Images

Cruise directors are in charge of keeping things hopping on a

When you are a kid, lying on a beach

cruise ship by organizing all kinds

and appreciating the beautiful scen-

of entertainment options for pas-

ery is fun for about 30 seconds, but

sengers of all ages. On board there

what do you do after that? Poke at

is everything from kids’ clubs to

crabs scuttling across the sand? Build

Broadway-style

a sandcastle that gets washed away

sports competitions, contests, and

plays.

There

are

17

Goofy Factor ‘Round-the-clock fun and games.

supplies of energy. Out-of-the-norm stamina is especially important since cruise directors work very long days (often starting before the sun comes up and quitting long after it goes down). Due to the nature of cruising,

an endless array of fun and games. For days when the ship is docked at some new exotic port, they plan offshore activities like scuba diving and snorkeling, and they take passengers on sightseeing tours. Every day it’s something new, with impres-

when your “office” is floating around the ocean for days, weeks, or even months at a time, cruise directors don’t get many days off when they are at sea. Instead, they tend to work straight through an extended period of time, say one to six months, and

sive lists of daily activities delivered to passenger’s rooms in plenty of time to schedule oodles of fun for every member of the family. How do cruise directors pull this off? Three secrets tell the story: great organizational skills, a talented staff, and a people-pleasing personality. Oh, and one more thing: endless

hink? T u o Y o e to do k i l What D u o ould y uise

r w me a c What o c e B e day’s uise? r h c t t a u n o o an to and pl r o t rkeling c o e n s dir r y, from imbing. itinera ain cl mount

WOW! Long before ships had access to the kinds of fancy navigation technology that cruise ship captains use today, they followed the stars to find their way. Can you find the Big Dipper? 18

gooFy Jobs

Go For It If. . .

You are always the life of the party.

You get seasick just thinking about living onboard a ship.

forget about it If. . . then take off for a nice long vacation before starting the process all over again.

One of the best things about being a cruise director is that it offers a wonderful chance to see the world. Luxurious ships travel everywhere—from Alaska to the Mediterranean and Australia to the Caribbean Islands. Some even go for ‘round-the-world voyages. Ahoy, matey!

Go Online to Find Out More! Captain your own cruise ship at http:// freeonlinegames.com/ arcade-games/easycruise.html.

C r u i s e D i re c t o r  1 9

6 # b o J y f Goo

Magician

A magician poses with his saw after using it to cut his assistant in half in a magic trick. B. Bird/zefa/Corbis

“Abracadabra, Hocus Pocus,” and…

their lives entertaining others by

Poof! A white bunny rabbit sticks its

doing illusions and magic tricks. They

head out of a black top hat. But where

perform anywhere a spark of mystery

did that bunny come from? It’s like he

is needed, from kids’ birthday parties

just appeared out of thin air! Every-

and nightclubs to cruise ships and

one wants to know how tricks like

million-dollar television extravagan-

this work, but only a magician knows

zas. In some big cities, magicians can

for sure.

even be found teasing passersby on

Magicians

are

super-secretive,

super-talented people who spend

20

street corners (don’t forget to leave a tip!).

Goofy Factor All those rabbits and wacky tricks.

stances (like being underwater!). Or, more recently, the famous duo of Siegfried and Roy, who integrate white lions and tigers into their act. How do magicians learn the tricks of the trade? After all, most people

Most people think of a magi-

find that they can’t just stick their

cian as someone walking around

hand inside a hat and grab a rabbit!

in a black suit and top hat, sawing

The truth of the matter is that many

pretty ladies in half, and performing

magicians get started when they are

card tricks. But these days, not every

kids. They get their hands on a book

magician works with the same bag

full of magic tricks at the library, try

of tricks. The most successful (and famous) magicians find a way to set themselves apart. Take one of the most famous magicians in history, Harry Houdini, as an example—he became famous as an “escape artist,” able to free himself from locked boxes, handcuffs, and chains under all kinds of outrageous circum-

hink? c T u o Y o What nD’t call them magici is

o ag They d hing. M t o n ng r o ”f r tricki o , “tricks n o i in ut illus ething m o s all abo g n ei do you into se e w l o p H o e . p ay rted w s do it? n a disto a i c i g a think m

WOW!

The bullet-catch trick is the most dangerous magic trick of all and has killed more than a dozen magicians. The stunt involves firing a marked bullet at the magician, who, if all goes according to plan, is supposed to catch it—with his teeth! Of course, it goes without saying—DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME!

Magician

21

Go For It IF. . .

You’re always trying to make your homework disappear! You stink at playing hide-and-seek.

ForGet about It IF. . . a few, and are hooked. Those who stick with it and eventually decide to try magic as a career may enroll in a magic school, where professional magicians share their secrets. It may

22

gooFy Jobs

not be Hogwarts, but it’s a school for real-life magicians. Every magician has a different trick up his or her sleeve (literally), but they all have something in common: confidence! Magicians head out into the world to prove to everybody that magic really does exist. The question is—do you believe?

Go Online to Find Out More! Learn a bunch of magic tricks at http://www. funology.com/abracadabra/ index.htm.

Goof

7 # b y Jo

Museum Exhibit Designer

Two museum exhibit designers assemble a working six-foot-long mechanical model of a Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton that illustrates skeletal movement. AP Photo/Stephen Chernin

Hey everybody, it’s time for a field trip

be either an awesome adventure or

to the museum! When you hear those

a complete dud. But what makes one

words, what’s your first reaction? Do

museum so exciting and another so

you want to shout for joy or groan

dull?

in misery? Everybody knows that

Museum exhibit designers ask

there are two types of museums in

themselves the same question all the

the world: really fun ones and really

time in their quest to make muse-

boring ones. Depending on which

ums more interactive, interesting,

one you’re heading to, a visit could

and, most important, fun for people

23

signs used to guide visitors through

Goofy Factor

the exhibit are carefully considered. When all the pieces comes together

so many wild ideas.

just right, stepping into an exhibit area should be like stepping into

of all ages. Who wants to stare at a picture of a T-Rex when you could hear it roar and see it jump instead? Today’s technology is making the well-earned “don’t touch” reputation of stuffy museums a thing of the past. “Hands-on” is the new rallying cry for museums everywhere. Getting visitors to actually do things instead of just look at them means that visitors don’t just have more fun, they learn more too. (Shhh, don’t tell the kids!) Exhibit designers must imagine everything from a visitor’s perspective. No detail is too small to escape their

attention.

Everything

from

the way artifacts and activities are arranged to the printed materials and

another world. Of course, exhibit designers don’t do everything themselves, as talented as they may be. Putting together a major museum exhibit requires teamwork: architects to design the displays, craftspeople to construct them, educational experts to define the content and come up with age-appropriate activities, and graphic designers and artists to make it all look good.

ink? h T u o Y What Duoseum have you

? m What ecently r t s o m ng visited teresti n i t i s i or our v ? Why Was y g n i n i terta and en ot? why n

WOW!

Museums aren’t all about science or history, you know. The most popular type of museum is a zoo!

24

gooFy Jobs

have contracts to create exhibits for a

Go For It If. . .

variety of museums. Museum exhibit designers are limited only by their own creativity. If

Curiosity is the name of your game.

they can imagine something, someone can help them build it—whether

You are allergic to learning.

it’s a pirate ship or a display like the one in London’s Natural History

forget about it If. . .

Museum, where the entrance is filled with the figures of mythical monsters, like Medusa and Cyclops. To reach the main exhibit, guests have

Sometimes they also work with historians, scientists, or other experts

to ride an escalator into the earth itself!

in order to get their facts straight and make the exhibits as realistic as possible. Some

exhibit

designers

work

on the staff of a museum and are responsible for managing a constantly changing stream of exhibits. Others work for design firms that may

Go Online to Find Out More! Visit an online museum and play games at www. childrensmuseum.org/ games/grades_6-8.htm.

M u s e u m E x h i b i t D e s i g n e r  2 5

8 # b y Jo

f o o G

Summer Camp Director

Summer camp directors have a picnic with their campers. Getty Images

Are you one of those kids who can’t

is a big difference between going to

get enough of summer camp? Lazy

camp as a kid and running one as an

days paddling across the lake in a canoe, splashing with friends in the pool, riding horses, practicing archery, taking nature hikes, singing songs around the campfire, roasting marshmallows...Who says you have to give it up when you grow up? Summer camp directors get to go to camp for a living! Of course, there

2

ink? h T u o Y o g ampin What D c n e e orite ve b

fav If you’ s your a w t do a , wh , what t o n before f I d out it? like an d l u o part ab uw ink yo eeping l s t u o you th b most a stars? e dislike h t r e d out un

Goofy Factor Looking like an adult, acting like a kid.

strategies for dealing with homesick kids. Bottom line, the director is the “boss” of the camp, and it’s his or her job to oversee everything that happens and manage everyone who works there. Spending time as a happy camper

adult. When you are a camper, your

is one of the best ways to prepare

number one job is to have fun. When

for being a camp director. That way,

you are a camp director, your number

camp directors know exactly what

one job is to make sure that everyone

a good camping experience is all

else has fun. Shucks. You probably

about. As a matter of fact, many camp

knew there had to be a catch some-

directors started going to camp as

where, didn’t you? But have no fear,

kids, worked as camp counselors as

there’s still a lot of fun to be had as

teens, and grew up to become camp

the fun-maker in chief.

directors as adults. Of course, they

But first, there are a few details to

needed some training and experi-

attend to. The camp director is head

ence along the way. But the “I love

honcho of the entire camp and has to

camping” bug often “bites” at a rather

make sure that everything—and that

young age.

means everything—runs smoothly.

Don’t make the mistake of think-

Everything includes cabin (or tent)

ing that camp directors spend all their

assignments, meals, games, and even

time sitting behind a desk, though.

WOW!

Homesickness is an ailment known to strike many firsttime campers. There’s no fever or barfing involved, but symptoms often include a few tears and a lot of whining. Good thing that most symptoms subside within a couple of days!

s u m m e r C a m p D i re c t o r

2

Nothing could be farther from the

comes to being a camp director,

truth. Look for the fun and listen for

there’s something for everybody. For

the laughs and you’ll usually find the

instance, there are resident camps

director right in the middle of what-

where campers live at the camp for a

ever is causing the ruckus—whether

week or more at a time, often bunk-

it’s a crazy skit, a rousing game of

ing together in cabins. There are also

Capture the Flag, or a joke-filled clos-

day camps where campers come for

ing ceremony.

certain hours during the day and then American

head home to their families (and the

Camp Association, about 10 million

comfort of their own beds) to sleep.

children attend camp each year in

Other camps have themes attached

approximately 12,000 camps nation-

to them, like sports camps, perform-

wide. Which means that, when it

ing arts camps, or science camps.

According

to

the

There are even surf camps out there

Go For It IF. . .

You’d rather be camping than doing just about anything else you can imagine.

Your idea of a camp-out is sleeping in a tent under the dining room table of your nice, comfy house.

ForGet about It IF. . . 28

gooFy Jobs

(though only along the coast—sorry, Oklahoma)! Some camps have more serious themes, like camps for children who have cancer and for those with disabilities. No matter the circumstances, all camp directors work to achieve the same goal: Kids just gotta have fun!

Go Online to Find Out More! go camping online at https://www. gocybercamp.org.

9 # b o J y f Goo

Toy Engineer

Isao Mihara, an engineer from Toshiba Corporation, works with a prototype pet robot at the company’s Corporate Research and Development Center in Japan. Toru Yamanaka/AFP/Getty Images

Plenty of people grow up to become

right? First, someone (like a toy engi-

doctors and lawyers, but only a few

neer!) has to imagine an idea for a

get to be toy engineers. Toy engi-

new toy. The process generally starts

neers make toys for a living. Thanks

something like this: “Wouldn’t it be

to them, being a kid today is more fun

fun if…?” Then they sketch out ideas

than ever before!

of how the toy might look and think

You realize, of course, that toys

through all the ways it might work. If

don’t just pop up out of nowhere to

the idea still sounds good on paper, a

appear on the shelves at Toys “R” Us,

toy engineer might round up some toy

29

Goofy Factor Work time equals play time.

that toy engineers can actually “print” 3-D models of their designs in much the same way that you print out your homework. Next, toy engineers have to figure out what kind of materials to

“experts” to get their opinions. These

use—recycled plastic or stainless

experts are not famous scientists or

steel? Organic cloth or durable clay?

talented designers. Nope. They are

They also have to come up with very

kids who know how to play and can

detailed plans on how the toy will be

spot a fun toy a mile away.

made, put together, and packaged.

Once an idea passes the kid-

This often involves programming

pleasing test, the real work begins.

elaborate machines and even robots

Toy engineers rev their imaginations

to manufacture each piece of the toy

into high gear and start figuring out how to turn that idea into a best-selling toy. Their preliminary sketches are fleshed out into full-fledged designs so that everyone involved in the manufacturing process clearly sees exactly the same thing that the toy engineer envisions. Computers make this part of the job especially interesting now

hink? f T u o Y o o rite toy What D o v a f r cial you

is so spe t i What s e k e magin hat ma i W n a ? l c l a ou e See if y ? u rs wer o e y e n i to g oy en y what t en the h w g thinkin ed it. creat

WOW!

Monopoly is the best-selling game of all time, with more than 100 million copies sold since its invention in 1936. It’s been sold in 80 different countries and translated into 26 different languages, including Braille. 30

gooFy Jobs

Go For It If. . .

You want to always be a kid at heart.

You don’t like to color outside the lines.

forget about it If. . . in a logical way. All this planning, designing, creating, and manufacturing takes a lot of time! It typically

safety. Before a toy can be sold in stores, it must pass some very stringent tests. Only after a toy has been officially approved can it make its way into your toy chest. A sense of fun and a great imagination are great assets for toy engineers, but those aren’t all they need. Toy engineers need to be really good at math and science, and they usually go to college, where they study subjects like engineering, calculus, and (gulp!) physics. The job is kind of like being one of Santa’s elves…with a college degree.

takes a year (or more) for a toy to go from the idea stage to the finished product. One of the biggest challenges a toy engineer faces is making sure that the toy is safe. Toys that hurt children are no fun, which is why there are very strict laws about toy

Go Online to Find Out More! Blast to the past with this look at the history of toys at http://www.history.com/ content/toys.

Toy E n g i n e e r  3 1

10 # b o J y Goof

Video Game Designer have you grumbled that it’s just not fair—you’re having fun, developing quick reflexes, and saving the world, all at the same time! Well, next time she tells you to turn off the game, tell her that you’re training for your future career! Some people get paid to play video games. Of course, they have to design and program the games first, but they still get a paycheck for doing what lots of people would gladly do for free. There’s a lot more to creating video games than you might imagine. Just because video games come in small packages doesn’t mean they aren’t

Legendary Nintendo video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto plays a guitar solo in Wii Music using the Wii Remote at a media briefing. Getty Images

How many times has your mother told you to turn off the video game and come to dinner? How many times

32

ink? , h T u o Y e What oDuor all-time-favoeriot

id is y ing-it v What y a l e p top kes th a m t can’t-s a h hy? W W le? ? e m ga resistib r i o s game

Goofy Factor getting paid to play video games.

with energy and pizzazz. Sound or audio designers create the special effects that make all the fun noises and integrate the character’s voices into the action. Once the creative work is done, the programmers add their high-tech

full of gigantic ideas and humongous

magic to computerize the game. For a

technological ingenuity.

complex game, this can involve writ-

In fact, a good video game is so

ing millions of lines of “code” that tell

complex that it takes many talented

the game what to do when a player

people to make one. Each person

does certain things. When the game

on a video design team is talented

is ready for action, it is turned over to

in different ways. Some designers,

what some gamers consider the luck-

those with the wildest imaginations,

iest person on the team: the video

work as storyboard artists, creating

game tester. It’s this person’s job to

the plot behind the game and fig-

spend hours and hours playing and

uring out the rules. Others work as

mastering the game, identifying any

character artists, giving each char-

glitches and working out any kinks.

acter its unique and consistent iden-

It’s a tough job, but somebody has to

tity. Graphic artists create the cool

do it!

visual look of the game environ-

If all this sounds like a lot of work,

ment, using their talents to infuse it

it’s because it is. Video games can

WOW!

If you like video games, you are in good company. An estimated 72 percent of people in the United States play video games. Look around—that means nearly three out of four people you see are video game fans!

Vi d e o g a m e D e s i g n e3r 3 3 3

Go For It If. . .

You eat, sleep, and even dream video games! You have no idea who Mario and Luigi are.

forget about it If. . .

stake, it’s important to make sure the game is as good as it can get before turning it loose on the video gamer world. So where do video game designers learn how to make best-selling games? School, of course! Did you have any idea that you can actually get a college degree in video game design? How cool is that? It’s just one way to prepare yourself for a spot in the video game industry—an industry that, by the way, is raking in more

take up to three years to develop,

than $31 billion a year!

even with the most talented team on earth working on them. Since there is so much competition out there, only the very best, most creative, totally amazing video games make it to the best-seller lists. With so much at

34  goofy Jobs

Go Online to Find Out More! Play along at http://www.kidscom.com.

More Goofy Jobs Here are some more goofy jobs that

bid prices ranging from a mere $200

will either tickle your funny bone or

to more than a whopping $80 million

make you scratch your head in won-

per item!

der at some of the goofy things people do to make a living.

Auctioneer

Buyers browse through the catalogs and come early to the auction house to take a look at the merchandise. Once the auction starts, hold

Better not scratch your nose at an

on to your hats (and your bidding

auction or you could become the

paddle!), because it’s fast paced and

proud owner of a brand new cow or

exciting. Listen closely, because the

a big box of lightbulbs or—how did

auctioneer talks fast, fast, fast—get-

you get yourself into this mess?—a $1

ting buyers bidding against each

million painting. Auction houses are

other to get the best price, and mov-

where auctioneers sell all kinds of

ing through hundreds of items at

unusual items. It might be livestock,

lightning speed.

such as farm animals. It might be second-hand office furniture or high-

balloon Artist

end luxury cars. In some cases, like

Have you ever been at a birthday

at the famous Christie’s in New York

party and seen a balloon artist twist

City, the auction house may publish

and turn a single balloon into a dog,

catalogs listing some of the finest art

a hat, or even a sword? Have you

and photographs, along with some

ever wondered how they do it? You

fabulous jewelry and collectibles with

can bet it takes a ton of practice and

35

plenty of popped balloons to turn a

want to get the same dining expe-

skinny tube of air into a two-headed

rience that anyone coming into the

dog, giant insect, or pirate hat.

restaurant would enjoy. After all, if ones

the restaurant owners knew that a

who get to have fun with balloons,

food critic would be writing about

although plenty of them keep this skill

them, they would be tempted to roll

up their sleeves. Some people take

out the red carpet and favor the critic

their ballooning so seriously that they

with extra care and better service

do what it takes to become a certi-

than the average customer would

fied balloon artist—earning this cre-

receive.

Clowns

aren’t

the

only

dential requires, among other things, passing a four-hour hands-on test.

It goes without saying that food critics eat very well. With their

Once they learn how to do it, it’s

employer picking up the bill for the

time to bring on the fun—at birthday

meal, there is no need to scrimp. A

parties, festivals, fairs, Christmas par-

typical meal starts with a nice appe-

ties, restaurants, museums, theme

tizer, followed by a lovely salad,

parks, and even zoos! Balloon artists

topped off with a tantalizing main

work any place where people are in

dish—will that be steak or lob-

need of a smile.

ster, ma’am?—and don’t forget the

Food Critic

dessert. Heaven help the restaurant that

Instead of singing for their supper

serves lousy food or provides grumpy

like little Tom Tucker in the popular

service! While a good review can

Mother Goose nursery rhyme, food

turn a new restaurant into an over-

critics write for theirs. They sneak

night success, a bad comment can

into the town’s finest restaurants

ruin one.

and hole-in-the-wall diners looking for delectable stories to report about

golf ball Diver

in newspaper columns or magazine

What happens when a golfer goofs up

articles. Why do they sneak? They

and, instead of landing on the green,

3

gooFy Jobs

his or her ball ends up in a pond? Does

those you see holding signs in high-

the player have to jump in and get it?

way construction zones, play the job

No, thank goodness, the game rules

pretty straight. All they do is stand

don’t add insult to injury with that sort

there and change the sign from

of humiliation. Do specially trained fish

“stop” to “go” depending on the flow

putt it back up to the surface? A golfer

of traffic. Although they may feel

might wish that would happen, but in

kind of goofy standing there all day,

reality the golf ball is a goner. It sits at

their job is fairly serious. After all,

the bottom of the pond, waiting in the

doing it wrong can be hazardous to

murky depths, until an enterprising

drivers’ and construction workers’

golf ball diver hops in to pick it up.

health.

That’s right—golf ball diver. These

But another kind of human sign,

people actually put on wetsuits and

called sign twirlers, is a different

scuba gear and dive into golf course

story. The goofier they act, the better.

ponds to gather lost golf balls. These

Twirling, flipping, twisting, spinning,

ponds tend to be anywhere from 10

tossing,

to 50 feet deep. While some of these

of their antics are designed to get

ponds are pristine little pools of water,

passersby to notice them and bring

others are slimy and dirty, and more

attention to the business they are

than a few are infested with snakes,

advertising. It might be a cell phone

leeches, and even alligators. Despite

store, a sandwich shop, or a going-

the dangers, golf ball divers go after

out-of-business sale, but the sign

the sunken treasure. In this case, the

twirler has one goal, and that’s to

“treasure” is buckets and buckets of

“make ‘em look.” As if all the gyra-

golf balls—as many as 5,000 balls on

tions weren’t goofy enough, some

a good day.

sign twirlers also wear crazy cos-

Human sign Twirler

catching,

bouncing—all

tumes too. It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Superman, and he’s pointing

There are human signs and then

to that comic book store across the

there are human signs. Some, like

street!

M o re g o o f y Jo b s

3

Ice Cream Truck Driver

what they say they do. Whether it’s bad breath or b.o. (body odor), experts find

Nothing says summer like the jingle-

ways of “sniffing” out the answers—

jangle of an ice cream truck mak-

literally! Sometimes it involves getting

ing its way through a neighborhood.

up close and personal with the bad

Somehow their drivers seem to know

smell. Just to be clear here, up close

just where to find hot and sweaty

and personal often means taking a

people, and the happy music blaring

sniff of someone’s armpits or getting

from their colorful trucks promises

a good whiff of someone’s breath.

sweet relief. Sun lovers everywhere

By the way, did you know the

know that nothing in the world can

stinkiness in human flatulence is

cool you off like an icy cold Popsicle

mostly caused by hydrogen sulfide?

or a slurpy snow cone.

How did scientists find out this fasci-

Which is why no one is quite as popular as an ice cream truck driver

nating fact? You really don’t want to know!

when summer temperatures start to soar. Whether they show up down the street or at the beach, kids and

sports Mascot Awesome! The home team is win-

adults alike come running with dol-

ning and the crowd is going wild. And

lar bills.

there in the middle of all the mayhem

odor Judge

is a gigantic, furry creature in a team uniform and ball cap stirring every-

Is your deodorant doing its job? Does

one up. Did the new quarterback or

your cat litter live up to its hype? Is your

pitcher forget to shave? No, it’s the

breath really kissably fresh? Only the

team mascot, and “it” is the team’s

nose knows for sure. When it comes

number one fan.

to odor, judges are actually scientists

It’s the mascot’s job to get the

who run experiments to find out if the

crowd cheering, to tease the play-

products their employers sell really do

ers and referees, and to poke good-

38

gooFy Jobs

natured fun at the opposing team.

team mascot often gets as much of a

The job takes a good sense of humor,

workout as the team itself. But being

lots of energy, and all the right moves!

a team mascot is the ultimate job for

Those costumes can get heavy and

sports-loving goof-offs!

very hot, so you can be sure that the

M o re Go o f y Jo b s  3 9

Real People, Goofy Jobs Goofy people or goofy job? Decide for

lenging science experience or all the

yourself when you read about what

gear a kid needs to build some sort

some of these fun-loving people do

of handy gadget (like a digital door

at work.

alarm to keep pesky siblings out of

PeoPle Profile #1: Jim Becker, Book-Plus Producer

your stuff). No matter what the “plus” component is, Becker says his goal is

“Professional Eight-Year-Old.” That’s

always the same: to stop kids from

what the sign outside Jim Becker’s

complaining about being bored! He

office says. Becker’s job is to create

and his staff sit around twice a week

book-plus products for kids, and he

brainstorming ideas for new prod-

says the only way he knows how to do

ucts. The only rule for the process

that is to pretend to be a kid himself.

is that there are no rules. Any idea

So far his plan must be working since

goes, no matter how silly or stupid

his company, Becker and Mayer, cre-

it seems at first. You never know

ates about 100 cool new kid-friendly

when a goofy question like “What if

products a year.

you could play video games in the

Book-plus means that a product includes a book plus some sort of

bathtub?” might lead to a bestselling product.

toy or gizmo that makes the whole

So how did a guy with a col-

thing more fun. Sometimes the

lege degree in biomedical engineer-

plus is stickers or puzzles or paints.

ing end up making toys when he

Sometimes it’s a nifty interactive

was trained to make artificial hearts

format. Still other times it’s a chal-

and kidneys? The answer is simple:

40

He wanted a job where he could be

exhibits opened, Cole didn’t have

creative and think like a kid. Take a

to think twice before saying, “Yes!”

look at Becker’s company Web site

Since then she’s been busy planning,

(ht t p://w w w.becker mayer.com/

creating, and managing awesome

juvenile.html) to find out if he got

new exhibits—rolling out new ones

what he wanted.

every three to six months. One of her favorites so far is called Comic Book

People Profile #2: Sarah Cole, Manager of Special and Temporary Exhibits

tion of over 19,000 comic books (bet

No one ever told Sarah Cole that she

worn by actor Christopher Reeve in

could work in a museum when she

the Superman movie, and the Batmo-

grew up. The idea never occurred to

bile from the latest Batman. One of the

her, even though she started playing

perks of being in charge of the exhibit

in the children’s museum she now

was helping drive Batman’s “ride” into

works in when she was only two

the museum—even though she had

years old. She actually went to col-

to do it at 4:00 in the morning (yawn!)

lege to get a degree in biology. It just

so that the streets and museum were

so happened that the Indianapolis

empty of cars and people.

Heroes. The exhibit featured a collecthat’s more than you have!), the cape

Children’s Museum needed someone

“Fun,” “fast-paced,” “fresh,” and

to work part time in their science

“exciting” are words Cole uses to

gallery at the same time that Cole

describe her work. She says it gives

needed a job. She says it was a clas-

her a chance to meet amazing peo-

sic case of being in the right place at

ple—like the MI6 agent she met when

the right time but is really glad that

putting together a spy exhibit and the

she stumbled into this type of work.

underwater explorer she met when

For a few years she enjoyed pro-

organizing an exhibit about maps.

viding informal science education

She also says it’s the perfect job for

experiences for kids. But when an

people who like to learn or, as Cole

opportunity to move up to work with

puts it, “Discovery Channel people.”

R e a l Pe o p l e , Go o f y Jo b s  4 1

toon characters. As it turns out, the

People Profile #3: Paul Friedrich, Cartoonist

paintings became very popular and

All his life people told Paul Friedrich

Friedrich is known for his colorful and

it couldn’t be done. In middle school,

quirky art featuring his most famous

when he told his home-ec teacher

character, Onion Head Monster.

are now widely collected. These days,

that he wanted to be a cartoonist

But Friedrich is getting the last

when he grew up, she told him to

laugh about achieving his other goals

“face reality” and asked him what he

as well. He has published several

was really going to do. In college, his

books and magazines. He even got

art professors told him that cartoons

his wish for his own comic strip, con-

weren’t a valid art form, that there

tributing lots of laughs to an alterna-

was no future in cartoons, and that

tive newspaper called The Spectator

trying to become a cartoonist was a

for nine years.

waste of Friedrich’s talent. Ouch! to pursue his lifelong ambition to

People Profile #4: Brett Roberts, Comedian

become a cartoonist. And guess

When people grow up, they usually

what? His teachers and professors

pick a job that already exists—doc-

were wrong!

tor, lawyer, teacher, and the like. Not

Friedrich disagreed and decided

Friedrich’s approach to making a

Brett Roberts. He made his up. First

living as a cartoonist is as creative as

he looked for clues about the kind of

his art. He graduated from college with

job he might like.

two goals in mind. One was to publish

Hmmm…

comic books and cartoon magazines.

He had always enjoyed theatre.

The other was to do a comic strip for

And he had been interested enough

a newspaper. Realizing that he wasn’t

in child development to earn a col-

likely to get rich quick with either of

lege degree in it. Then he noticed that

these pursuits, he made money by

there were comedians and there were

selling paintings based on his car-

kids’ entertainers, but nobody had put

42  goofy Jobs

the two together to be a kids’ come-

And to think all this would have

dian. Aha! That was exactly what he

never happened if it weren’t for Ker-

wanted to do! Now Roberts is one of

mit the Frog.

only a handful of kid’s comedians in the entire world.

Roberts explains that a childhood encounter with the famous Mup-

The short supply of kids’ comedi-

pet changed his life forever. It was

ans must explain why Roberts is so

when Roberts was in the fifth grade

busy. Roberts estimates that he does

and happened to watch The Mup-

more than 300 shows a year. Some-

pet Movie. In the film, Kermit rode

times he does as many as 12 shows a

a bicycle and Roberts couldn’t help

day. Other days he stays at home all

but wonder how that was possible.

day and sleeps! He performs at fairs

He eventually found out that the

and festivals as well as at schools

producers used a radio-controlled

and libraries. Sometimes he is the

Kermit to do the stunt. Even so, he

only “act,” and sometimes he works

was hooked for good on using pup-

with other performers like magicians,

pets and humor to entertain—and to

puppeteers, and other children’s per-

educate—children.

formers as part of a big show.

R e a l Pe o p l e , Go o f y Jo b s  4 3

Goofy Job Playground You’ve read about goofy jobs that

do you think? Could you do it? Would

other people do. Here’s your chance to

you dare? (Oh, and by the way, if this

play around with the idea of having a

book doesn’t belong to you, please

goofy job yourself someday. So what

use a separate sheet of paper.)

Watch out, goofy Job, Here I Come First, imagine that you’re all grown up and ready to tackle a goofy career…

Would you Do It? Candy Maker Cartoonist Clown Comedian Cruise Director Magician Museum exhibit Designer Summer Camp Director Toy engineer Video Game Designer

44

Can’t Wait to Try It someday!

Maybe—If I Ever get The Nerve!

Not A Chance!

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…

What’s your idea of a totally goofy

Which of these jobs is goofiest of

job? Can you invent one so absolutely

them all?

hilarious that people everywhere will

t  Auctioneer

laugh their heads off when they read

t  Balloon Artist

about it?

 

 

Pretend that a comedy magazine

t  Food Critic t  Golf Ball Diver t  Human Sign Twirler t  Ice Cream Truck Driver t  Odor Judge t  Sports Mascot

Help Wanted: GoofOff for a Goofy Job

Hot Off the Press!

thinks your job is so funny that they want to feature you on the front cover. They ask you to write a short story about what you do. Include lots of behind-the-scenes information, and don’t forget to include some of your best jokes!

 

 

One More Thing…

Take your pick of the goofy jobs listed

Here’s some room to list any good

above and pretend that you’ve been

books or interesting Web sites you

named king or queen of fun and

find to further explore goofy job

need to find someone to help you out.

ideas. You can use a search engine

Quick, make up an ad that will get the

like http://kids.yahoo.com to search

goof-offs laughing all the way to your

for information by typing in the name

employment office! Be sure to weed

of a career you’d like to know more

out the wannabes from the real thing

about. Or ask your school media spe-

by emphasizing the special “talents”

cialist or librarian for help in finding

it takes to get the job done.

some books.

Go o f y Jo b P l ay g ro u n d  4 5

Index Note: Bold page numbers indicate a photo.

A

animator 8–10 artists balloon artist 35–36 cartoonist 8–10, 42 game designer 33 auctioneer 35

B

balloon artist 35–36 Becker, Jim 40–41

C

camp director 26–28 captain, cruise 17–19 career selection 44–45 cartoonist 8–10, 42 children. See kids, jobs about chocolate maker 5–7 circus clown 11–13, 36 code writer 33 Cole, Sarah 41 comedian 14–16, 42–43 coulrophobia 12

D

designers exhibit designer 23–25, 41 video game designer 32–34

4

Disney, Walt 9 Donells Candies 5

e education. See training engineer, toy 29–31, 40–41 event planners camp director 27–28 cruise director 17–18 exhibit designer 23–25, 41

f

food jobs candy maker 5–7 critic 36 ice cream truck driver 38 Friedrich, Paul 42

G

game designer 32–34 golf ball diver 37 graphic artist 33 Groening, Matt 8

H

Houdini, Harry 21

i

ice cream truck driver 38 illustrator, cartoon 9–10, 42

J

joke teller 14–16, 42–43

K

R

Roberts, Brett 42–43 robot programmer 30–31

kids, jobs about balloon artist 35–36 camp director 26–28 cartoonist 8–10, 42 circus clown 11–13, 36 comedian 42–43 exhibit designer 23–25, 41 game designer 32–24 ice cream truck driver 38 magician 20–22 toymaker 29–31, 40–41

S

M

team mascot 38–39 technology game designer 33 toy engineer 30, 40 toymaker 29–31, 40–41 training balloon artist 36 cartoonist 42 clown 12–13 comedian 42–43 exhibit designer 41 game designer 34 magician 21–22 toy engineer 31, 40–41 tricks, magic 20–22 truck driver, ice cream 38 TV cartoonist 8–10

mascot, sports 38–39 Miyamoto, Shigeru 32 The Muppet Movie 43 museum educator 41

N

Nintendo designer 32 nose, professional 38

O

odor judge 38

P

performers balloon artist 35–36 clown 11–13 comedian 14–16, 42–43 magician 20–22 sign twirler 36–37 sports mascot 38–39 Popovich, Gregory 14 puppeteer 43

scientists exhibit designer 23–25, 41 toy engineer 29–31, 40–41 ship worker 17–19 sign twirler 36–37 The Simpsons 8 special effects, creating 33 sports mascot 38–39 storyboard artist 33

T

W

writers cartoonist 42 code writer 33 food critic 36

I n d e x  47