Seven job openings you might never expect

The number of Americans receiving jobless benefits may have reached a new record Thursday – 5.7 million – because there are fewer jobs. But businesses are still hiring for positions that can be, well, intriguing.

Here are a few that our Monitor colleague, Ross Atkin, found this week. (Yes, times are tough in journalism, but Ross isn’t mailing out his résumé to any of these):

1. Opera company director
Employer: Amarillo Opera
Wages/salary: Not listed
Details: The general director is responsible for the artistic and administrative side of an opera company founded in 1988 to provide live performances and nurture local talent in the Panhandle region. (Click here for more information.)
Location: Amarillo, Texas (pop. 173,627; median family income $45,747) is the largest city and economic hub of the Texas Panhandle, known for its meatpacking industry, semiarid climate, and helium fields.

2. Land Combat Electronic Missile System Repairer
Employer: Army National Guard
Wages/salary: Up to $20,000 enlistment bonus
Details: Fix and maintain electronics used in Army’s missile systems after 24 weeks of classroom instruction and basic training. (Click here for more information.)
Location Fort Wayne, Ind. (pop. 251,247; median family income $43,685) is the state's second-largest city, after Indianapolis. It is located within a half day’s drive of half of US population and also was rated the “Best Place in the Country for Minor League Sports” in 2007 by the Sports Business Journal.

3. Zoo Experiences Specialist
Employer: Woodland Park Zoo
Wages/salary: $13 an hour
Details: Responsible for developing programs in Zoomazium facility devoted to teaching young children about nature in an interactive environment. The nonprofit, 92-acre Woodland Park Zoo is one of the oldest on the West Coast and works to save endangered species in Washington State and around the world. (Click here for more information.)
Location: Seattle (pop. 582,174; median family income $70,133) has just 71 clear days a year. It’s also ranked as the nation’s most literate city.

1 | 2

Next