The weirdest graduate jobs you can get

It's fair to say that when most people leave university, they expect to have relatively normal, run-of-the-mill careers: teachers, human resource managers, IT support... While these are all perfectly awesome jobs, if you're looking for something a bit different from the normal desk-job, don't panic! There are many weird and wacky graduate roles out there that can put your degree to good use, here are a few of our favourites: 

Manuscript illuminator

You may think that manuscripts stopped being a thing when printed books came about, however, it is an artform that's still going strong today. Manuscripts aren't written out by monks with feather quills anymore these days, but instead, by those who have art history or fine arts degrees – following the traditions set out by those who lived hundreds of years before. 

As a manuscript illuminator, you'll be helping to preserve priceless pieces of cultural heritage for museums or private collectors or working as part of the Royal Household as the Queen's personal scribe. </p>

Flavourist

We all have that taste that takes us back to the days of our childhood or a particularly nostalgic memory, whether that's the bubble-gum flavoured sweets of your youth or the cake you had on an especially fun birthday. Companies now want to capitalise on the power that taste can have on us – as preferences change, businesses are having to overcome the possibilities of how food can deliver this to us.

This is why flavourists are becoming an important role in the food industry. If you're a foodie with a science degree background (especially chemistry), this may the perfect job for you. Having the ability to enhance existing products, or create new ones, leads to endless possibilities in this career.

Puppeteer 

Puppets. Whether you love them or hate them, it's fair to say that puppetry is an art form – no matter if you're performing for audiences of people on-stage or pulling the strings on movie set monsters. A theatre degree is normally recommended for this career, as a puppeteer you need a great flair for storytelling and excellent stage presence.

You may also be involved in all stages of production from design and script-writing to putting on the shows for others. There's big money in puppets, especially those in film and television. The puppets you control could be performing a song and dance number with Miss Piggy – you'd be surprised by the sheer amount of options out there if puppetry is a career you'd like to pursue. 

Hippotherapist 

No, this job isn't about hippos. Instead, hippotherapy is about providing a form of physical and occupational therapy in which a therapist uses the movements of a horse to provide rehabilitative treatment to improve strength and balance. It turns out horses walk like humans – who knew? If you are looking to put your physiotherapy degree to good use, this may be the perfect opportunity.

You could be working with others with a variety of conditions, from MS, ADHD, cerebral palsy or even dementia to help them overcome some of the muscle problems they experience in their daily lives. If you want to give back to others, why not consider a hippotherapist career?

Animal acupuncturist

Our pets experience the same pains and sprains that we humans do on a day-to-day basis, even in very similar circumstances too – it's certainly true that people and animals share a love for chasing after balls. Some vets choose to combine traditional veterinary medicine with the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture to help some animals when they're not feeling their normal selves, whether that's due to pain, allergies or seizures. 

Though universities tend to teach the normal western methods of treatments, you may feel that additional natural remedies may also help your fluffy (or maybe not so) patient. At the end of the day, you'll get to go home with the knowledge that you've helped improve the lives of the animals that you've come into contact with. That's a pretty great feeling.

Acoustics consultant 

When graduating with a degree in engineering or maths, you might not expect to go into a career in acoustics – something that's normally much overlooked by most people. However, if you'd like to combine your scientific endowments with a flair for engineering, an acoustics and vibrations consultancy role may be the perfect role for you.

You can work alongside developers and architects to ensure that sound control measures are met. Whether you're helping mobile phone companies get the best sound through their digital transmissions or ensuring that a music venue has the best design for its performances, your job as an acoustics consultant will definitely have you working across an array of disciplines.

So, if we've sparked your interest into what crazy graduate roles are out there, why not check out what intriguing careers are out there waiting for you? Sign up and get searching