The job market is tough at the moment, so if you want to land the perfect career, you’d better broaden your horizons. These 10 Kens weren’t afraid to take a chance on an unusual occupation, and now they are laughing all the way to the bank.
- Ken Darnell – A snake handler from Alabama, Ken Darnell has the unenviable job of milking the snakes under his charge. If you’re imagining that snakes have tiny little udders for milking, you’d be wrong. The milking referred to in this case involves pressing the snake’s fangs against the side of a beaker, allowing the handler to gather venom for use in anti-venom treatments.
- Ken Doyle – The difference between Ken Doyle and the average safe cracker is often the prize he retrieves. Doyle specializes in unlocking all kinds of safes – large vaults in particular. What’s more, the valuables in the safes that Ken cracks are sometimes people. Ken has rescued everyone from small children to senior citizens, and all at a relatively low cost of around $9,000, compared to up to $100,000 for other methods.
- Ken Lindsay – If you like a drop of whiskey, this might just be the job for you. Ken Lindsay is the International Whisky Ambassador for Ballantine’s. The job involves learning and employing advanced tasting techniques for whiskey, and then jet-setting around the world promoting the product. Don’t go applying for the role just yet, though. With Ballantine’s ranked as the No 1 Scotch whiskey in Europe, Lindsay is obviously doing a good job.
- Kenneth Muller – Since the 19th century, the use of leeches in medicine has been steadily on the increase. The blood suckers were originally used to draw out blood and infection before being discredited among most physicians, but now neurobiologists, such as Kenneth Muller, are conducting studies on the creatures, too. Muller has studied the nervous systems of leeches extensively, and has authored a number of scientific journals on the subject.
- Ken Cavers – Everyone knows doctors have the worst handwriting, so you may find it strange that Dr. Ken Cavers lucrative hobby is designing exclusive fountain pens. Dr. Cavers has become world famous for his fountain pens, including one model that is designed in the shape of a bamboo stalk. Ken Cavers Custom Pens start off at a whopping $105, making them more of a luxury purchase, rather than something you would buy a child for school.
- Ken Suzuki – Before you jump to wild conclusions, be aware that Ken Suzuki’s occupation is not as it sounds. Chick sexing is the process of separating male and female chicks after they hatch, and Ken is an expert in his field – or coop, if you prefer. Sadly, there is usually a mass culling of the males, as they are not able to provide eggs for the farmer. Since coming to the United States as a specialist chick sexer, Ken has moved on to growing Japanese organic vegetables and has established a rather lucrative trade.
- Kenneth Catania – Worm grunting, or charming, is not something that Kenneth Catania ever studied while achieving his Ph.D in biology, but he is now an expert on the subject. Catania was invited to study the phenomenon by the Barrie’s Grace United Church, who effectively rub metal on spikes driven into the ground to lure the worms closer to the surface. The sound, Dr. Catania concluded, mimics that of moles deep underground, scaring the worms into action.
- Kenneth Peters – As one of the whale trainers at Sea World Florida, Kenneth Peters puts his life on the line every day. Peters found out just how dangerous the whales he trains could be when 23-year-old Kasatka, a female whale, grabbed him by the leg and tried to toss him out of the pool. Peters was rescued by another trainer and escaped relatively unharmed.
- Ken Flournoy – He’s the general manager of the Florida-based International Golf Co., a company that harvests golf balls for resell. Flournoy heads up a team who rescues golf balls from all sorts of predicaments, before selling them off to a good home. The company employs “golf ball divers,” who search areas surrounding courses, including rivers and oceans, for the coveted treasure.
- Ken Gidney – Who would have thought that there’d be so much money in catching ants? Well, Ken Gidney has amassed a fortune of over £1.4million doing just that. He first started his career as an ant catcher in 1956 for a manufacturer of ant farms and has been raking in the cash ever since.