Photo by MART PRODUCTION When you ask kids what they want when they grow up, they may answer - I would like to be an engineer, teacher, doctor, and lawyer. But there are people who go for jobs that are uncommon because of the low number of people vying for such work. These jobs could be in the Philippines and other countries but they are less common compared to teachers, lawyers, call centre agents, web developers and other jobs supplied by graduates of common courses. Here are the jobs found here and abroad.   1.  Bouncers (Doormen)   Photo by Hans-Petter Fjeld and licensed under creative commons You might have already visited a nightclub wherein before you enter an entrance you have to be frisked or questioned by tall and burly men. What do these guys do? Those plainclothes or suit-wearing men are bouncers or security personnel tasked to secure night clubs and maintain peace and order lest bad guys spoil the night with broken bottles, bare knuckles, and cleavers. Famous bouncers and former bouncers include Vin Diesel, Dolph Lundgren, Mr.T and Pope Francis of the Roman Catholic Church before he entered the seminary in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Aside from using brute force against troublemakers (if maximum tolerance is exhausted), bouncers are tasked to check drinking and legal age. They also may refuse entry to the intoxicated.   2.  Paranormal Investigators Dubbed as ghost hunters, paranormal investigators (PIs) check and explore structures and places that are notoriously haunted places such as hospitals, schools, hotels, cemeteries, churches, alleys, roads, and prisons. Some houses could be haunted because it could be standing on a former graveyard, and stigmatized place. How does PI get their living? Here, you may be called by a homeowner to check their residences after he/she complained of spoons and chairs moving by themselves or apparitions appearing at the staircase or you’ll be assigned to a paranormal investigation team with a mission to check haunted castles and mansions. Real estate agents/developers may need your help to make sure that their properties are ghost-free otherwise, they’ll receive reports of homeowners and tenants running from doppelgangers, poltergeist and demons or tenants enduring sleepless nights after hearing disembodied voices and seeing shadowy figures. You may use gadgets to detect ghosts or signs of hunting - thermal cameras, EMF (Electromagnetic Field) meters, EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) recorders and Point of view cam. If you have seen the movie, Ghostbusters, you can see how they do their job expelling otherworldly creatures lurking in the library or in an attic.   3. Petroleum Engineers    If you’re interested in the energy industry and analyzing 3D models of oil reservoirs or visiting oil rigs and wells, then this career is for you. Your work may vary from a clean office to a dirty site akin to a civil engineer’s construction site. You may wear a hardhat and use tools such as laptops and professional sophisticated equipment (downhole recorders, pressure recorders, external casing packers, and coiled tubing tools).  You may join a team that explores for black gold (oil), designs pipelines, tanks, and pressure vessels. At the office, you’ll be in the comfort of an airconditioned room and doing a computer job using software for analysis. Outdoors, you may scout a team to look for sites possibly rich in natural gas and oil trapped hundreds of meters below the earth’s surface either at land or ocean. To be an expert in oil and gas exploration, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, and knowledge of thermodynamics, geology, and principles of engineering and certification. Other engineering specializations such as mining, civil, and mechanical may meet the employer’s requirements. Aside from their prestigious titles, petroleum engineers are the highest paid types of engineers - more than nuclear, civil, chemical and computer science. You’ll work in companies of petroleum exploration and production.   4.  Hyperbaric Welder (Underwater Welder)   Photo by Dr.E Lee Spence and Licensed under Creative Commons Hyperbaric means a welding process in an elevated pressure environment (usually underwater) although hyperbaric welding is also applicable inside a sealed chamber with gas. This job is similar to welders you see in a car repair shop or construction sites except - they weld underwater. Hyperbaric welders use a set of diving and welding gear such as electrodes, diving helmet, power supply, diving knife, backup gas, stinger (electrode holder) and diving suit. These marine welders work in bridge construction, mining, ship maintenance, dams, locks, offshore drilling rigs, nuclear power facilities, and docking facilities.  Hyperbaric welders are one of the most dangerous occupations in the world. They face dangers of depth pressure (called Delta P hazards) which can lead to drowning. Improvements in robotics, underwater ships and welding can make welding underwater safer. This job pays well in a short amount of time.   5.  Air Traffic Controller   Courtesy of Petar Marjanovic and Licensed under creative commons They occupy that iconic tower near the runway and watch blips on radar screens and high tech LCD screens showing inbound and outbound flights and flight data. In this profession, you’ll issue plan and flight clearances, provide instructions for orderly and safe landing and takeoff of the aircraft, direct the flow of planes, report any air traffic hazards/mishaps and assist pilots in the airspace. You may advise pilots and other ATCs of the weather situation.  To become one, you’ll need to finish a bachelor’s degree in air traffic control, understand the weather forecast, radar readings, and some knowledge of aviation. Like engineers and pilots, ATCs are also in the well-paid category. Their salary ranges over 30, 000 to 108, 000 per month depending on the position and experience.   6.  Beer Brewer/Technical Brewer   You may love drinking beer at parties or even alone when you relax from work or bask under the sun. This job will bring the joys of brewing until the beer is perfected. To become one, you have to finish one of these courses - chemistry, chemical engineering, microbiology, food technology, and food science. As a brewer, you may work in beer factories or breweries.  You’ll tackle tons of barley grains, use sophisticated equipment (vats, tanks, mixers), sample a raw mix inside the filtration tank, add hops and some spices for flavouring, operate a computer that handles data control systems of the brewing system. Then, you’ll work in equipment that adds yeast to start fermentation, and again in the filtration system that removes substances that cause a cloudy beer. If the beer passes your quality check, then those perfected liquid is now ready for bottling by a machine that can produce 1,000 beer bottles per minute.   7.  Crematorium Technician If you’re not squeamish and you’re brave to witness the reality of resting in the peace that humanity has never defeated, this job is for you. As a crematorium technician, you’re tasked to open the crematorium and its office, prepare the paperwork and preheat the oven. You may sign papers regarding the preparatory steps, legal paperwork (medical exam, certificates), and attach an identifying tag (a heat resistant metal) to the body before incineration to avoid mixing one’s ashes to other people (otherwise legal cases will follow). You’ll then prepare the body for burning by activating the conveyor machine to place the body into the crematory chamber.  After 2 to 3 hours, depending on the body’s size and sex (men yield more ashes than women), it will turn into bone fragments which you’ll have to collect using an array of tools - retort brush, clean-out tool, retrieval pan and transfer pan. You’ll retrieve a heat resistant tag to identify the person’s identity and avoid it mixing with other cremated remains. Then, using a multi-lift hand magnet, you’ll make sure that there are no pieces of iron and steel in the ash before placing it for grinding in the cremulator. Finally, you’ll then pour the fine ashes into an urn ready to be given to the family of the deceased. Interested in joining the people who operate such ovens like burners, you’ll need a degree in mortuary science and working knowledge of cremation.   8.  Food Taster   Photo by Pikrepo and licensed under creative commons Perhaps, this is one of the most exciting jobs since here you’ll do testing of manufactured foods such as ice cream, crackers, condiments, snack foods, candies, and chocolates. Some or most companies require applicants for this position to get a degree in food technology or sensory science.  This job has been featured on the internet as a highly sought one since food taster is thought here as munching on chocolate bars and eating gallons of ice cream but in reality, tasting is just one of the tasks of this job. In tasting, you’ll test the food’s flavour, colour, pungency, oil content and moisture.   You’re more likely to carry out food tasting sessions, record the food’s flavour, appearance, taste and smell, observe food samples using a microscope, refer to tables of viscosity, salt content, pH scale, moisture and solubility. You’ll use professional devices such as balance scales, pH meter, spectrometer, and distillation devices. In the end, you’ll observe test results and produce analysis reports. In the end, you’ll contribute to the food production by improving its taste, texture and appearance.   9.  Perfumer   Perfumers make perfumes, blend spices, and make sure that the perfect scent conforms to the company’s and people’s standard. In the end, they help companies produce scented cosmetics, shampoos and perfumes.  Perfumers use substances that are expensive such as rose oil, ambergris (whale vomit), iris-root butter, and agarwood and turn them into Eau de parfum, Eau de toilettes, colognes, conditioners and fabric softeners. A day in the life as a perfumer, you’ll likely perform physical and chemical tests, make an analysis of the product, make sure that the manufacturing process conforms to the quality standards and use gas chromatography to understand additives used in fragrances. As a senior perfumer, you may supervise staff to make sure of a safe manufacture process before sending to distillation.  To enter the club of perfume experts, perfume and cosmetic companies may require you to finish a degree in chemistry or chemical engineering and understand gas chromatography which is a method of quantifying and analyzing volatile compounds and using a gas chromatograph - a professional and expensive equipment costing $34,500.   10.  Sommelier   Sommelier is a wine expert. Here, you will work in fine dining restaurants, hotels and resorts known for luxurious food and drinks. You must know different kinds of wine, wine storage, food to wine pairings, and wine tastes. According to vice news, training for a sommelier is difficult as it involves the wine theory and history, serving wines, blind tasting and smelling. A few only pass the stringent exam. The most difficult part is identifying the name or wine type. Sommelier is a prestigious position that only less than 300 are master sommeliers in the world. Like other professions, to be a sommelier you have to pass an exam and certification. While passing this wine expertise exam can be difficult, the return of investment is high, as you can work in a high paying job in hotels, resorts, restaurants, and bars. In the Philippines, several training schools offer sommelier courses as part of the hotel and restaurant management degree or as an independent study offered by some colleges and hospitality schools. 

Stress refers to the body’s emotional and physical responses that arise when the job does not match the worker’s resources, needs and capabilities. There isn't an absolute zero-stress job as every job requires some sort of deadline and expectation and that's even true in home-based jobs. Every job has its own unique brand of stress. But, there are jobs that can be clearly defined as stressful and less stressful. These jobs have their stress levels that are more than others.   Military personnel Job description: Military men of all ranks are tasked to defend their country’s sovereignty and assist the civilian government in times of calamity. They may serve as instructors for ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Course and CAT (Citizens Army Training). How much does it pay: Pay depends on rank. 18,587 Php a month for a candidate soldier, 29,668 Php for private and 67,000 Php for military generals. Causes of stress: Possible injury or loss of life (frontline soldiers) due to an enemy or friendly fire,  wrong use of military equipment, being captured as POWS-Prisoners of Wars, and harsh military training (marines, special forces). In fact, military men are prone to psychological trauma after witnessing a loss of life and violence.   Police and other law enforcement jobs Job description: Police and other law enforcers (anti-drug units and special forces) make sure that laws are enforced and assist in investigation tasks.  How much does it pay: Pay depends on police rank, for example, the Police Officer I (PO1) earns 29,668 Php, the Senior Police Officer II (SPO3) - 34,079 Php, Police Chief Superintendent (PSSUPT) 91,058 Php and the Police Director General (PDG) - 149,785 Php (1). Causes of stress: Policemen and other law enforcers face a possible injury or loss of life when they go on dangerous operations such as raids, undercover missions or face a lone criminal. Those special action force units (police special force) undergo harsh training on par with marines.   Airline pilot Job description: Pilots guide and steer the aeroplane and make sure that the passengers get safe and smooth air travel from the airport to airport. They also have to communicate with the air traffic controller for weather, location, flight clearance and altitude guidance. How much does it pay: Pilot salaries pay well (156,823 Php) as they top the list in Philippine wage scale although it depends on experience and airline companies. Causes of stress: Pilots bear the responsibility of controlling and flying a gigantic machine and mind about the lives of a few hundreds of their passengers. Sure, the cockpit is full of high-tech controls and screens, but when engine trouble comes, a well planned and thought decision can mean the difference between an air crash or a happy landing.   Firefighter Job description: Firemen plan and execute the best possible methods to efficiently put out a fire, prevent further fire damage and save trapped lives as soon as possible. How much does it pay: Firefighters for the Bureau of Fire Protection earn as much as 37,448 Php including allowances and salary. Causes of stress: Facing a building slowly consumed by a raging fire, is a frightening situation to endure. On top of that, the real hazards are going through a burning house, avoiding electrical wires, finding trapped men and animals, and going to dangerous heights.    Doctor (Surgeon) Job description: The role of this job is to cut and close the patient’s tissues and skin. Surgeons diagnose and treat animals and humans for internal problems. They remove diseased tissues, organs, and use sophisticated equipment to sustain a delicate surgery and save the life of a patient under life support. How much does it pay: Salary depends on the experience and specialization but generally, the profession pays well. General practitioners get a salary between 300 Php and 1500 Php for consultation for every patient. More experienced surgeons who work for government hospitals, the Department of Health, and bigger hospitals can earn 64,000 Php to 80,000 Php. Causes of stress: Being a surgeon doctor means the life of a patient whom you are going to operate is at your hands. Anything that goes wrong such as misdiagnosis, using the opposite blood type (O versus A), and operating on the wrong patient can lead to suspension/loss of license, disastrous surgery, lawsuits and loss of life.   Registered Nurse Job description: Nurses take care of patients by administering and monitoring the intravenous infusions and other medications, taking temperature and blood samples, providing pre and post-operational care, writing records, tutoring student nurses and supervising junior nurses. How much does it pay: A nurse earns a salary between 8,000 - 13,000 Php or more, depending on these factors:  location (province vs NCR), (private vs government hospitals and experience. Overseas, the salary could be higher starting from $3,800 per month to $4,500. Causes of stress: Hospitals, its ward and emergency rooms could be busy and chaotic. Incoming patients are either in a life-threatening situation or need prompt medical attention. Add a load of 7 patients per shift of nurses, a sleepless evening shift and you got a recipe for stress. You may or might go home exhausted. Patients you haven’t monitored may go bad as their families are seeking you out to ask the question why you haven’t done this ABC etc.   Chef and kitchen commissaries in busiest restaurants/hotels Job description: Chefs (the head of the kitchen) oversee a kitchen and ensure that its operation flows smoothly such as delivering accurate food orders and making it tasty as possible. They also make food costing to keep wastage down, modify and make menus.  Kitchen commissaries make mise en place (food preparations) and orders according to the standard. How much does it pay?: An average salary of a chef is around 10,000 Php to 18, 000 Php or more depending on experience and the size of the restaurant, resort or hotel where he/she serves. The same position in a bigger company could mean a higher salary for the chef. An executive chef might earn 45,000 Php or more. Causes of stress: Chefs are considered one of the most stressful jobs. If you work in a highly busy fine dining restaurant with a hundred customers, then you must face a constant pressure of keeping orders organized and have them clearly instructed to your cooks (commissaries, chef de parties and demi-chef de parties). As a chef, you're likely to be blamed by the management if any of diners complain - bandages in a salad, hair in pasta, larvae in Romaine lettuce, stale bread, and all sorts of strange things you can imagine.  There’s a danger of slicing your hands with a knife or machine or getting injured by a bouncing knife. Throughout busy hours, you may come across cursing or yelling with other cooks (just think Gordon Ramsay’s hell's kitchen) as one of them made a wrong order or got into a heated argument.  You also have to mind modified or special orders because of vegan, vegetarian, religious and dietary requests of customers. As a commissary, you have to make accurate orders while facing a stream of requests that just came out from a kitchen printer or waiter. On top of that, add the mistakes that arise from forgotten order detail plus yelling colleagues and you got a situation of exploding like a pressure cooker.    Taxi Drivers Job description: They take the passengers in the right direction and destination. Taxi drivers make sure that their passengers are comfortable and taken to their destinations. How much does it pay: Taxi drivers rent cars from the owners of carpool or operators and pay them from 1,200 Php to 3,600 Php depending on the number of hours of driving and take-home pay of about 1,000 Php. Causes of stress: Taxi drivers face a number of stressors such as varying temperament of passengers, traffic, and reduced sleeping hours. There’s also the possibility of crimes caused by questionable passengers, road rage from other motorists, being flagged by MMDA or traffic enforcers for violations and air pollution.   Flight Steward or Attendants (Cabin Crews) Job description: Flight stewards, attendants or cabin crews guide and take care of passengers throughout the flight duration. They attend flight briefing,  serve inflight meals and drinks; perform safety demos during preflights and before landings; and greet passengers with courtesies. How much does it pay: Flight attendants earn starting from 18,000 Php to 60,000 Php or more depending on experience, position and airline. Salaries are higher in large and multinational airlines that fly international routes compared to local airlines. Airlines pay their crews only during time airborne and not between inflights. Causes of stress:  The stress level of cabin crew depends on the volume of passengers and airline but generally flight attendants encounter stresses such as: meeting various types of people (personalities), different situations (rude vs nice, sporadic hours, wake-up calls, flight cancellations, flight delays, and sleepless nights).   The Bottom Line This list is not meant to dissuade graduates or students from taking one of the above jobs but rather serve as a guide or info of what they can expect from pursuing these professions.

People who have known office romance or office dating describe it as a game where two lovers communicate their subtle interests until they become united through an informal or formal ceremony. Some companies frown upon love team workers. Companies that are buttoned-up tend to have stricter policies while media and IT companies are lax about office romance. Whatever your reasons for dating a coworker, it will help if you’re aware of what may go wrong if you spilt the beans or work while in a thorny relationship.   Pros: The positive side A dating opportunity - It can provide another opportunity for meeting a potential boyfriend or girlfriend. So, here you can add an office to find your Mr.Right or Miss Right.   Increased motivation/productivity - Seeing your lover every day can boost your motivation. It makes you feel zealous to work even during pressured and boring times. Who doesn’t want to see his/her crush daily? Now, being with your crush buddy can make a good vibe and thus make you want to stay in an office for long hours.   Your soulmate could be your working colleague - Successful office romances can lead to lifetime partners that work together towards the company’s goal and that can be a powerful team. Shared or related interests can unite couples - Mr. A is a web developer and Miss B is a graphic designer and vice versa. Cons: What could go wrong in an office romance The reason why some companies frown upon office romance is that dating between coworkers can affect performance and productivity. Things can go wrong if you and your love flame’s relationship break apart.  Stalking - Stalking refers to the repeated surveillance of one person to another person or group. If he/she consistently follows and watches you daily before and after working hours, and his/her behaviour makes you uncomfortable then that’s stalking. Stalking is one of the results of ongoing or failed relationships.   Breakups and broken heart - Seeing your ex daily at work after a fresh break up and even after months of a failed relationship is a tough experience. Yes, it’s awkward and it can quickly lose your work motivation as fast as a battery loses its charge. If you’re some sort of a guy or gal used to handle rejections then you can still survive the emotional storm while working towards your organization’s goal.   Favouritism - Your colleagues may perceive you as having favouritism whether he/she is a coworker, a subordinate or boss.  Favouritism can lead to issues such as office politics and back fighting such as manager - subordinate relationships.   Gossips - Even if it's kept secret, someone who could be your friend, a workmate or neighbour may reveal it.   Decreased productivity - Have you experienced being heartbroken? Being in that situation affects the same part of the brain during physical pain (being stung by a bee or pricked by a needle). According to medicalnewstoday - the same areas of the brain are affected in the presence of emotional and physical pain. Getting rejected could affect your self-esteem or self-worth and that could result in decreased productivity. Even if you try to mask it with liquor or any mantra while on your duty, the emotional pain of losing your love interest will always resonate in your head before, during and after your work.   Distraction - Yes, you got involved with a potential Mr. or Ms. Right and that means you may do some flirtations such as exchanging emoticons and emails. If your company is liberal with such policies then it could zap some minutes of your productivity.  Workplace Romance: A sample survey The Society For Human Resource Management made a survey of (2013) detailing organization/company response, types of office romance and the action taken by the organization. Here is a detailed survey. Source: SHRM. (2020). Workplace Romance. [online] The SHRM revealed that employers got stricter regarding office romance policies as seen in the increasing percentage of bar graphs from the year 2001. Breaking such policy could result in counselling, written reprimand, termination, removal from the position, transfer to another department, and suspension.    Why do some companies forbid workplace romance? While many companies are lax with regard to office romances, there are other companies who are strict. The reasons are: Perceived favouritism among co-workers Possible sexual harassment claims Possible legal action against the company Retaliation resulting from a failed relationship Decreased morale due to heart-breaks Possible leakage of confidential info such as trade secrets, recipes, salaries, list of vendors and business practices.  What to do when you’re involved in an office romance Ask human resources - Ask an HR personnel or supervisor regarding the company’s policy. Is the company lax or against it? And if they forbid workplace romance, what are the consequences? If your organization has no qualms against your romantic overtures, then it’s Ok. Dating is a mind game where both parties express signals that could mean interest or not and those mind games can linger in your mind for days and months. Keep it discreet - If you’re currently involved or eyeing someone for romantic movies, keep it secret or discreet or make sure that the person who knows your love affair is a trusted friend and not a blabbermouth and avoid displaying public display of affection (PDA). Take advantage of technology but be careful of using social media because posts can reach anyone. Show your romantic interest during off-office hours - You can still keep your darling interested by dating during day-offs and leaves. If you want to communicate your interest to your co-worker, make it discreet as much as possible.  Be ready for breakup or rejection - Whether you are a party involved in dating or someone wooing a girl or boy, be ready how to handle rejection and breakup because dating will not always end up as you wanted. Factors such as third party, temperament, personality, and the economy are life facts that affect the dating game. Maintain professionalism - Maintaining professionalism means still following the company’s policies and being in cordial relationships, even recent break-up. It’s leaving your emotional baggage behind while still showing up to perform duties.   Office romance: Should I take part in it? Dating someone in your team or your coworkers may or might carry risks depending on your company’s policy, culture and size. Risks refer to the possibility of sabotaging your job/career or affecting your concentration and performance. In the Philippines, rules on office romance can be vague as rules vary although the Filipino culture and society tolerate workplace romance. If your company is lax about office dating then you may go ahead in finding your possible fiancé. But if your company is strict and forbids office romance, then you can be discrete or stick with that policy.  Whether a company is lax or strict about romances - a workplace is always a place where people expect a level of decency (no hookup at office). Being professional at all times can save your time and day.

According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), poverty declined slowly over the past four decades owing to the great income inequality in Filipino society. While employment opportunities exist in the country, the fact remains - many Filipinos struggle to own a house or break free from the vicious cycle of renting (eats a huge chunk of monthly savings), worsening traffic, and low income. Despite this situation, you can still mitigate factors that you can control by following a frugal lifestyle.   1. Search for nearby, quality and rent-to-own house If you’re a minimum wage earner or earning just a little above a minimum wage, it will help if you go for affordable rent in an apartment, condo or single detached subdivision and weigh the factors essential for safe and quality living. If you can afford to settle down for a rent to own condo, single-detached or row house within metro manila or the nearest outskirts (Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal), then go for it. Make sure that your house has transport accessibility. Renting a housing is a temporary solution but if you’re going to work in the same place for more than 2+ years then it’s better to settle down for rent to own housing.   Factors to look for when renting a house Factors Description Fire safety The house should be fire safe and built with less combustible material and provided with a proper fire exit. Neighbourhood safety: A safe neighbourhood should be free from crime and the community has strong law enforcement and security in place: Gates, lighting and Barangay police (Tanod). Geological safety The place should be safe from flooding, landslide, and faults. Affordability The house rent should not be expensive and it should not take away a huge chunk of your monthly savings. Distance Your house should be near your office or working site, otherwise travelling could be taxing because of distance travel, heavy traffic, and reduced resting hours.   2. Settle down for a rent to own property. If you work for the long term (2 to 10 years), it’s advisable to look for a rent to own property such as a row house, single detached or condo unit. Renting a house is only a temporary solution but in the end, it’s a waste of money because after renting 5 or more years, that property will never be yours. Instead, look for affordable and nearby housing. Most row houses are priced less than single detached. You can also save money by choosing for foreclosed properties (PAG-IBIG has a comprehensive list of foreclosed properties). Finding an affordable rent to own housing near the business and working centre (Ortigas, Makati, Eastwood Libis) is not easy unless you already own a property or have a well-off family because of high property values within the metro manila and the nearest outskirts such as Cainta, Rizal, Bacoor, Cavite and Tungko, San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan.   3. Reduce wants and keep your needs. Wants refer to things that you wish to have but not absolutely necessary to live. Needs are things that you need to survive. You can reduce your cost of living by reducing wants. Here is the table of wants versus needs. Basically, if you’re a caveman or living in a rural area, your only needs are food, water, clothing and shelter. But because you’re now living in an urbanized society, such needs are more than such four basics. The needs below are adjusted for urban living conditions.   Needs Wants Home packed lunch Dining in fast food or fine dining restaurant Access to clean tap water Mineral water Used and basic clothing and shoes Expensive and branded clothing and shoes   Movie and video streaming service Internet (necessary if you’re in freelance business) Internet (only for video streaming and gaming) Inexpensive phone Expensive phone   4. Save money for tomorrow The future is both exciting and frightening because you’ll never know if you are heading to a utopian or dystopian society unless you possess a future-telling power. If you don’t have money when crisis knocks at your doorstep, you’ll go broke. You may never know if you can depend on your relatives. Saving money for an emergency fund can help you cover during these future plans and unfortunate situations:   Future plans Unfortunate situations Career change Unforeseen health issues Start a small and medium-size business Company bankruptcy Early retirement Accidents Buying a property Natural disasters Resignation and transition to a new job   You can save money safely by: Saving in a stable bank  - Separate your checking from savings accounts for steady savings. Saving in a cooperative - A cooperative shares its profits to members and help them during emergency needs. Investing in insurance - Find a stable insurance company and get a suitable plan.   5. Get a side income Earning a side income, a part-time or freelance can earn you extra money while working a full-time job. It includes selling your products and services.  Advances in the internet and technology made working at home possible. Capitalize on your skills and creativity. Here are the side income ideas. A reminder, make sure that your side income is not in conflict with your full-time job which is the main focus of your time and effort.   Side income Essentials and Investment Copywriting, News Writing, Technical Writing Writing skills, graphic software skills, time manager, Stable internet connection, laptop, modem, comfortable office chair and table. Graphic design Graphic software skills, laptop, stable internet connection, modem, comfortable office chair and table. Surveys Time management, laptop, stable internet connection Blog Writing skills, graphic software skills, time management, laptop, stable internet connection Crafts and trade  Machines materials used in making crafts, marketing and social media  Food (condiments, pastry, sausages or longganisa ) Ingredients, cooking wares, marketing and social media Forex  Upfront money investment, forex trade training

Some jobs are riskier than others because of machines, chemicals or the way the tasks are carried out.  A number of these occupations require highly skilled or trained individuals who choose to dedicate their lives for their higher inner calling.  1. Firemen Photo by Pexels Firemen respond to fire and extinguish it with chemical or water means. They must also use ladders and climb stairs and rescue trapped people. Risks they could face include falling hot debris, suffocation from smoke, electrocution, and explosion. Safety measures:  Wearing heat resistant suit Strategic firefighting  Use of advance fire fighting equipment Carrying emergency kit such as portable oxygen  Wearing a face mask Following safety protocols   2. Foundry Worker Photo by form PxHere Foundry workers make mould castings and melt metals using a very high-temperature furnace. They may use a large and cup-like holder to carry molten metal and pour them into moulds. The foundry produces products such as steel and alloys used in cars, buildings, shipbuilding and semiconductors. Foundry work is hard and perilous as workers face noise, high temperatures, chemicals, possible accidents, explosion, and constant exposure to fumes. It’s hard to imagine what damage can be made by molten metal pouring like water. Safety measures:  Wearing heat resistant clothing Wearing ear muffler Using radio telecommunication equipment Following foundry safety measures  Use of robotic/mechanical aids. 3. Linemen for powerlines Photo by alcangel144 from Pixabay Linemen install and fix power lines and its transformers (those hanging cylinder objects). They work for private or government-controlled energy companies and restore power outages. Risks they may face include electrocution falls, explosions, fires, fractures, sprains and adverse weather conditions. Some power companies that don’t use a lineman crane are more vulnerable to falls as their employees manually climb power poles. Safety measures Use of safety gears such as hardhat, electricity resistant gloves, insulated sleeves, composite toe boots, face shields, goggles, trousers and fire-resistant clothing Use of power line cranes   4. Lumberjack Photo by Abby Savage from Unsplash Lumberjacks identify a hardwood or softwood tree and cut them into different sizes, logs that are further processed into furniture, cabinets, paper and wood products. This job is dangerous since they are using a chainsaw - a power tool that if not handled properly could cause kickback (a sudden upward motion chainsaw) that leads to cuts and gory injuries.  Safety measures:  Following correct use of a chain saw.  Wearing safety gear such as hard hats, kevlar/steel gloves sleeves, clothing and booths. Use of a robotic-like lumberjack machine named ECOlog that uses an extendable claw with circular saw and clamp to hold and cut trees in a few seconds to minutes. The robotic arm uses wheels to move the log and debranch it. 5. Meat Processor/Butchers Photo by the US Department of Agriculture and a public domain photo Meat processors use cutting machines and sort meat (pork, beef, tuna, venison, chicken) into various parts.  They work in the meat section of supermarkets and commercial meat factories. The machines they work with include a dicing machine, meat shredder, meat slicers and meat saw cutter - all use very sharp rotating or moving blades. Any accidents while operating these devices could send someone on a quick trip to the hospital.  Safety measures:  Wearing Kevlar and steel gloves, hard hat and arms shielding  Use of cutting for large pieces of meat from cattle Following safety measures such as proper use of machine 6. Miners Photo by Ahtammar from Pixabay Smartphones are increasingly becoming sophisticated featuring dual cameras and sharp screens, but did you know they won’t exist if not for miners? These guys are overlooked. Miners are responsible for retrieving rare earth minerals such as gold, platinum, silver, palladium, copper, terbium, neodymium, praseodymium, yttrium, lithium, lanthanum - all used in integrated circuits, batteries, speakers, displays, circuit boards.  Miners constantly face dangers such as exposure to heavy metals and the breathing of coal dust. Deep inside the mine, the oxygen concentrations are lower than 19.5%. There’s a possibility of landslides and extreme heat. The whole body vibration WBV or daily exposure to vibration caused by jackhammer can cause musculoskeletal problems and female reproductive problems. Unsafe handling of explosives to carve identified mining sites can be disastrous. Safety measures:  Wearing a hard hat, face shield, goggles, and a facepiece dust mask to filter ambient dust.  Use of flame-resistant coveralls, harnesses, belts, thermal socks.  Use of wireless communication devices and GPS tracker for easy access and prevention of deadly situations during accidents.  Use of drones to access areas deemed inaccessible or too dangerous for humans. The safety kit provides portable oxygen, bandages and first aid tools for an emergency. 7. Mortician Photo by Davidrase and licensed under creative commons Morticians or embalmers prepare bodies to forestall decomposition and make sure that the deceased have their dignity before burial. While they work like those people preserving biological specimens (lizards, frogs) in a jar of chemicals and working in a silent and tiled room (so safe area), the chemicals and bloodborne pathogens in the bodies are a source of concern. Formalin, an embalming fluid, contains formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde- both listed as a probable carcinogen. The chemicals smell so strong that it packs a pickle-like odour. Its odour still lingers even after you leave a lab site. A seeping and free-flowing formaldehyde can contaminate groundwater. Glutaraldehyde is used as a fixative, disinfectant, and sterilizing agent for surgical tools. Hospital chemicals use it in products such as Aldesen, Cidex, Matricide, Hospex and Omnicide.  Safety measures:  Wearing protective masks, goggles and gloves Proper disposal of wastes such as body fluids, formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde. Correct use of embalming chemicals and cleaning of instruments.  Use of a less toxic chemical.   8. Structural Workers Photo by bridgeward from Pixabay Structural workers make up those demolition men, window cleaners, foremen, power tool workers, crane operators and riggers who all do the manual labour planned by engineers. They face risks of falls, cuts, ricocheting projectiles from a nail gun, burns and heat stroke during summer time especially in middle eastern countries. During the winter season in temperate countries, they could suffer hypothermia. Accidents such as falling metal bars and falls could occur in unsafe construction sites. Safety measures:  Proper use of safety protocol and scaffolding Wearing of harness, goggles, full face shields, long work pants, gloves, vest, long sleeves, safety shoes and hard hat Use of harness to prevent fall accidents Use of safety signages Use of radio devices for communication