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" \n Who said work was supposed to be fun, right? Well, why the hell not? If there was ever a time to take a chance and be innovative, it&amp;#039;s now, when the market for traditional jobs is tight. Turns out, there are crazy-good ways to score your rent that are so cool and surprising, you may not know they exist. Several of the fun jobs that follow are potential career paths; others are one-timers that earn you extra cash. Whether or not you&amp;#039;re ready to jump, just knowing about these wacky positions will inspire you to think outside the box. Speed Decorator It&amp;#039;s like real-life Flip This House: Speed decorators are hired by homeowners and real-estate agents to turn a home that isn&amp;#039;t selling into a gorgeous abode that has buyers salivating. Jill Vegas, author of Speed Decorating, says the work can range from simple tweaks (fresh flowers, crisp linens) to serious interventions \u2014 bringing in a sexy sofa, the perfect lamp, or colorful carpet. To get started, apprentice with a speed decorator, or decorate for free for friends to build up word-of-mouth buzz. Good stagers in major cities can charge $100 to $250 an hour. Doggy Flight Attendant Crazy about travel? A sucker for creatures with four legs and a tail? Consider flying with Pet Airways. As a pet attendant, you&amp;#039;ll take charge of animals at the pet lounges, dole out belly rubs and ear massages en route, and deliver them safely to their owners at the end of the trip. Be sure to squeeze in some shopping and barhopping before flying back to home base. Pet Airways hires people who have worked with pets professionally \u2014 at a vet&amp;#039;s office or doggy day care \u2014 or have extensive pet experience. Apply at petairways.com/content/jobs.  Professional Tweeter If you are a Facebook addict, are constantly uploading pics to Picasa, or have had at least one texting-related injury, you could go legit as a social-networking expert. For an entry-level salary of $20,000 to $50,000, depending on your skills, your job could include blogging about corporate events, tweeting about a company&amp;#039;s products, and building social-marketing plans for clients. Want in? Find a job at a marketing or public-relations firm that creates social-networking strategies, suggests Nicole Ravlin, a partner at PMG, a PR and social-marketing firm in Burlington, Vermont. You need to have a good handle on existing online tools (not just Facebook and Twitter, but others like Slide, Dailymotion, and Fanpop) as well as be plugged in to the next big thing.   Globetrotting Teacher It&amp;#039;s possible to run off with the circus \u2014 even if the thought of stepping onto the high wire scares the crap out of you. Cirque du Soleil, known for its amazing acrobatics and creative shows, places teachers with each production to educate child stars and children of the performers while traveling the world. Teachers must be able to teach in French and English and instruct on everything from elementary school math to high school literature to intensive language classes. Cirquedusoleil.com/jobs lists openings (some positions require a teaching certificate). Undercover Diner Cruising into a three-star restaurant and ordering the chef&amp;#039;s signature meal could cost a fortune...unless you&amp;#039;re a dining detective. Companies hire consultants to pose as customers and assess how restaurant staffers treat guests. You have to be focused (don&amp;#039;t overdo it with the Barbera) and honest and report back on every detail. (BTW: Other service industries hire customer sleuths too.) According to the Mystery Shopping Providers Association, most gigs don&amp;#039;t require any background experience. Search for assignments at mysteryshop.org/shoppers. Pay typically includes the price of your meal and sometimes an extra $20 or so.  Tropical Talent Tamer Booking and handling performers at a music club is a fun job. But doing so in an exotic locale? Freakin&amp;#039; fantastic. From Hawaii to the Caribbean, resorts with performance spaces hire production assistants and event planners to manage show logistics. Staffers often get to meet celebs and help set up A-list events like photo shoots, concerts, and movie-location filming \u2014 all while living in paradise. Go to a large resort company&amp;#039;s Website or HR department to find jobs, and expect to start off making about $100 to $150 a day for freelance production work or around $25,000 a year for a permanent position.  Style Guide Do you live to shop but need to give your credit card a rest? Put your boutique-hopping expertise to work by becoming a guide at a company that helps time-crunched locals or bargain-hunting travelers scout out anything from vintage dresses to designer samples. According to Christine Silvestri, founder of Urban Shopping Adventures in Los Angeles, you just need a great sense of style, knowledge of the trends, and a friendly attitude. To get started, reach out to shopping guides and tour companies in your area or ask around at your favorite stores to see if they&amp;#039;re visited by shopping pros. Pay is often around $15 an hour.  Floating Chef If you just want to gain some cooking experience while seeing the world, aim for a chef&amp;#039;s assistant or cook position on a cruise ship or private yacht. On bigger ships, you&amp;#039;ll need to be able to work with a large volume of food; on smaller yachts, you&amp;#039;ll create gourmet meals in a tight space. Check sites like crewfinders.com and luxyachts.com for openings. Starting salaries can be as high as $3,000 a month. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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