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We give you a list of 10 of these not so glamorous professions:
1. Actor
Being an actor sounds like fun. You think Hollywood and wealth. Well, that is if you are an Angelina Jolie or Charlize Theron.Here’s the reality: being an actor is not easy. No matter how talented you are, you must be willing to work hard and be patient. Actors often struggle to get work and if they do, they work infrequently and do not get that much money.
Acting is not cheap - you need transport to get to your auditions and you must have a variety of headshots for different parts of roles. You also need a beauty and fitness regime that is supposed to help you keep fit and healthy. If you have dreams of becoming an actor, make sure you are willing to take risks and enter the industry with your eyes open.
2. Journalist
Getting paid for writing about what you love sounds great right? Definitely! But the journalism industry is highly competitive and it is one of the professions that require you to start as an intern, which means that you will be working months/years getting minimum wage (or even for free). On top of that, once you start working permanently the wages are often low. According to payscale.com the average a journalist in South Africa earns is R10 000 per month.
3. Social Media Manager
How hard can tweeting be? From the outside this seems like an easy job, you are on social media and you are simply updating people about what is going on or what you like, but what most people do not know is that there is a lot of strategy and planning that goes into creating an effective social media page/website. There is a place, time, space and format for each and every image/message posted.
4. Celebrity Assistant
Being a celebrity assistant sounds like so much fun. I mean you even get access to a world not a lot of people get to see. However, if you want to work as a celebrity assistant you must be willing to work very long hours, as you will be doing all the administrative work 24/7. You must also be willing to accept the fact that you will be living through your boss’s life.
5. Musician
Earning a living playing music is not an easy thing. You will have to support yourself with another job. Being a musician is quite expensive - the instruments are costly. If you play an instrument you could earn money by teaching others how to play, although that might take a while. Making money by teaching is key in the industry, because earning money through performing is much harder.
It is likely that you will have to perform at a gig for free in order to expose yourself and getting an audience to support you is not easy either.If you are passionate about being a successful musician there are paths you can take, but if you’re in it for the fame and glamour, think again!
6. Fashion Model
I think every woman has dreamt of becoming a model at one stage in their lives, because we always see picture-perfect stick-figure dolls on our screens living glamorous lives. What we do not know is that being a model is not easy - it is all about pleasing the client and no one really cares about you as long as you are the size they want. Clients want your face and body, not your opinion. And you seldom get gigs, so you must have another way of making an income.
There is also the possibility of sexual harassment. According to Mashable.com 30% of models in reported inappropriate touching on the job, with 28% reporting being pressured to have sex with someone at work.
This is on top of the other pressures models face to be a certain size. Some even end up suffering from eating disorders like Anorexia and Bulimia.
7. Writer
It surely is glamorous when you become a well-known author and people start making movies about you, but that takes hard work and not everyone makes it in this industry. Once you start out rejection will be a big part of your life.
8. Pilot
Pilots do not get to see their families as often as they would like to, they spend most of their time on the plane and they often don’t even get to see and enjoy the destinations they go to because they must prepare for the next day.
According to Matador Network (http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/10-reasons-pilot-isnt-cool-think-1-makes-worthwhile/ ) Pilots spend most of their time at a place called “crash pads”. These “pads” are temporary housing pilots rent to stay in between trips. It is normally a 4-bedroom apartment and there could be 30 other pilots staying in the same apartment at the same time.
9. Fashion Designer
People in this field are very critical when it comes to who brought something new to the plate. You might think that you have the best design concept, but your market might not be as pleased. You must also be willing to sacrifice and give up vacations and holidays in order to come up with something fresh and new.
10. Chef
To become successful in this field you need to work at a restaurant for a few years in order to have your own restaurant and become a chef. And being a good cook is not enough to keep the business running.
If you do become successful you will work long hours, and most times late into the night. This industry is also highly competitive.
