The List of Jobs I’d Do For Free Baby!

When you find a great job that you love, it’s like winning the lottery. Working doesn’t feel like work when you’re doing something that’s fulfilling and in line with your interests. If you feel like debating, head over to “The Dark Side Of Early Retirement” and get your fix. I stand by my main thesis that nobody quits a job they love to do. 

Someone who is able to find a great job that brings them happiness is one of the luckiest people on Earth. And because we are all different, what we consider to be great jobs is unique to each of us as well. We shouldn’t make fun of anyone for being a “loser” for working as one commenter put it. Instead, we should figure out what makes the happy employee tick! If you believe there’s no such thing as a dream job, perhaps I can convince you otherwise.

Everybody gets bored at something after enough repetition. That’s why it’s key to have many different interests which straddle both the mental and the physical aspects of your life. It’s no surprise that interesting people have a plethora of interests. These people also probably have a higher than normal level of commitment to their activities which make them that much more intriguing.

The key to finding a great job is identifying your interests, skills, and what type of tasks you like to accomplish. Search for jobs that encompass all of these things and you’re more likely to land that great job you’ve always dreamed about.

The Top 5 “I Can’t Believe They’re Paying Me To Do This!” Jobs

Dream big and take action to score your own incredible, exciting, fulfilling, great job. You’ll never know what you’re fully capable of if you don’t try.

Here’s a list of what I consider to be the top 5 great jobs. Your list of great jobs may be totally different as they should be influenced by your own interests. Whatever the case may be, I hope this list of dream jobs will get your creative juices flowing.

1) Tennis instructor at the 4 Seasons in Bora Bora

Crystal blue waters and sunshine, two of the best things in life, also happen to be free! You can be dirt poor. But, if you’re living in a place like Bora Bora, I venture to guess you can compete with any rich person in a downtrodden, polluted land. 

Being a tennis, golf, diving, or surfing instructor at a tropical resort is definitely a great job if you’re athletic and don’t want to be tied to a desk. I think it’d be exciting to meet new travelers through sports and keep in touch online.

2) Snowboard instructor for The Lodge at the base of Vail, Colorado

Nothing beats the back bowls of Vail! We’re talking 10-minute wide open, steep, tree-less, and massive powder runs! The Lodge is a quaint resort, and every time I go to Vail I meet some very interesting people.

If you love the snow and flying through powder like I do, this could be a great job to consider. Break out of your cubicle and breathe in the fresh, winter air!

3) TV sportscaster for college football and basketball

Any sports fan would jump at the opportunity to get paid to watch sports. Talk about a great job to not only get paid to watch sports, but talk about it nonstop too.

I literally could watch college football and basketball all day and night long, to the dismay of some! That said, I don’t pick and choose so as to not over indulge. When college football and basketball season start, my excitement literally goes up a notch.

4) Food critic for Michelin.

Yes, for starters I would like the Black Truffle Octopus Salad and the Yellow-fin Tuna Carpaccio. Please pair that with a bottle of 1974 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay. For the main course, I’ll have the Butter Poached Maine Lobster with a cup of extra melted butter on the side. I’ll pass on your selection of caviar and artisan cheeses and go straight for the Mandarin Souffle. Oh, and here’s my business card.

Can you imagine getting paid to eat the most exquisite, delicate, divine meals on the planet? Man that would be a great job. And believe it or not these jobs actually exist. To get started in this competitive field, start your own food blog. It’s easier and cheaper than ever to start your own website.

5) President of The United States

There’s no amount of money in the world enough to match the stress of being the Commander in Chief. Hence, I’d rather not take a salary and serve my country for free. One of the first steps as President? Institute a flat tax so we no longer have to discriminate against hard working American citizens who’ve struggled to get to where they are! 

I’d also reduce military spending to fund education. It’d be awesome to take Airforce I and a bunch of family and friends to Hawaii like the President does every December. Meanwhile, winning the Noble Peace Prize for being in office after one year ain’t too shabby either!

Even if you don’t want to be the next POTUS, there are lots of well paying jobs in politics. Check out the net worth of AOC, Nancy Pelosi, and Bernie Sanders. And here are some of the wealthiest members of Congress.

The Next 5 Great Jobs That Come To Mind

Now that the first list of great jobs got you excited, check out these additional five.

6) Masseuse guinea pig

There are so many benefits to massage. That’s why it’s called massage therapy. It’s healing, reduces stress, and feels great. Sign me up! Alas, I think most massage therapists in training don’t pay their guinea pigs. But you never know!

7) Blogger

Financial Samurai is so fun, thinking about monetizing just isn’t on my mind for this site. It’s just a blast writing about things that interest me, discussing personal finance topics, learning from y’all, meeting new people, and gaining perspective. If someone wants to pay to advertise, great! If not, that’s OK too. 

Being a blogger is a great job because it doesn’t feel like a job if you love to write. Hitting publish every time I finish a post is incredibly satisfying. You can learn more about being a blogger here.

8) Late Stage Film Critic (Academy Awards)

For those who love movies, being a late stage film critic is a great job. I say late stage because I’m specifying the desire to critique only the best movies that have already passed the gauntlet! You know, movies such as Shawshank Redemption, The Matrix, The Usual Suspects, Hot Tub Time Machine and many more, which only a late stage film critic would get to review. What joy!

9) Travel writer and photographer

I don’t know how to take wonderful photographs like our friend Lyndon, but I do love to travel and write on occasion. Send me to Barcelona or Rio de Janeiro to write about their favorite foods and secret gems I’m there!  Put me on a train towards Amsterdam to write about whether locals really eat special brownies after lunch, no problem!

Being paid to travel and capture the world in photos would be such an incredible, adventurous, great job imo. It’s been a while since I’ve traveled due to having young kids, but once they’re older we’re going to go on lots of adventures. And I will eagerly write and photograph our trips, experiences, and adventures to share with you.

10) English teacher in a non English speaking country.

If we can’t communicate properly, we’re wasting our potential. English continues to become the global language standard. Thus, teaching English to those who wish to speak English is very important. Let me go see if the Maldives or somewhere in the South Pacific needs an instructor. Teaching English in a tropical paradise sure sounds like a great job to me.

There Are So Many Great Jobs Out There

So there you have it. I love travel, sports, eating, and writing. Many of these great jobs provide free lodging (White House anybody?) and food (4 Seasons) can literally be eaten for free. When it comes time to fully retire, I’m prepared to incorporate these elements into the next stage of my life.

Perhaps I can be a travel writer in Bora Bora in the morning while teaching tennis in the afternoon? Perhaps I can be a traveling food and luxury resort critic on my site, while letting the new spa staff give me full body massages before they work on paying customers. At any rate, I’ve got a full docket of things planned!

Further Reading

Here are some additional articles to help you land a great job and grow your wealth.

• The Upside Of Being Average In The Workplace
• Top Jobs Of The Future For Your Million Dollar Education
• How One Company Is Trying To Screw Over A Loyal Employee
• When Is The Right Time To Quit My Job And Do Something New?
• The Difference Between Three Types Of Corporations

If You Want To Quit Your Job

Are you miserable at work and dreaming about finding a new great job that you love? If you want to leave a job you no longer enjoy, I recommend negotiating a severance instead of quitting. It may sound strange, but it’s actually one of the smartest things you can do.

If you negotiate a severance like I did back in 2012, you could get a severance check, subsidized healthcare, deferred compensation, and worker training. The possibilities are huge.

When you get laid off, you can also be eligible for unemployment benefits. Having a financial runway is huge during your transition period.

Conversely, if you quit your job you get nothing. Check out, How To Engineer Your Layoff: Make A Small Fortune By Saying Goodbye.

It’s the only book that teaches you how to negotiate a severance. In addition, it was recently updated and expanded thanks to tremendous reader feedback and successful case studies.

Start Your Own Business

The best job is one where you’re your own boss. It used to cost a fortune and a lot of employees to start your business. Now you can start it for next to nothing with a hosting company like Bluehost for under $4/month and they’ll give you a free domain for a year to boot.

Brand yourself online, connect with like-minded people, find new consulting gigs, and potentially make a good amount of income online one day by selling your product or recommending other great products.

Not a day goes by where I’m not thankful for starting Financial Samurai in 2009. Being my own boss is the best job in the world due to the freedom it provides.