3 . Smokejumpers

Smokejumpers are a special type of firefighter.     1     They parachute (跳伞) in as the first line of defense to fight the fire.

    2     Their main goal is to stop a fire from spreading or to slow its progress until full, ground-based firefighters arrive. Using basic equipment, smokejumpers clear land of burnable material, like dry grass and dead trees. They carry water with them, too, but only a limited amount.

To get hired as a smokejumper, one must already have experience fighting wildfires on the ground. Green hands need to already know how to use wildfire-fighting tools, be in peak physical condition, and be able to stay calm under severe stress. Although the majority of smokejumpers are men, more women are joining now.     3     Smokejumpers employed in the United States, for example, must be between 54 and 91 kilograms so they don’t get blown away by the strong winds or get hurt when they land. Smokejumpers must also be capable of surviving in the wilderness. In Russia, many smokejumpers know how to find food in the forest and can even make simple furniture from trees.

The work is dangerous, and the hours are long.     4     They love being able to jump out of planes, fight fires, and live in the forest. As Alexi, a 28-year-old Russian smokejumper, says, “This is the best job for tough guys.”

4 . Private Butler (管家)

Typical salary: £60,000 to £90,000, or more. "An entry level butler we’ve trained will walk into a salary of £35,000, while a very experienced private butler can earn up to £150,000," says Sara Vestin, director of the British Butler Academy.

The job: A private butler can be called on by his or her employer to do anything from wardrobe management to chauffeuring to pet care. Typical duties include managing other staff, serving at every meal, running errands, looking after guests, booking restaurants, house security, housekeeping, cooking and anything else the household needs. But most of all, it’s personal service, tailored to the very wealthy individual the butler works for.

Qualifications: No special qualifications are required, but it’s advisable to do a course at a training college such as Vestin’s British Butler Academy or the British Butler Institute. "Recruitment consultants and VIP clients come to our mansion to scout out the good students." Vestin says.

To succeed as a butler, you need…a ‘service mind’, says Vestin. You must have the mindset of someone who genuinely thrives on looking after others. "You cannot do the job without this, even if you were an amazing actor. Some people have it and some don’t." Also, she says, it’s essential to have an eye for detail, a steady hand and the ability to deal with all sorts of people.

Worst thing about the job: Long hours and an unpredictable work schedule mean it’s difficult to have a family life. Butlers also suffer from isolation and cultural differences with their employer and they may be obliged to work for people who aren’t always nice.

Choosing the right job is probably one of the most important decisions we have to make in life, and it is frequently one of the hardest decisions we have to make. One important question that you might ask yourself is: “How do I get a good job?”     1    .

There are people who can answer an insignificant advertisement in the local paper and land the best job in the world; others write to all sorts of places all over the country, and never seem to get a reply at all. Still others believe that the in person, door-to-door approach is by far the best way to get a job; and then there are those who, through no active decision of their own, just seem to be in the right place at the right time     2    . He used to spend a lot of his free time down by the sea watching the tall ships, but never thinking that he might one day sail one of them. His father was a farmer, and being a sailor could never be anything for the boy but an idle dream One day, on his usual wandering, he heard the captain of the ship complaining that he could not sail because one member of his crew was sick. Without stopping to think, the lad （少年） offered to take his place.     3    .

This story also illustrates the importance of seizing an opportunity when it presents itself. If the lad had gone home to ponder （考虑） his decision for a week, he may have missed his chance. It is one thing to be offered an opportunity; it is another thing to take it and use it well. Sometimes we hear stories about people who break all the rules and still seem to land plum jobs（美差）.When you go for a job interview or fill out an application, you are expected to say nice things about the company to which you are applying.     4    . And within a year this person had become general manger of the company.