Mental Floss

JOB SECRETS

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Reality casting is "a lot like one blind person trying to sell another blind person on a room with an amazing view.”

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Everything from the architecture and lighting to the trinkets on sale in the gift shops is strategic.

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When Chevy is trying to figure out what to call its new car, these people get the call.

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Here's why you should never use those cups.

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One person's trash is another person's sound effects goldmine.

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They work crazy long hours—but they might get to meet their heroes.

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They just might save your life.

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Try not to step on their oversized shoes. They go for as much as $500 a pair.

Lauren Spinelli

On Broadway, the show must go on—and understudies are the people who make sure that happens.

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Cats and water aren't that big a deal, actually.

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They're basically MacGyver.

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They can smell cockroaches the second they walk in the door.

They're wary of perfect SAT scores.

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Sometimes, a pencil is more effective than DNA at catching bad guys. Find out more about what it's like to be a forensic artist.

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Don't be afraid to ask why they charge so much.

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They have ways of keeping tabs on you, and one of them is probably in your desk drawer right now.

It's not as glamorous as you might think.

If all else fails, they will force the ending.

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What exactly is a climate scientist, and how do they make sense of the complicated systems that rule our lives on the planet?

Melinda Hughes-Berland

They might wear breeches to the grocery store.

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What's it really like to work in Mission Control at the Johnson Space Center?

They can earn as much as $75,000 for placing a single candidate.

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There's a reason they don't like using faces.

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They’re not judging you for how much stuff you have—promise.