60 Fascinating Behind-The-Scenes Photos People Took At Work That Were Too Good Not To Share (New Pics)

For those of us whose workdays revolve around commuting, showing up at the office, and staring at a computer screen for eight hours, many of these photos can feel genuinely extraordinary. They offer a glimpse into worlds that look nothing like our own daily routines.

After all, what do you mean there are people whose jobs involve tending pristine gardens or seeing the world from a bird’s-eye view while flying planes?

Of course, that doesn’t mean these roles are as magical as they might sound at first glance—they come with their own pressures and challenges. Still, there’s no denying how fascinating they are from the outside.

Overall, there are countless careers out there that are uniquely specific or delightfully quirky. It’s hard not to wish for enough time to explore them all, if only to learn how they actually work.

Take the Guinness World Records, for example. Most of us have flipped through the book at some point, but few stop to wonder who is responsible for officially recording those achievements. As it turns out, that’s a job in its own right.

The official title is “Guinness World Records Adjudicator.” Spencer Cammarano is one of them, and he spoke about the role in an interview with Suzanne Yeagley for McSweeney's Internet Tendency.

“I’m part of a team of adjudicators who are sent in person for certain events,” he said. “I am the person who decides, normally in real time, unless it’s a very intense record, whether or not the record attempt was successful.”

“We go to the event in our fancy uniform. Every time I’m in it, I feel very official,” he added. “There are also people who review record attempt applications in the office, on a computer. They are not in fancy uniforms. I did that job for about four years.”

Naturally, that raises the question of how someone even ends up working for Guinness World Records in the first place. In Cammarano’s case, it happened almost by accident.

“At my previous job, I was a writer, writing a story about a successful Guinness World Records attempt, and I thought to myself, ‘Who works there?’ Out of curiosity, I looked at their website and their jobs, and strangely, I found one that seemed to fit my background. I applied, and I got it,” he said.

Another job that sounds almost fictional to many people is being a mystery shopper. These are individuals who visit all kinds of businesses, from clothing stores to electronics retailers, posing as regular customers. In reality, they’re hired to evaluate whether employees are following company standards and procedures.

Brett Payne, who previously worked as a mystery shopper, also spoke to Suzanne Yeagley about the role. “It is ratting out the employees,” he said. “But if you report that the employees are all giving five-star service and saying all the lingo that they’re supposed to say, they’re never going to investigate it. The company wants to look good.”

“Most of the time, they want you to verify that they’re using all of the catchphrases and ad words and stuff. Like when you go to a place like a ‘Blaze Pizza,’ they require their people to say, ‘Have a Blaze day.’”

In Payne’s case, his appearance actually helped him blend in. With a neck tattoo, a hand tattoo, and stretched ears, he didn’t fit the typical image of a mystery shopper. “Employees were very friendly because it was my job to talk with them, and they honestly believed I was a regular shopper,” he said.

Behind the scenes, the job itself is far more structured than it might sound. There are dedicated websites that list available mystery shopping assignments, though Payne warned that some can be scams. At one point, he was signed up with around 150 companies, most of them small operations.

An assignment could mean going to a cell phone retailer, saying you’re interested in switching to a new phone, asking about its features, and interacting with the staff. After the visit, you’d collect a business card and photograph it as proof that you were there. Completing assignments like these over time helps shoppers build up a record of their work.

With enough experience and a solid track record, the opportunities can become far more glamorous. Payne explained that some shoppers eventually move on to luxury cruises, high-end hotels, and airlines, but that level takes years to reach. During his time, he visited movie theaters, skating rinks, amusement parks, and even skiing and snowboarding destinations.

And if you’ve ever felt frustrated watching drivers block pedestrian crossings, there’s a job in Bolivia that might sound oddly satisfying. In some cities, traffic rules are enforced by “traffic zebras”—people dressed in zebra costumes who step in when drivers ignore crosswalks.

If a car rolls over the line, the zebras make a dramatic show, crying, climbing onto vehicles, and even placing donkey ears on drivers. These roles are often filled by young people through the Mama Zebra programme, which helps them earn money for their education.

Ultimately, there are jobs for nearly every interest imaginable, many of which most people never even realize exist. Some are exciting and unconventional, others demanding and difficult, but they all prove one thing: the working world is far bigger and stranger than it often appears. All you have to do is be open to it.