WE all had an idea of what we want to do work-wise when we grew up, but there are some jobs that, for whatever reason, get overlooked.
And there are some, like embalmer and crime scene cleaner, that many people would never, ever want to do… but actually can be great career paths.
For dad-of-two Tim West, 47, he finds people are often shocked when he tells them his chosen career – working in pest control dealing with everything from rats to bed bug infestations.
While he deals with situations that would make many people's skin crawl, it's certainly not a career to turn your nose up at, and the average pest control expert can actually earn an impressive £40k a year.
Merlin Environmental Commercial Director Tim has been what he calls a 'pestie' for 18 years now, and absolutely loves it.
He says: "People are always shocked and say that they could never do a job like that.
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"Without a doubt, the most common question I get is, 'what’s the biggest rat you’ve ever seen?'
"It was the size of a small cat – and it was on my first day!
"I think people are amazed that someone would choose to be a pestie but I’ve always loved it.
"It’s an incredibly rewarding job that allows you to see a lot of new places and also meet new people.
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"When people are experiencing a pest issue, there’s also no-one more important than a pestie, which can make the job feel like a real honour!"
While Tim loves his job, he admits it can of course be challenging – to put it mildly.
He says: "It probably won’t surprise you that some of the jobs we attend are particularly bad.
"One that sticks in my mind is a huge bed bug infestation.
"It was so bad that the owner of the home had bedbugs in his
eyebrows!
"The wall actually looked like it was moving because there were so many bed bugs on it.
"Believe it or not, but bed bugs are actually a pestie’s worst nightmare. They get everywhere!
"But at Merlin Environmental we have a secret approach that involves sending in our trained team of dogs to sniff them out.
"Another job that I’ll never forget was a rat infestation at a hotel.
"There were hundreds of them and a nearby hill looked like it was bouncing because the rats were burrowing underneath – it took 6 weeks to clear.
"The moment you think you’ve seen it all, you definitely see something new."
Typically with overtime and commission, Tim says an average pest control expert earns around £40,000 per year.
Tim says: "Of course there are some tasks that are more difficult than others including dealing with a range of pests – alive and dead.
"Plus, you may be required to work late or at weekends, but on the whole I think pest control jobs are paid well.
"There is also the opportunity to do overtime – many jobs may need to be carried out on night shifts – which means you can earn more."
Tim says there are a lot of common misconceptions around the industry.
He says: "It also surprises me how little people know about the pest control industry and what we do.
"Some people think it's inhumane and that we go around hitting animals and killing them.
"It’s not like that at all.
"It’s about helping people in need and setting up preventative measures."
As well as plenty of tasks that require getting your hands dirty, the role also comes with a lot of perks.
Tim adds: "The best part of the job is definitely the fact that I get to meet people and travel around to different places.
"For example, I’ve been to places that the public aren’t permitted to like areas of the Tower of London and even warehouses where some of the Queen’s furniture was stored.
"I was even sent to the O2 before it was built to do a survey. It’s fantastic getting to go around these areas."
Ironically, despite his work, Tim actually has a creepy crawly phobia of his own.
"It might surprise you but I’m actually petrified of spiders and my 14 year old daughter has to deal with them at home.
"You’d think my job would have cured my phobia but no!"
While Tim knows his job may not be in the most sought-after industry, he wouldn't change it for the world.
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He says: "I’m actually hoping to stay at Merlin Environmental until I retire.
"I love working here and get a lot of freedom so the plan is to keep going for a few years yet!"
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