10 High Adrenaline Jobs Looking For Recruits

This job option is great if you have a criminal record, or are in need of a new identity. All your have to do is pass a few tests and learn a bit of French. Then you’ll be provided with a brand new name and life. All the French Foreign Legion requires in return is a few years of your life, and the willingness to go anywhere in the world your superiors tell you to go and shoot or stab anyone they ask you to kill. It might not be a glamorous life, but when conflicts flare up in some of the worst spots on the planet, there’s a strong chance you’ll see some action. Can you say cannon fodder?

Here’s an adrenaline-inducing jobs that you can do without the risk of getting shot. High-rise window cleaners are the rock stars of the window cleaning profession. They have to be part Spiderman, part rappelling artist and part Mr. Clean. Just imagine tackling thousands of glass surfaces on the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai. Yep, that’s the same building Tom Cruise scaled up and down in Mission Impossible 4. Those shimmering windows don’t clean themselves, do they? You too could become one of the select few who help keep the skyscrapers of the world spotless, as long as you’re not afraid of heights.

When wild animals come into contact with human civilization, someone needs to head outside and take care of them. That someone could be you. While this might not seem like a very exciting job when we’re talking about rats, squirrels and skunks, things can get pretty exhilarating when you have to deal with cougars, bears, alligators and venomous snakes. Dealing with wild animals comes with some risk, but when your prey has the ability to fight back, it can also be an incredible adrenaline rush. RIP, Steve.

With the move toward greener sources of energy production, the demand for technicians who can maintain and repair windmills is on the rise. This is a great job for loners, or folks who like to work in small teams. Why is it exciting? Well, wind turbines are tall (in order to catch the air currents), which means you can’t be squeamish when it comes to height. They're also obviously built in windy locations, which means there’s a good chance of getting knocked about while you scale the towers and get to work. The pay is pretty good as well, and it’s definitely a growth industry looking for new employees. If you’re still in need of an extra challenge, remember that windmills are often planted out in large bodies of water. You’ll get to go for a bumpy boat ride every day before you begin your job.

If you have steady hands, and don’t mind the fact that some crazy fool has possibly devised a complicated trap to blow you and your buddies sky high, then working with a police or military bomb squad just might be for you. It’s not for everyone; the job requires a cool disposition, and a vast technical knowledge of explosives and detonation devises, as well as the wits to detect irregularities. For those rare people who fit the profile, there might be a lot of down time, but when you’re called on to work, the thrill of the explosive mechanical puzzle you have to solve (and diffuse) can be addicting. You saw the film The Hurt Locker, right?

This job is a no-brainer for people looking for a rewarding profession that also has a high adrenaline factor. While you might not be fighting gigantic, five-alarm infernos every day, when you do have to contain an out-of-control blaze, you can be sure that there will be plenty of action and life risking on hand to feed your needs. This is a serious job that requires discipline, strength and training, but it doesn’t hurt that women often swoon when they’re in the presence of real firefighters. These folks put their lives at risk for the rest of us, and deserve all of the perks that come along with the job.

While this might not sound like a wild job, if done improperly there is a mountain of risk to contend with, and people can die. When done right, you get to blow crap up for a living, like buildings and bridges, and watch manmade structures tumble down to the ground. This is a great job for folks who are detail oriented, know how to plan, and love controlled destruction. In America, the Loizeaux family has been imploding buildings for generations, and is widely considered to be the best in the business. If you’re lucky, maybe they’re still hiring.

Hey, if Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher could do it in the 2006 movie The Guardian, why can’t you? Yes, you have to be in the best shape of your life, and have a healthy relationship with water and helicopters (and jumping out of helicopters) to become a rescue swimmer, but when it’s time to perform, you’re guaranteed a substantial infusion of action. Not only will you get lowered from hovering aircraft, you’ll have the opportunity to save a life, even if the person in distress is clawing all over you because of his or her panic. Hopefully once the victim has calmed down, he or she will be able to thank you for your valiant efforts.

Every day is a potential battle and all around adventure for an EMT specialist. Sometimes these first responders only have a moment or two to prepare for what they’ll encounter at an emergency scene, and even then, there are often many surprises. Gunshot wounds, respiratory distress, heart attacks and severe injury are just some of the problems a paramedic has to deal with day in and day out. It’s a job with lots of variety that keeps people on their toes, and calls on all of their training when it comes to helping a fellow human being make it another day.

C’mon, you knew we couldn’t leave this one off of the list. Any brave soul who chooses to ride on top of an angry bull or a bucking bronco has to be looking for adrenaline in his or her daily routine. While this might not be the best profession for people looking to get rich fast, they can take heart in the fact that a crazy ride is actually part of the job description. The best riders who go pro and hit the rodeo circuit get the thrill of a furious animal rocking beneath them, and a cheering crowd rooting for their successful ride, or spectacular fall.