What do you want to be when you grow up? Chances are if you ask that question in any third grade class, your answers will include at least one fireman, one policeman, one cowboy and an assortment of other jobs that are glamorized on television and books. But there are far more jobs than those that make good reading and television. Some of the most interesting and unusual jobs are those that most third graders have never heard of - unless, of course, a relative happens to be a flavorist or a research chef. A flavorist will go through five years of intensive post- degree training, take a certification test and spend two more years as a junior flavorist before having a chance at one of the lucrative jobs

as a full-fledged flavorist for a major flavor house. What's a flavor house, you're wondering? It's a research lab that develops flavors that are then purchased by soft drink manufacturers, baking companies, cereal companies and many other food manufacturers. Earnings prospects? In the neighborhood of $50,000 to $80,000 annually at entry level. Perfusionist Since I brought it up - a perfusionist is a specialist in keeping the heart functioning with heart/lung devices during,

before and after heart surgery, as well as in some circumstances when the heart is failing. It's one of those jobs that offer many exciting moments - the perfusionist interviewed may work in the back of an ambulance, in an operating theater or even in a foreign country. There are only 21 schools in the country that offer the specialized training needed to complete program requirements for a perfusionist, and altogether they graduate less than 150 students a year.