





























© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Theresa May - After university, the former British prime minister worked for the Bank of England.
© Reuters
1 / 30 Fotos
Emmanuel Macron - The French president has had a few interesting jobs. For instance, he worked as an editorial assistant and got into banking before politics.
© Reuters
2 / 30 Fotos
Angela Merkel - While studying quantum physics, the former German chancellor worked as a barmaid. "I got an extra 30 pfennig for each sold glass," she told a biographer.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Volodymyr Zelensky - Volodymyr Zelensky is the president of the Ukraine. He originally worked in comedy and media, and actually played the role of president of the Ukraine on the TV show 'Servant of the People.'
© NL Beeld
4 / 30 Fotos
Narendra Modi
- When he was a child, the Indian prime minister helped his father sell tea at a train station. He later worked a tea stall with his brother at a bus station.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Nicolás Maduro - Nicolás Maduro is the current president of Venezuela. Before that, he worked as a bus driver, and even as a trade union leader.
© Reuters
6 / 30 Fotos
Dalia Grybauskaitė - Lithuania's former president was once a staff inspector at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society.
© Reuters
7 / 30 Fotos
Sergio Mattarella
- He's the president of Italy, but Sergio Mattarella once worked as a politics professor at the University of Palermo.
© Getty Image
8 / 30 Fotos
Joko Widodo - The Indonesian president first worked at his father's furniture workshop, starting when he was just 12.
© Reuters
9 / 30 Fotos
Mauricio Macri - The former president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, originally worked for construction companies and in civil engineering. Macri was kidnapped in 1991, which inspired him to get into politics.
© Reuters
10 / 30 Fotos
Jacinda Ardern - The New Zealand former prime minister originally worked in the UK, as a policy advisor to former British prime minister Tony Blair.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Charles Michel - Charles Michel began his political journey when he was just 16. He also worked as a lawyer before becoming the 51st prime minister of Belgium.
© Reuters
12 / 30 Fotos
Shinzō Abe - The former Japanese prime minister originally worked for Kobe Steel, a steel manufacturer with its headquarters in the city of Kobe.
© Reuters
13 / 30 Fotos
Bashar al-Assad - The Syrian president originally worked as an army doctor outside of Damascus. He also trained at a hospital in London, where he was described as a "geeky I.T. guy."
© Reuters
14 / 30 Fotos
Scott Morrison
- Scott Morrison, former prime minister of Australia, got his start as a child actor, and appeared in TV commercials and local shows.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Sebastián Piñera
- Sebastián Piñera was a professor at several universities before he assumed power as the president of Chile.
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - As a teen, the Turkish president sold lemonade to earn money. He also played semi-professional soccer before getting into politics.
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
Vladimir Putin
- The president of Russia was famously an officer with the KGB for 16 years, before resigning in 1991.
© Reuters
18 / 30 Fotos
Benjamin Netanyahu - The Israeli prime minister originally worked for the Israel Defense Forces.
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
Leo Varadkar - The former Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) was a senior medical student when he ran in local elections.
© Reuters
20 / 30 Fotos
Mohammed bin Salman - The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia originally worked in the private sector before working in the Saudi Cabinet.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Donald Trump
- The president of the United States began his career at E. Trump & Son, his father's real estate company, which owned rental housing in the outer boroughs of New York City.
© Public Domain
22 / 30 Fotos
Pedro Sánchez - Before he became the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez worked in European Parliament, as well as for the United Nations during the Kosovo War.
© Reuters
23 / 30 Fotos
Xi Jinping - The Chinese head of state was exiled as a youth, and at one point organized laborers while living in a cave, close to the village of Liangjiahe.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Moon Jae-in - Before becoming president of South Korea, Moon Jae-in originally worked in the military and special forces.
© Reuters
25 / 30 Fotos
Justin Trudeau - Justin Trudeau was once a substitute teacher and a snowboard instructor before he ultimately became the prime minister of Canada, following in his father's footsteps.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi - The Egyptian leader worked in the military as a field marshal.
© Reuters
27 / 30 Fotos
Jair Bolsonaro - Before Bolsonaro became the president of Brazil, he served in the army. He was described as "ambitious and aggressive" by his officers.
© Reuters
28 / 30 Fotos
Kim Jong-un
- Not too much is known about Kim Jong-un before he became the leader of North Korea. It's reported that he was involved in military campaigns to strengthen his support. See also: Sports stars who became politicians
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
© Getty Images
0 / 30 Fotos
Theresa May - After university, the former British prime minister worked for the Bank of England.
© Reuters
1 / 30 Fotos
Emmanuel Macron - The French president has had a few interesting jobs. For instance, he worked as an editorial assistant and got into banking before politics.
© Reuters
2 / 30 Fotos
Angela Merkel - While studying quantum physics, the former German chancellor worked as a barmaid. "I got an extra 30 pfennig for each sold glass," she told a biographer.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Volodymyr Zelensky - Volodymyr Zelensky is the president of the Ukraine. He originally worked in comedy and media, and actually played the role of president of the Ukraine on the TV show 'Servant of the People.'
© NL Beeld
4 / 30 Fotos
Narendra Modi
- When he was a child, the Indian prime minister helped his father sell tea at a train station. He later worked a tea stall with his brother at a bus station.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Nicolás Maduro - Nicolás Maduro is the current president of Venezuela. Before that, he worked as a bus driver, and even as a trade union leader.
© Reuters
6 / 30 Fotos
Dalia Grybauskaitė - Lithuania's former president was once a staff inspector at the Lithuanian National Philharmonic Society.
© Reuters
7 / 30 Fotos
Sergio Mattarella
- He's the president of Italy, but Sergio Mattarella once worked as a politics professor at the University of Palermo.
© Getty Image
8 / 30 Fotos
Joko Widodo - The Indonesian president first worked at his father's furniture workshop, starting when he was just 12.
© Reuters
9 / 30 Fotos
Mauricio Macri - The former president of Argentina, Mauricio Macri, originally worked for construction companies and in civil engineering. Macri was kidnapped in 1991, which inspired him to get into politics.
© Reuters
10 / 30 Fotos
Jacinda Ardern - The New Zealand former prime minister originally worked in the UK, as a policy advisor to former British prime minister Tony Blair.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Charles Michel - Charles Michel began his political journey when he was just 16. He also worked as a lawyer before becoming the 51st prime minister of Belgium.
© Reuters
12 / 30 Fotos
Shinzō Abe - The former Japanese prime minister originally worked for Kobe Steel, a steel manufacturer with its headquarters in the city of Kobe.
© Reuters
13 / 30 Fotos
Bashar al-Assad - The Syrian president originally worked as an army doctor outside of Damascus. He also trained at a hospital in London, where he was described as a "geeky I.T. guy."
© Reuters
14 / 30 Fotos
Scott Morrison
- Scott Morrison, former prime minister of Australia, got his start as a child actor, and appeared in TV commercials and local shows.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Sebastián Piñera
- Sebastián Piñera was a professor at several universities before he assumed power as the president of Chile.
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan - As a teen, the Turkish president sold lemonade to earn money. He also played semi-professional soccer before getting into politics.
© Getty Images
17 / 30 Fotos
Vladimir Putin
- The president of Russia was famously an officer with the KGB for 16 years, before resigning in 1991.
© Reuters
18 / 30 Fotos
Benjamin Netanyahu - The Israeli prime minister originally worked for the Israel Defense Forces.
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
Leo Varadkar - The former Irish Taoiseach (prime minister) was a senior medical student when he ran in local elections.
© Reuters
20 / 30 Fotos
Mohammed bin Salman - The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia originally worked in the private sector before working in the Saudi Cabinet.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Donald Trump
- The president of the United States began his career at E. Trump & Son, his father's real estate company, which owned rental housing in the outer boroughs of New York City.
© Public Domain
22 / 30 Fotos
Pedro Sánchez - Before he became the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez worked in European Parliament, as well as for the United Nations during the Kosovo War.
© Reuters
23 / 30 Fotos
Xi Jinping - The Chinese head of state was exiled as a youth, and at one point organized laborers while living in a cave, close to the village of Liangjiahe.
© Getty Images
24 / 30 Fotos
Moon Jae-in - Before becoming president of South Korea, Moon Jae-in originally worked in the military and special forces.
© Reuters
25 / 30 Fotos
Justin Trudeau - Justin Trudeau was once a substitute teacher and a snowboard instructor before he ultimately became the prime minister of Canada, following in his father's footsteps.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Abdel Fattah el-Sisi - The Egyptian leader worked in the military as a field marshal.
© Reuters
27 / 30 Fotos
Jair Bolsonaro - Before Bolsonaro became the president of Brazil, he served in the army. He was described as "ambitious and aggressive" by his officers.
© Reuters
28 / 30 Fotos
Kim Jong-un
- Not too much is known about Kim Jong-un before he became the leader of North Korea. It's reported that he was involved in military campaigns to strengthen his support. See also: Sports stars who became politicians
© Getty Images
29 / 30 Fotos
The careers of world leaders before politics
Some of them have an unusual resume
© Getty Images
The first election of Donald Trump shocked the world back in 2016. It showed that you didn't have to be a seasoned politician to take control of a country. Since then, we've seen more and more world leaders come from outsider positions.
Click through this gallery to discover the interesting jobs held by powerful world leaders before they took up politics.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU




































MOST READ
- Last Hour
- Last Day
- Last Week