# Your Childhood Dream Career vs. Your Career Now



## Hottest_Commie_Ever

Let's compare the similarities and differences!

I wanted to be a teacher in kindergarten. Now, i'm only 13, so i don't have a job yet  but i want to be a social worker/philanthropist/something like that.


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## Gossip Goat

The very first thing I ever wanted to be was some kind of cave explorer or egyptologist or something involving finding precious jewels.

Now I am considerings careers involving psychiatry.


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## Wednesday Mermaid

I wanted to be a singer.

Now I'm a singer.

Booyah.


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## Roland Khan

Childhood: Probably something within the video game industry

Now: Revolutionary taking down the growing tyranny of our Corporate Empire


(hey, you said dream (fantasy) job, not realistic expectation of one:wink


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## Popinjay

Childhood: I had no dreams

Early Adolescence: Music Pastor

Now: I.T. Administrator...purely because it pays the bills and I have beaucoup job security


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## flummoxed

Always wanted to be an electrical engineer and now I am. :happy:

Everything went according to plan... until it didn't.


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## Vaan

My first dream was to become a supreme court judge and now i'm a soldier.


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## Antipode

Vaan said:


> My first dream was to become a suoreme court judge and now i'm a soldier.


Ah, so now you're a supreme court judge on the battle field. Pretty much skipped the middle man.


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## Antipode

As a kid, thanks to Jurassic Park, I wanted to be a paleontologist.

In middle school-high school I wanted to be a teacher/counselor, but went the teaching route.

Last year I switched degrees to counseling.


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## Father of Dragons

When I was a kid I would tell people that I was going to be an engineer, because my dad is and it seemed like the default thing to do. In high school I decided I should be a doctor, partly inspired by Jack on Lost . First year chemistry changed my mind! Since then I've at various times aspired to be an architect, economist, aid worker, and software engineer/computer scientist(now.) I'm all over the place, it seems.


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## jcal

From about 7th grade through 11th grade, I thought I wanted to be an architect. Early in 11th grade I was invited by a local architect to attend a statewide event for high school students interested in architecture. I ended up being very turned off by that event. The speakers all pushed the need to develop your own vision for projects, at the expense of meeting a client's stated needs. That was a huge turn-off for me. I ended up looking into and pursuing the more practical and less "artistic" field of engineering, which has been my career for 37 years now.


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## Vaan

Antipode said:


> Ah, so now you're a supreme court judge on the battle field. Pretty much skipped the middle man.


Yeah supreme in the sense that I call in fire and judge the distance to the target


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## SouDesuNyan

I wanted to be a mathematician, but now I'm a programmer. Not too far off though.


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## kiriosa

I wanted to become a writer since I learned how to write. Already in pre-school, I always was the kid that told the other kids own little stories about witches and knights and stuff. They must have been pretty damn good, because years later I met one of the younger kids again and he blamed me for telling him lies, because witches don't exist. 
I still would like to write a book or two sometime, but I know now that I need to have a plan B as well.
I'll graduate next summer and after that I'm gonna spend a year as an au pair in the USA. I'd really like to study something that involves children as well after that - maybe to become a primary school teacher with English as my major subject.


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## ScientiaOmnisEst

I recall wanting to be something in the arts when I was young: either visual arts or writing.

I dropped out of a STEM program, have been trying to get some kind of clerical or service job...and given my apparent unemployability, I might try try something writing/editing related after all.


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## lizw47

I always wanted to be a writer. Now, I'm a writer! :happy:


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## 95134hks

MessyJessie103 said:


> Let's compare the similarities and differences!
> 
> I wanted to be a teacher in kindergarten. Now, i'm only 13, so i don't have a job yet  but i want to be a social worker/philanthropist/something like that.


At age 5 everyone wants to be a doctor or nurse, school teacher, fireman, police, cowboy, G/I Joe or Sailor Sam.

At age 10 not much has changed.

At age 15 kids start to think about science, arts, engineering, government, and other more broad topics of pursuit.

At age 19 you are forced to pick a major in college. This is a really had choice for most students.

At age 21 you are supposed to pick a career.

These ages are all too young to figure all this out often times.

When I turned 25 I finally figured out what I wanted to do in life so I went back to grad school and got an M.S. degree in that and have been doing it for the past 35 years with great pleasure.

Good luck in your career choices. I'm sure they will change as you go along.

Ultimately you need to choose something (1) that society needs, (2) that pays well, (3) that you are good at, and (4) that you enjoy -- all 4 of those are important.


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## 95134hks

ScientiaOmnisEst said:


> I recall wanting to be something in the arts when I was young: either visual arts or writing.
> 
> I dropped out of a STEM program, have been trying to get some kind of clerical or service job...and given my apparent unemployability, I might try try something writing/editing related after all.


Business has the most jobs available.

This is because the population of the Earth accomplishes most of its requirements and needs through business firms.

There is also government service business.

There is also the armed forces.

There is also the medical businesses.

You can also get a teaching degree and teach. We need teachers for the kids.

There is the social work industry -- lots of people need help and the cities/counties normally need to employ workers to help them.

There are billions of jobs. Just get on Craig's list and fine one. Or google the job boards.


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## 95134hks

kiriosa said:


> I wanted to become a writer since I learned how to write. Already in pre-school, I always was the kid that told the other kids own little stories about witches and knights and stuff. They must have been pretty damn good, because years later I met one of the younger kids again and he blamed me for telling him lies, because witches don't exist.
> I still would like to write a book or two sometime, but I know now that I need to have a plan B as well.
> I'll graduate next summer and after that I'm gonna spend a year as an au pair in the USA. I'd really like to study something that involves children as well after that - maybe to become a primary school teacher with English as my major subject.


How about journalism ??


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## 95134hks

SouDesuNyan said:


> I wanted to be a mathematician, but now I'm a programmer. Not too far off though.


Correct very close.

I was always good at math too so I became first an accountant in business and then an international business consultant.

There are lots and lots of accounting and data processing jobs.

It worked for me.


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## 95134hks

My childhood dream at age 5 is that I wanted to be a cowboy and ride the ranges.

My friends had a ranch and I got to do some of that work but it was not as much fun as I thought.


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## ScientiaOmnisEst

95134hks said:


> Business has the most jobs available.
> 
> This is because the population of the Earth accomplishes most of its requirements and needs through business firms.
> 
> There is also government service business.
> 
> There is also the armed forces.
> 
> There is also the medical businesses.
> 
> You can also get a teaching degree and teach. We need teachers for the kids.
> 
> There is the social work industry -- lots of people need help and the cities/counties normally need to employ workers to help them.
> 
> There are billions of jobs. Just get on Craig's list and fine one. Or google the job boards.


And none of them seem to want me. I apply, I look, if I even get a response for something I'm qualified for, I get shot down post-interview. Allegedly it's my poor social skills - things that kind of make business and social work out of the question. Besides, those, teaching, and medical anything requires training, sometimes a couple years of school, and I need employment now. 

I may be self-punishing and meh toward life, but I'm not sure if joining the military to go get shot is a path I want unless I truly run out of options. Even if I'm just in a reserve. And I'm not intelligent enough to go to OTS. Actually, I probably couldn't even pass the physical to get into the lowest ranks.

I would make an absolutely horrible teacher. We have too many of them anyway.

Not trying to be difficult, just stating facts.


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## MisterPerfect

Wanted to be a Chemist

Currently work warehouse and trying figure out how pay for college


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## Bitterself

I wanted to be an astronaut. I'm only 16 now and I don't even know what I like most :frustrating:


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## Mr. Demiurge

My childhood dream was to become a mad scientist and create an army of killer robots to conquer the world.

Presently unemployed.

Fuck you, reality.


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## Hottest_Commie_Ever

@95134hks thanks for the advice :happy: i will keep that in mind.

You're right! They do make us pick stuff when we're too young. I'll probably _need_ to go back to college after i graduate. Glad to hear that you've been enjoying what you're doing for the past 35 years! It's great to find something that lasts long, and in a good way, isn't it? roud:


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## Ninjaws

I wanted to become a paleontologist after seeing Jurassic Park. I'm not that interested anymore. Right now I'm studying video game programming.


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## AesSidhe

Then: I wanted to travel the World and volunteer for NGOs

Now: I'm traveling the World and I've worked for NGOs (but not at this very moment)

I'm living my dream ^^


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## SolitaryNight

When I was little :Never thought about it
Beginning of primary school: Doctor was the first thing that popped into my head but I didn't really think about it.
Primary school:Cartoonist, teacher or writer
Secondary School - Journalist
Right Now : Librarian/ Freelance Illustrator


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## Handsome Jack

Then: CEO. Black suit, looking out of my office on the top floor of a skyscraper overlooking the city, receptionist out front.

Now: Strategy Consultant who's on the way there. Will make that come true come hell or high water.


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## MisterPerfect

Mr. Demiurge said:


> My childhood dream was to become a mad scientist and create an army of killer robots to conquer the world.
> 
> Presently unemployed.
> 
> Fuck you, reality.


Made me laugh so hard XD


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## RubberDuckDudette

When I was a little kid I wanted to be absolutely everything and I even had a plan figured out as to how.

Then when I hit about 11 reality struck and I decided that I was just going to get a normal career except I wasn't sure what. I really liked the idea of going into health and being able to help people.

When I was 12/13ish I started listening to the people around me that were telling me to just prepare to get married and have kids and be a supportive wife because apparently women aren't meant to get jobs or go to university... Long story there. Short version is that I did let it get me down for a while, but after meeting a few really inspirational people I basically told them all to get stuffed and decided I was going to be a doctor because that's the hardest health degree there is.

I'm currently 15 and about to enter Year 11. I'm acing Maths and Science and I'm really excited to see if I can get in. My English grades have kind of been down recently though, so I'm going to have to work my butt off to get in. I'm thinking I would like to specialise in emergency medicine or become a pediatrician if I do get in. The choice is so hard though. >_<


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## Worriedfunction

I had a vague idea about being a vet.

But I never had a solid draw to any particular career. I never did and never have looked towards my future like it's some set place I'm going to.

It was always more important for me to just have the journey in the first place. This doesn't mean I don't think in terms of future endeavours or what could be, but any goal is open to change and me with it.

I don't know about this image of set careers; I think it's generally a more damaging concept than helpful one.

I guess it's the J prerogative though and doesn't really favour the P.


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## ImminentThunder

When I was in elementary school, I wanted to do three things: be a writer, design theme park rides, and be a scientist (specifically, marine biology or paleontology because sharks, stingrays, and dinosaurs ftw). In high school, I added on digital artist. 

Those are technically all in progress right now. Just very slow progress. I am working on a few sci-fi/fantasy novels and poems. I am trying to get accepted into the Computer Science: Animation Emphasis program at my school, although that will be rather difficult because the acceptance rate is very low - like 35-45%. (The actual Animation major is even harder to get into. At any rate, I'm scared!) I am also going to double minor in creative writing and mathematics.

I was considering mechanical engineering, because that's the most obvious choice for roller coaster design, but I had a greater interest in software design. I love computers, although that's an interest that came into my life a lot later than the previous ones. I know I would enjoy a software engineering or animation job.

That being said, I would still prefer to work in Walt Disney Imagineering or a similar discipline. All the Imagineering articles and websites I've researched essentially say to study whatever you like, because there is a huge array of disciplines that can be applied to it. So if I can get accepted into this major, I'd like to work in concept design or audio animatronics.

And as far as science goes, I'm currently looking into ways that computer science can be applied to other disciplines in the sciences. Marine bioinformatics or paleoinformatics come to mind. There isn't a lot of data on the subject, but there's some, so I guess I'll just have to keep researching.

My backup plan right now is computer security. I will probably take a few classes in that in case everything else doesn't work out. I'm currently working in an IT job to get through college, but it's just networking/tech support and I don't feel like I'm learning that much about technology. It's okay, but I'd like to switch to a more development-related job in the future.

In a nutshell, my goals are largely the same as they always were, with a few minor adjustments  So I guess I will see what happens.


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## xisnotx

i wanted to be a basketball player, right now i'm a security guard. but, that's not my career..just my job.


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## Carniolan

I wanted to be a biochemist but it wasn't evil enough for me, currently studying finance.


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## Na2Cr2O7

Wanted to be a doctor; rejected an offer.
Now studying chemical nano-engineering, hopefully to become a successful writer.


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## .17485

Childhood dream career: I wanted to be a race car driver, then it was to be a footballer, at one point I thought of how cool it would be to work in the video games industry

Career right: I'm currently working in the video games industry as a video games tester.


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## Runaway

I wanted to travel the world in a horse-drawn caravan solving mysteries. 

Didn't work out, funnily enough. My current plans are either teaching or psychology.


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## Fleetfoot

Childhood: Doctor
Now: I work in a call center. I hope to god it's not a career. :frustrating:


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## Razare

I actually have my childhood dream career... I didn't know what it was when I was a kid, but once we had a class where I did the books for business planning and stuff. I was basically the fake company's accountant. I enjoyed it a lot.

Now, that's what I do.


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## strawberryLola

I never really had a dream career for a little miss scatterbrain. I vacillated between art, but lacked patience for finishing anything. Culinary was fun, but I was too lackadaisical in the kitchen. Teaching seemed cool. And, I would often like to pull up a chair next to my dad while he slept on the couch and psychoanalyze him. At times, even experimenting on how to get him to stop smoking.

Too many interests. Too hard to narrow down. Wished I developed a stronger J function who was decisive in what she wanted.


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## fleursdetilleul

When I was little I wanted to become either a doctor, elementary school teacher, lawyer, fashion designer - I even had some sketches and maybe there are a couple more that I don't remember of right now. Since high school I started developing an interest for accounting, also wanted to become a translator, doctor - mostly a surgeon and a psychotherapist... Now I'm studying in the Administration field which makes me really miserable but I'm planning to fulfill my childhood dream and become an elementary school teacher.


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## SicIndigo

Childhood dream career = work with computers (any position)
Career now = Work with computers (Grave cakes and lil-bit-o-Money)

: )


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## rezm

as a kid, thanks to the movie twister, I wanted to be a storm chaser. 

now I work as an overnight residential support worker. most of my clients have schizophrenia. it really doesn't suite me, but since I'm working nights I don't have to interact with the clients often. and the pay is okay.

I'm currently working towards becoming a crematorium operator.


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## Sybow

As a child I wanted to be Santa.
Then I wanted to become a fire fighter
Now I'm a security guard


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## Electra

I dreamed of becoming a doctor as a child. Now I am a dog-walker.


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## Nicole29

When I was a kid, I dreamed to become a teacher, then a dancer, then a doctor.
I am a Master of Analytical Chemistry. But now I am working as a marketing manager)


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## JoetheBull

childhood: writer, Artist, Zoologoist, scientist, comic book writer/artist, cartoonist, animator

adolescence: writer, artist, Anthropologist, scientist, guy who makes awesome robots (like megaman ), game designer, Zoologist, cartoonist, animator, graphic novelist ( or manga-ka), biologist, evolutionary biologist

My career now: I am a computer tech. I such at life lol


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## Arzazar Szubrasznikarazar

I wanted to be a paleontologist.


Unemployable/Disabled/severely under-employed CAD drafter in family business


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## O_o

As a kid, I really wanted to be an astronaut. 

Lawyer throughout middle and high school. 

Now, I'm working to become a school psychologist. Not that I dislike it (it's pretty fun and easy), but there are moments of bummery where I regret not going into engineering and shooting for those stars up there somehow (I've got better visual-spatial/perceptual reasoning skills than anything else, honestly). I regret not giving it a shot and seeing whether I would have been any good at it. Or actually going into a field that's challenging. Not that psych isn't but... yeah, no, it's honestly not in comparison to many other things. (Or I should say academically, it's not. The stuff we spent a whole semester learning in grad school related to research stats was the same stuff that we breezed through in a single session during the beginner's business data analysis class during undergrad. Wish I was exaggerating. Never underestimate a whole group's inability to function around math.


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## Miss Bingley

I always wanted to be a princess growing up. Now, I'm studying political science, so....world leadership, here I come!


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## Tropes

I wanted to be a lot of things, but the most realistic among them are AI researcher & game designer.
Now I work as the manager for a city call center and spend most of my time programming in-office tools.

It's not far off, there's skill crossover, I am basically exchanging an opportunity to do something I like and would give me more financial gain in exchange for an absurd level of job security by doing a lot more then my job is supposed to be.


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## PowerShell

I'm a full time travel blogger now. As a kid I don't think the term blog had been even coined yet.


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## Introvertia

I wanted to be an adventurer. That was never going to happen, I don't even like travelling.


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## olonny

I first wanted to be a cartoon dubber.
Then, I wanted to be a vet.
Later on, I wanted to be a journalist and a writer.


Now I'm a teacher and a future fiction writer.


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## Robert2928

As a kid I wanted to be a dinosaur...now I identify as one...


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## Duk3star

Childhood: Anything with computers
Now: Mental Health Technician in the USAF.


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## Duk3star

Duk3star said:


> Childhood: Anything with computers
> Now: Mental Health Technician in the USAF.


Better off not doing anything with computers now that I think about it.


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## PowerShell

Duk3star said:


> Better off not doing anything with computers now that I think about it.


Yeah doing any sort of IT support will drive you to needing mental health services.


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## Figure

Child: wanted to be a "bwain surjun," then an architect, then a company CEO. 

Adult: Management Consultant. I do cloud IT implementations. Basically, companies or the government want to move to the cloud but have no clue what that means or how to do it. We come in with developers and build software that matches what the client needs, make sure it works the way it was designed, and make sure other people know how to use it. My job is to know what the client does well enough to recommend the right type of software, estimate what it will cost, and to design how it should work. 

My job requires the meticulateness of a surgeon offhandedly, because it forces you to understand how every nut and bolt of the software fits together, how one decision made will impact the way the software works downstream, and how to fix delicate problems where tools or data is interrelated. The architect side is choosing tools/a tool that accomplishes the goal without wasting money and fits within existing tools. The CEO side is TBD - but it is my job to communicate how what we're doing accomplishes a strategic goal, so we're getting there : )


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## Drecon

As a child I wanted to be a comic book artist. 

Eventually my father convinced me there wasn't any work in that field and I ended up studying Atrificial Intelligence. I rolled into teaching and now I teach programming and math at a school for Game Development. If I had known this job existed I would've wanted it as a child because it's basically my dream job.


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## Belzy

I am about to quit my current job to go for my dream job.


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## Hexigoon

I wanted to be a Pokemon Master of course! 

I'm joking (kinda), as far as I remember I wanted to be a novelist (but my best friend made me give that up temporarily when he found my work in progress and completely mocked it. Calling it shit and all that. I felt so embarrassed and hurt about it - I was only 10-11 or something, give me a break).
But also game's tester / designer, animator, actor, painter, cartoonist, entertainer, film director, comic book creator and goalkeeper for my local football team. I was a very ambitious little kid. I wanted to work at the library too because I liked being able to read all the books. 

My desires haven't really changed too much since then to be honest. My dreams have just remained dreams, I don't have much of a career. I make a bit of money from a youtube channel that I don't care for anymore. I hate my life lol


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## maxmayer

When I was in school, I had the idea of becoming a teacher. I did not like to do my homework, the constant homework and the essays that the teacher asked us, used the service that helped me a lot, if you inerested here it is https://writingcheap.com/cheap-assignment-writing-service.html and i always wanted to be on the other side, the teacher. How I finished school I went to study as a programmer  These are the realities of life


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## adilbalti

My profession is teaching and the cool things are that my father is also a teacher. I am teaching *Assignment Writing* To my Students. I choose Teaching as a profession for myself because I love this profession. No one forced me to choose the profession. I will do the same with my kids, I will give them a free hand to choose their career.


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## Skimt

Never had a childhood dream job. It eventually became clearer as an adult. There's now numerable facets to my industries that I want to master. My main love will always be systems programming, though.


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## lilysocks

People told me I wanted to/was going to be a writer. I wanted to be a transport rider [100ish years too late], a soldier in the Duke of Wellington's peninsular campaign [same], or a game ranger. 

I'm a qa analyst. Software didn't significantly exist when I was making these plans. And I'm not interested in the Canadian wilderness much.


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## Wisteria

As a kid/teen i wanted to be a fashion designer for a while
Now im studying life science and pharmacy


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## islandlight

When I was a child, girls didn't think about jobs. At least I didn't.

Now I'm retired. So it all worked out in the end.


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## Swivelinglight

I wanted to be an astronomer. I'm a software engineer, now, which is alright. Honestly, it's very 'ti' heavy, and not really my default state of being, and so I often try to have fun when I'm not working.


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## counterintuitive

Swivelinglight said:


> I wanted to be an astronomer. I'm a software engineer, now, which is alright. Honestly, it's very 'ti' heavy, and not really my default state of being, and so I often try to have fun when I'm not working.


I agree coding is very Ti heavy. I'm a data scientist, but in practice, I'm writing code virtually all day. Good thing is I'm a Ti aux type so it's not a problem for me. I do find it fun, lol. I can admit that.


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## red_evening_apple

I wanted to be so many things growing up. As a very small child I wanted to be a spy, a farmer/breeder and an explorer; at the end of elementary school I wanted to be an astronomer or geologist, and as a preteen I wanted to be a writer, poet or illustrator
At the moment I'm studying forestry and my formation to be a forester is almost complete, so I'm gonna work in something related to forests and the environment. I still now would like to be a writer someday, but I don't have a big talent in writing, unluckily


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## strawberryLola

I was always that kind of kid who was always indecisive and confused. Although, my teachers always told me I would be so and so (all consistently the same). I would consistently get awards for it, but always rejected it. So maybe I should stop fighting it, but it doesn't pay the bills, so what gives?


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## Kitagawa Megumi

I wanted to work in health science. But after one semester, I realized that a more detached way of helping the world was better suited for me. So I ended up focusing on tech and electronics. My work is completely remote; there is a nice balance between abstract topics and feeling like I am making a difference in the lives of folks around me.  No regrets as an INFJ, enneagram 5.


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## 0wl

When I was a kid I wanted be a singer/actress and told myself that if in any case this goes wrong from me, than I'd like to become a journalist/author. I'm a journalist and an author now, I'm completely happy with how things turned out for me.


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## Rascal01

Now looking back in retirement I attained everything I set out to do. It is immensely satisfying. I write this not to brag, but to encourage you to go after your goals. It can be a lot of work and you may need to get creative, but commitment and perseverance will pay off.


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## Celtsincloset

In leaving primary school, I think I wanted to be an artist. When I left high school, I wanted to create my own manga, what was an adventure story called Saliue, the King of Ghosts. It started off with an armour-clad warrior walking lone through a desert. Today I’m a youth worker who is working on a comic called Black Orchard on the side.


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## explodokills

Child: An author to a manga artist
Adolescent: Athlete, scientist, engineer (in several fields lol. Renewable energy, mechanical engineering, mechatronics and AI), physiotherapist, counsellor/psychologist, start-up entrepreneaur, lawyer, environmental activist, vet. I had a _lot _of ambitious and random phases ahaha.
Current dream: Geologist/Climatologist. I'll have to see where my current studies and future trends take me though haha. I would not be surprised if this changes again in the near future.


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## explodokills

red_evening_apple said:


> I wanted to be so many things growing up. As a very small child I wanted to be a spy, a farmer/breeder and an explorer; at the end of elementary school I wanted to be an astronomer or geologist, and as a preteen I wanted to be a writer, poet or illustrator
> At the moment I'm studying forestry and my formation to be a forester is almost complete, so I'm gonna work in something related to forests and the environment. I still now would like to be a writer someday, but I don't have a big talent in writing, unluckily


This is the first time I've heard about forestry, how interesting! What was it about this career path that interested you?


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