As a child, did you think you’d “grow up” to be a firefighter? Doctor? Ice cream maker? Construction worker? Veterinarian? Princess? What was it that you thought you’d “grow up” to be?
We’re curious to learn how many of you ended up working in a career that you dreamed of as a child. If we had to guess, we’d guess not that many of you actually did. But, we’ve been pleasantly surprised on more than one occasion! Please tell us by voting in the poll below. If you want to make our day, leave a comment saying what you thought your career would be when you were a kid.
Ended up with three completely different careers, none of which I dreamed of doing as a child.
My dad dreamed of me being a lawyer, I dreamed of being an artist. Artist won although I did change out starving artist for employed professional photographer early in my career.
I dreamed of being an astronaut, but ended up being a computer software architect doing lots of R&D. I realize now that both involve discovery and breaking new ground.
Planned on managing large lumber forests for for some well known lumber supplier. Did not like the curriculum after one semester and returned home to work for Kodak. Ended up working 46 years in the film industry finishing my career in Hollywood CA with Technicolor Film Labs and finally 5 years with the UCLA Film & TV Archive managing the Stanford Theatre Film Laboratory.
Wanted to be a nurse. Was one for 52 years.
I dreamed of a career working with animals. I ended up being a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, and later the executive director of an animal rescue and adoption center.
No but I had a dream career with the USAF. Then a nightmare career in state service and that was based in the politics that you had to put up with. None were what I dreamed of as a child for sure.
A series of carriers found me, always building on previous skills. A couple I swore I would never do as I hated the classes in school, but found I liked the practical application of my painfully acquired knowledge. I met my overriding goal of raising a family with grandkids for me to spoil. I retired with my personal integrity fully intact.
Enjoyed the transportation industry,trains,planes and buses,drove a city transit bus for three plus decades,was nice to see changes in the buses and watch the city expand.
I had thoughts of being a fashion designer or an interior decorator. However, I ended up as a nurse for almost 40 years. It was a great career for me.
Yes, I remember as a 6 yr old +- I was fascinated by aircraft. I entered the USAF the Monday after graduation from HS. Retired from AF at 37 and immediately went to work for Northrop aircraft, then got a BA, after grad went to work for Boeing, then a MA, followed by McDonnell-Douglas finally Continental Airlnes. Yes, I spent my life having a ball being around aircraft.
I was 30 when I went into trucking (at my age now, 30 is a child – ha). I can almost say I loved EVERY day of it. Saw stuff, did stuff, and met some really great drivers who I still keep in touch with. As the old saying goes, “If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life”. Or something like that . . .
After retiring from GM I went into OTR trucking for 8 years(I was to old for any place else) and loved every hour of it. DW health took me off the road and into school bus driving for 3 years until she passed away.
My mom started me in mechanics at 16 when I decided to do a tune up on my car. Putting it back together it wouldn’t start, just backfired, mom heard the noise and came out to see what it was, after explaining everything, she the suggested could the distributor cap be backwards. Turning it around the car started, she was just a farm girl with a lot of common sense. Dad was a carpenter who could build anything wooden but had less mechanical sense than me. That incident started me into shop classes in school which led to a skilled trades industrial mechanic for 30 years. Oh I proved you can install a distributor cap opposite the alignment tabs, it won’t fit right, but you can lock it down. Lol
Yes, sort of. While I first decided on a teaching career, it didn’t work out. On the second go-round, I ended up making films, which I would occasionally fantasize about as a child.
I wanted to be a Pilot and planned to join the Navy and be trained that way. Discovered at 16 that my vision was bad, so that canx’d those plans. I did end up in the Navy anyway, and ended up getting pilot training thru the GI Bill. But I never flew anything but little civilian aircraft and certainly was in no danger of becoming a professional pilot. I settled for Engineering, and haven’t regretted it a bit…
No. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up!
Enlisted in the Navy out of High School. Received training as an Aviation Electronics Technician which provided the foundation for a satisfying 38 year career in the weighing industry, where I interfaced with virtually every segment of industry, education, and government. Happily retired for 2 years now. Never a dull moment!
Sven, I worked for an electronic scale company for 18 years before they thru me out for younger model.
As a child I’m not sure I knew what I wanted. In my teens I wanted to work in electronics which I did for iced 36 years.
Professional race car driver or astronaut were not practical for a Canadian boy from the praries (hockey was out) so no legitimate career dreams other than being driven to find something I enjoyed and build on that. Was pretty broke for that decade but stayed nimble and then voila, found something that excited me, hung up my shingle and started living dream real time. 35 years later, I still get excited for my industry and our advances in a “sustainable” and “green”. Green before green was cool. Still smiling everyday.
Congratulations
Dream job as a teen was to be involved in motorsports. Ended up working as a TIre Design Engineer and worked and designed Indy car tires. Also drove semi-professionally in numerous races setting lap records in the process.
I am one in the clear minority. Since a child, I wanted to be the guy that takes care of ship’s engines. In most of my young life, we lived on a largish sail boat. In the ports, I got to know many of the tug captains, then I found out that the engineer got to play with the big engines. That was a little shy of 70 years ago. I got a card and worked unlicensed for a while and then went to a famous east coast trade school and got some degrees and a license. That was my life until I wanted a family, even on the great lakes, it is not a good family life to be gone for 8~9 months at a time. So, I managed to get work in the engine labs of Detroit.
As a kid, I guess I just woke up to see what the day had to offer. As a young adult, all I knew was that I did not want to sit behind a desk – so I ended up in management sitting behind a desk, BUT, I made it my mission to spend more time out in the field with my employees, “turning a wrench”, than actually sitting behind a desk. Out in the field taught me what I was actually managing. Just set the goal and walk away until the employee asks for clarification. And, here I am taking time out of my day to sit behind a desk again, because RVTravel, popped up and asked a question.
In a small way I most certainly did. I was born in 1944. Both my Mother and Father served in the Canadian Army as well as My grandfather and all but one of his brothers. When I was able I joined the Canadian Army, then in 1966, I left for the US Army. So for a few years I did what I wanted to do as a child. I have no regrets.
My bread and butter work I had never heard of until I got the job. lol True.
Actually wanted to be a garbageman when I was a kid, ended up being a policeman instead, so I guess I kinda DID get my childhood dream job……………
I thought I was the only one whose first ideal job as a kid was to be a garbageman! I liked the gloves.
I always dreamed of becoming a Veterinarian because of my love for animals. Enlistment in the Navy and 2 years in Vietnam, scrambled my mind and i spent the next 25 years in a factory. After they closed down, college was my next step and became a Counselor/Psychologist in a Juvenile Detention Center. Rehabbing teens was a challenge that I loved to do.
Enlisted in the USAF and ended up being a jet mechanic. After service, I had an oportunity to enroll in the Operating Engineers and thus a career on all types of cranes, from 20 ton to 600 ton! Loved that job!
My dad owned a lumber yard and hardware store and I started going to work with him when I was 5 yrs old. I got a business degree and came back to work for him. It was the only job I ever wanted. I now own and manage our family business.
Can’t say that I really had a “Dream Career” growing up. The thing about dreams is that they can come to life, grow, change, die, etc with exposure over time. I had never heard of the telecommunications field growing up but have lived every minute through the years.
I don’t think that I ever “dreamed” of being or doing anything. Toward that end, I did avoid real work until I was almost age 37. Even then, it was white-collar work. Prior to then I taught college kids for four years.