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Original poster

What is the unlikeliest career that someone you went to school with ended up doing?

335 replies

CatDogMonkeyPOW · 28/04/2022 09:00

Shamelessly stolen from Reddit. Did anyone you went to school with end up with a surprising career.

Girl I did my a levels with was a county athletics champion and one of the smartest kids in school. She went on to be a singer in a mediocre girl band.

OP posts:
TheAbbotOfUnreason · 28/04/2022 21:37

The lad that used to relieve the younger kids of their lunch money at our rather dodgy comp became a very successful (and fabulously wealthy) hedge fund manager.

He was always good with other people’s money.

Thedogisdrivingmemad · 28/04/2022 21:38

That was in reply to the poster whose classmate is a "professional fairy...famous in some circles"

CreatingAUsernameThen · 28/04/2022 21:40

It isn't really a career, but a really quiet girl I went to primary school with stole photos of dead babies to fund fake giving pages with lots of sob stories. She was arrested and spent some time behind bars. I was really surprised, she was so quiet, so scared of getting in trouble. I felt quite bad for her, her mother always wore the same mini skirt at the school gate, smoking cigarettes. When I knew her, she was always crawling with nits and shabby uniform.

Another one is a boy who I went to secondary school became a police officer. He was a real 'lad', lifting up thr girls skirts, sexually harassing and was known for selling cigarettes and weed to classmates.... Honestly I thought he'd be more likely to end up behind bars himself.

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LowlandLucky · 28/04/2022 21:41

A radio 1 DJ

yellowsuninthesky · 28/04/2022 21:44

Another one is a boy who I went to secondary school became a police officer. He was a real 'lad', lifting up thr girls skirts, sexually harassing and was known for selling cigarettes and weed to classmates.... Honestly I thought he'd be more likely to end up behind bars himself

If he's in the Met, it sounds like he'll fit right in.

As for the lawyer, I find a lot of the best lawyers weren't spectacular at university - the job depends on other skills rather than essay writing. So it doesn't surprise me that someone with that background would do well enough to make partner.

Ireolu · 28/04/2022 22:00

Labour MP - someone I knew for University she liked the sound of her own voice so maybe we shd not have been that surprised

My sisters friend from school is also an annoying Tory politician. My sister lives abroad and when they meet with other people they don't discuss politics

TommyShelby · 28/04/2022 22:18

A techno music producer.

I did music GCSE and in all honesty, I have no idea how he scraped that. He didn’t even seem to enjoy music much? But is flying now so all power to him

Ohfgsnotagain · 28/04/2022 22:20

My sister went to youth club at our local church whilst in secondary school and the most respectable young lad who would insist on walking girls home so they were safe became a very prolific and convicted rapist in the 1980’s.

SunaksNutsack · 28/04/2022 22:22

My old door neighbour who was two years below me at school is a science TV presenter. He was a lovely gentle guy, very academic but a bit nerdy looking as a teen, so I would not have anticipated the fickle world of TV accepting him. But they did and he’s brilliant. I’m so pleased for him.

MadeInChorley · 28/04/2022 22:31

There was an ISIS Bride and a groomer of other ISIS Brides in the year below me. She was all over the tabloids for a while. That was quite surprising, although not much of a “career” choice.

EufyProsser · 28/04/2022 22:57

FromOurHatsToOurFeet · 28/04/2022 18:17

Not the most unusual profession but I went to school with someone who is now an actress. The unusual thing is that she's changed nationality, accent and is 5 years younger than she was.

Does she have a small team of children and a bizarre inability to remember the - how you say? - English word for cucumber?!

mowglika · 28/04/2022 23:15

A girl who was well known for being a bully became a flash in the pan famous for 10 seconds singer in the 90s.

Borris · 28/04/2022 23:29

A girl in my school married a Rolling Stone!

Octothorpe · 28/04/2022 23:34

A classmate of mine in primary school eventually ended up as a dancer at the Moulin Rouge in Paris. Not at all what I'd have expected her life path to be.

A future (and now very well-known) female MP was in the year below me in secondary school, but maybe that’s not so surprising as she was always a brainy outlier…

EsmaCannonball · 28/04/2022 23:38

The hippy boy who wrote poetry and slept in a hammock and went to festivals (before that was a thing) is an arms dealer.

The girl who was to the right of Hitler (her views on women, northerners and Labour voters were something to behold) is a television news reporter. Whenever I see her on the television I always wonder what she's really thinking.

SliceOfCakeCupOfTea · 28/04/2022 23:38

The most religious girl in the school (with the most rebellious sister) ended up being a nun.
I know that sounds obvs but honestly I would have guessed shed end up a stripper

RizzoTwanky · 28/04/2022 23:42

CantTalkFacts · 28/04/2022 13:16

@TheFlis12345 , same here.

The girl I knew at school was a chaotic, troubled bully who is now a BBC reporter with a completely different accent to the one she grew up with - think more “refined” though, rather than location based change.

It would be funny if it’s the same person.

I wonder if we went to the same school. I don't remember her very kindly at all. A horrible bully.

Xyz262524 · 28/04/2022 23:56

Friend from school apparently grew up in average terrace home in
a small country town not obviously foreign, went to university in Europe. Had ridden and had horses during school. Upon going to university to study law she made her national team multiple times and it turned out she was part of the aristocracy in her home country. Now back in the Uk years later and a successful lawyer and part of the jetset and is a successful lawyer frequently on the society pages. Guess
you can’t judge a book..

TurquoiseSwirl · 29/04/2022 00:00

Married Catherine zeta-Jones brother and goes on holiday with them.

steppingout · 29/04/2022 00:08

Professional unicorn and tantric sex guru. Really.

Moodycow78 · 29/04/2022 00:43

Simonjt · 28/04/2022 09:36

Police officer, he used to sell drugs at school.

This one's not surprising in the least!

mackthepony · 29/04/2022 00:48

Famous cartoonist.

StanielandFranny · 29/04/2022 01:13

One real stand out for me - the younger brother of a friend, facing several challenges at a young age - he refers to himself as a Queer Crip - went on to found a successful theatre/arts company for people who identify as disabled. His company gives a brilliant platform for disabled performers. His drive, achievements and energy are incredible - I think he's amazing.

Others include BBC Correspondent, v well known soap star.

ImprobablePuffin · 29/04/2022 01:16

A very bright but incredibly shy girl who was hell bent on becoming a museum curator for the whole 7 years I knew her at secondary school is now an airline pilot.

MintyCedricRidesAgain · 29/04/2022 01:24

One guy who was the original cheeky chappy type at school is now a Tory councillor...

Another, who was one of 'those' guys at school...absolutely gorgeous, genuinely likeable, bright, popular etc is a part-time carpenter and SAHD. Would definitely have seen him in a professional career.

A girl a couple of years above me...fabulous singer, lead parts in all the school play, apparently destined for the West End...corporate project manager.

One of my former bullies is now a lentil weaving mum and social worker 🙄