...to ask if you'd be happy if your kids chose the same career as you?

[LorelaiVictoriaGilmore]

And if so, what do you do? I've been thinking about this since a conversation between friends who are lawyers, doctors and teachers. My friends all said that they wouldn't want their kids to do the same career they do... all said they felt some combination of over-worked, underpaid, under appreciated, clobbered by office politics, in an environment unfriendly to women or families etc. And that got me thinking about my parents who didn't want me to do similar jobs to them either - both worked in government jobs and thought the private sector was better.

So who does think that their job is good enough for their kids? Anyone?!

I don't care what kind of job they do as long as they are happy. I would advise against my job (call centre because it's shit with shit pay) though.

Absolutely. It's not incredibly well paid and the hours are long, but it's so much fun and I find it genuinely interesting. Plus you can leave it behind when you close the office door! It's flexible and I have very little in the way of targets, plus they are open to hour adjustments when needed, which is a bonus!
I work in the construction industry.

Chartered Accountant working as a finance director here and would absolutely recommend it. I've worked part-time since having children and have a great work-life balance whilst being really well paid.

Other CA's I know are doing a variety of things (company MD or FD, own accountancy practice, third sector CEO, techie/analyst roles) but they all have good careers and, among my friends at least, there is none of the dissatisfaction or regret that I see on here with other careers like law, teaching, medicine etc.

Another big plus for me is that the type of jobs available are literally everywhere, from the City to every small town. I know people working in group/platform roles in big corporations who travel a lot and/or have been mobile to further their career but also people who have never lived anywhere outside their home town doing really well.

Yes, chartered accountant here, married to one and DS is one, on our recommendation! DH earns 6 figures as a partner, and DS earns £65,000 pa, with hopefully the prospect of being a partner one day (earning more than DH). There are opportunities to go into whatever industry you want, after qualifying!

I don't understand pp who go on about work/life balance? Nobody earns 6 figures, IME unless they put the hours in - but then you can have a very nice life?

I don't understand pp who go on about work/life balance? Nobody earns 6 figures, IME unless they put the hours in - but then you can have a very nice life?

Well, if your stressed and working every weekend and through your holidays, you aren't usually having a very nice life! I think it's careers where you can choose to earn a bit less and work a bit less - it's difficult when it's all or nothing.

I am a teacher and would discourage my children. If however they were dead set then I would be happy as long as they are.

Being honest I'd love my DDs to be vets or similar, something where they can earn good money, have their say on working hours and good job satisfaction. This may be because DD1 is obsessed with farm animals

I'm a mortgage adviser which I also wouldn't mind them getting into

Absolutely.

I'm a chef and while the pay is shit not great I'm one of the very lucky few who actually genuinely enjoys their job.

I'd be happy for him to follow in dp's footsteps too (scientist)

Not so much either of his nanas though (nurse- crap working conditions and crap wages for the responsibilities; and manager of a sayers- he might like it but she certainly doesn't)

My dad and sil are also scientists (same field as dp oddly enough) and dp's dad died a few years ago

I work as an allied health proffesion in the nhs. I would discourage working for the nhs. Pay is too low for the amount of qualifications I have compared to other professions.
Nhs is all the bad aspects of working for the public sector but none of the good aspects.

I agree with OP that many professionals who earn a lot (and by 'a lot' I mean when you compare to the average UK salary for example - I know most these people don't actually believe they earn 'a lot', but to the vast majority of the population, they really do!) but work in jobs that understandably are stressful and not very family-friendly advise their children against their profession. However I don't think they realise that most of the other professionals, in the jobs that perhaps they think would be better for their kids, are doing the same thing anyway! There is a very 'grass is greener' approach I think. I sympathise with these people but then I also think a lot of the time it is possible to take huge pay cuts and earn much less money and have a more family-friendly lifestyle if that was actually really important to you, relocate somewhere cheaper etc. I understand why people don't want to do that, but those are choices people are making, and when you consider that for the vast majority of the population they will be working in jobs paying half or less of your annual salary but still long hours, stressful conditions, lack of respect etc with no real prospect of much career or pay progression for the rest of their lives...and that can often include very bright graduates who have incurred lots of student debt too. I mean everyone moans about their job but at least if you've got money, you've got the money. Lots of people have the same amount of stress but don't even have the money to show for it.

Would love it if either DS wanted the same career as me or DP - I'm in IT for the entertainment sector, DP is in digital electronics. I think 1 DS might actually get the same degree that we both have (computer science and electronic eng).

Also NHS - specialist non clinical manager. Would not recommend it AT ALL as it's expected that you work evenings and weekends and morale is awful.

Sometimes I just want to come home and watch tv but it never happens. Every evening is catch-up. I am trying to get out.

God no. I'm a teacher. Pretty much every teacher I know would actively discourage their child from following in their footsteps.

I'm a hairdresser and DS wants to follow in my footsteps. He's been telling me all about it since he was physically able to do so. He's only 6 so I'm not sure if this will last. I'd support him if he still wanted to as an adult but i think there's better options out there

Yes I would - law, offshore, 6 figures +, great work/life balance. DP is a project manager, he would probably say yes as well.

All that being said, what I really want for them is to have a career that they really love because then it never feels like work.

I’d love them to be teachers. I come from a teaching family albeit they are/were primary school and I’m FE. I love teaching FE and also think primary would be great but I would greatly dissuade them from being secondary school teachers. I have friends that have been on the brink of mental breakdowns teaching secondary.

I'd be delighted if my kids followed in my footsteps.

I'm a welfare rights officer: Its interesting, mentally challenging (social security is one of the most complex areas of law), genuinely useful and gives you a position of respect and trust in the community.

It doesn't pay lots but the hours are sociable and part time working is generally available and won't harm your career progression.

I’d advise to go into something with a high barrier to entry - be it a long training, or tough academic requiemtns.

I’d also advise to be the client, not serve the client. Buy side equity much better than sell side equity.

I wouldn’t warn them off what I do but I’m not sure what the finance landscape will look like in 20 years.

@CheesyWeesy being married to a partner - I’m sure you can appreciate that they can never switch off. They never get a holiday without taking multiple calls a day, emails and often reviewing work as well. Work every weekend.

Or at least the ambitious partners in my firm do!

There is a difference between working long hours, and quite literally never getting a stretch of time off.

I have no kids but have, in the past, strongly discouraged my DNs from choosing the same career, and will continue to so as long as I have a breath in my body!

I'm a Prison Officer and the job blows which is why I am hopefully getting out in a couple of years (fingers crossed...)

I'm a research scientist in nhs/academia. I think she would be fairly happy doing what I do, she is inquisitive and likes STEM and tech. Pay and conditions are reasonable, there are worse jobs to do I have previously done many of them

She currently wants to be a primary teacher, though. I'm hoping that's just a phase

They won't be able to. I'm a landlord full time but there's just no way of getting into it now.

Hell no. Nursing - long hours, crap pay, little thanks.

Teacher. I am pregnant. There is no way in hell I would want my little one to do this job. I hate every second of it and doubt I will ever go back once he or she is born.

NHS Dentist, I definitely wouldn’t encourage DS to go into any type of healthcare profession. It’s too stressful and demanding, i often feel overwhelmed, indemnity costs are getting ridiculous etc...