To ask what your dream career is?

[TheJoxter]

I’ve never known what I want to be ‘when I grow up’

Now I’m grown up and I still don’t know!

AIBU to ask you to tell me what your dream career is? (And hopefully inspire me!)

Option 1: I own an old medieval building where the top floor is a cafe selling cakes made by women in the local refuge. The bottom floor sells second hand books and art work by local, working-class, normal artists.

Option 2: I own a small island in the middle of a South Pacific and run a small but very exclusive bed and breakfast which charges people a fortune. Half the island is a refuge for stray dogs from the mainland.

Option 3: I have quit my job as an academic in my early-40s and I now earn money doing dog-walking, dog sitting, proof reading, and personal tutoring. I work sporadically at times that suit me and spend the rest of my life reading, playing board games, and drinking gin. This is my actual 10-year plan

I had two dream careers - either a pathologist, but a real one, not Silent Witness style where they are half police officer, half pathologist.

When I was 14 I loved Bad Girls, the tv series. And wanted to be a prison officer - and now I have the chance. I've just started applying, so here's hoping!

In my dream job I would be paid to shop and spend money and pamper myself endlessly and live in a world of luxury

@tympanic - thanks! I set myself a deadline of completing by Brexit, but they keep granting me extensions.

@7Worfs - not diminishing my own talents, but it was incredibly political when I got appointed. My first board meeting was honestly like the Apprentice. Hours of shouting and arguing ending in someone getting fired.

Dr pimple popper. I'd love that

More realistically I'd like to open a craft shop, one with a little cafe where people can craft together and sewing machines which people can borrow

Anything involved in medical research/pharmaceutical research/biotech.

Currently mid-way through re-training for it.

Worked in accounts since 18yrs old and just absolutely had enough of it!

Euromillionaire

@thecatsthecats Yikes. Good luck with the book, I now have a vested interest in its success

Any one of the following:
A journalist specialising in reviewing music, films and TV.
A comedian
Costume designer for films, music videos, TV or theatre.
Interior designer

Why do people keep saying forensic pathologist? Do they think the forensic pathologist role in TV cop shows actually exists in real life? I know a couple of forensic pathologists - and a couple of forensic psychiatrists, which is more interesting but little known beyond the exaggerated portrayal of trainee Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs - and I wouldn't say the mundane and strictly rule-bound job of the pathologist is terribly appealing.

www.le.ac.uk/ebulletin-archive/ebulletin/features/2000-2009/2007/07/nparticle.2007-07-9.html

Anything involved in medical research/pharmaceutical research/biotech.

I used to do that, but now teach undergraduate/postgraduate students more or less full-time. Like anything else, research has a large proportion of day-to-day mundanity. It is also intensely frustrating much of the time. Breakthroughs come rarely, but they are very, very exciting when they do occur.

Chocolate taster for quality control. I’ve done plenty of research into my favourite brands!

I have a few-

Successful novelist
Criminologist
Successful crime podcast host

In reality, I write very boring non fiction stuff for a living that probably pays a lot more than I'd manage to earn doing any of the above.

@elquintoconyo "I would like to be a clothes designer for everyday women: decent pockets everywhere, cotton everything, non-ugly plus sized clothes, practical sleeves and straps that hide bra straps, modern prints yet flattering, trousers for the wide-of-calf (so many trousers I try on I can't get over my calves, let alone up to my thighs sad ). Etc."... if you ever do this I would love it, providing I could afford your wares.

I want to own a little shop selling antique furniture and art, running small events in the evenings. I'm just not sure how to get there from bartending

@SirTobyBelch

Awwwwww why not just let people dream and pretend they've missed out on an amazing career? Most of us know that most jobs are very mundane and involve lots of grunt work.

Archaeologist or property developer

At the moment I’d rather like to be a person paid to critique ButchBitch’s Options ...

Because that medieval building sounds great, until you start the Listed Building battle to get a lift built on the side to make it accessible to people who can’t manage the dangerous stairs.

And the island B&B sounds idyllic - but while I’m fond of the odd dog I wouldn’t pay you a penny to stay in a place where half the population was dogs.

I’ve known people who’ve done bits of option 3. They always seem a bit ... wistful.

And when my dream career of west end musicals chorus career ended I would open a knitting cafe selling beautiful expensive yarn and fabulous homemade cakes. I would sit at a big table drinking tea, eating cake, knitting and chatting to lovely happy customers who are never grumpy.

Lottery winner.

Something with trains, overground or underground. I missed the opportunity as a young graduate who was frightened of being outed as a nerd. Now I'm in my 40s and whilst happy enough in my job I can't help feeling I'm missing out.

SeaOtterFluff they regularly recruit for train driver trainees.

I'd be an tv interior designer and have my own lighting boutique selling rare, old, unique, discontinued and second hand pieces.

Genuinely wish I had gone into journalism. Would like to be a political journo in a sensible world but in any world I'd love to be a sports journo or a dj. I dont remotely want to be famous but I love music so much, I'd love my job to be musically related. Love my own little motown radio show on some small station which gives me no fame but the ability to listen to music all day for a living!

Lego designer or a detective.

If I was to go back in time I'd be a marine biologist, specialising in shark research.