To think that most families have a common/most popular occupation?

[workit]

I am from a large family...over 40 cousins and several aunts and uncles

In my family there's 12 nurses!! The rest are a mix of
3 teachers
4 engineers
1 doctor
1 accountant
2 electricians
1 plumber
1 microbiologist
1 speech therapist
1 hairdresser
1 counselor
3 in IT
The rest are in uni or school

A friend of mine comes from a large family also but the most common occupation in her family is teaching. Does this happen in most families? Is there a popular occupation in your family?

I most families people do not have a profession. They are doing unskilled jobs. That’s the reality for most.

Not so much a single occupation as such but I've noticed alot of my family are in some sort of public service/ social sector job where we help vulnerable members of society. I'm a youth and community worker, my sister is a residential childcare worker, my niece is a carer, other niece wants to be a social worker, nephew a policeman and my aunt is a support worker.
It must be reflective of our values and family experiences

I think people often go into professions/jobs that they have information about. So it isn't really surprising that many go into the same professions/jobs as their relatives. We have engineers, medical professionals, IT, army, estate agents, mechanics and entrepreneurs in ours. But we are spread all over the world.

M first reaction was NO.

And then I thought about it and yes. There are more or less all self employed, albeit in different areas.

I think a lot depends on where you live as well.

Of DH's cousins on MIL's side (DH has a ridiculous number of cousins as PIL were one of 13 and one of 15!) at least 12 work for HRMC and around the same work for local government, but that makes sense completely as they are the 2 biggest employers in the town they come from. So it's more location than following family habits.

@Jaxhog

I think people often go into professions/jobs that they have information about. So it isn't really surprising that many go into the same professions/jobs as their relatives. We have engineers, medical professionals, IT, army, estate agents, mechanics and entrepreneurs in ours. But we are spread all over the world.

That is true but not always. I’ve had two careers and no one in my family has ever done anything remotely similar

@Jaxhog yes definitely I see that a lot in my family. For example the only cousin who is doctor is the daughter of a doctor and the teachers are mostly sons/daughters of the teachers.

@lyralalala yes I suppose that's true however a lot of my cousins do have lived or still live abroad. Almost all of us did a stint of 2-5 years in Australia or Dubai as that's a very common thing to do here. We were also very lucky that our generation had university education practically free.

Yep, very common. However I believe that will be broken with the current generation.

My family were traditionally HCP’s and this was essentially forced on every gen going through, however things have changed significantly and not only would we not do that with our next gen but would actively discourage them. So a huge difference to the past.

Yes, we are majority teachers.

We get jealous of the holidays so then qualify

Most of my close family were or are public sector but a) my family is not big and b) they are very varying roles, not remotely the same job. Also there are three curveballs out five cousins in three totally different private sector jobs. I don't think it really says anything about my family to be honest.

Parents: teacher and civil servant

Siblings: gardener, missionary, carpenter, plumber/general builder, carpenter, events coordinator.

My DH on the other hand is in the same profession as his DM. No pressure from family to do it, just didn't have anything he was passionate to do, saw that his DM was on a good wage and he was familiar with the work. Has been doing it for 20 years, hates it, can't wait to get out.

Definitely not. We all have very varied jobs and I don't think any are replicated.

I am one of 6 siblings.
We have two teachers.
One who works in a bank.
Two healthcare professionals
And a pharmacist.
My husbands family own a takeaway so most of his family work there.
I dont have much other family here. Other family that did manage to emigrate abroad unfortunately were too old to get any meaningful qualifications and work in minimum wage jobs. But their kids will have the opportunities I had.

Nope not at all true for my family.

Older generation
Lots of teachers and nurses amongst female family.
Male mainly trades -electrian etc not a lot of high level education..

Mid age range similar...
Younger adult gen slightly more uni level but also public sector/nurses..
Shop workers/trades
Family value/need wages rather than education....in the main

Current school age look more heading university..so possibly higher level jobs...definitely influenced as much about location and increasing wealth in branches of the family

Lots of teachers in our family, but nothing else that is statistically significant. To be honest, I have a lot of cousins who work in the private sector and I have only a vague idea what they do. Those who have a recognised profession or trade (doctor, nurse, mechanic) I understand, the others who work in the shadowy world of office jobs I don't have a clue. I think some of them are in things like 'marketing' and 'events', but I don't really know. I've never worked in the private sector and it's all a closed book to me.

My mum, dad and stepmum are all accountants but I think all that shows is that my dad likes to meet women at work!

I think it depends on how solidly middle class they are to be honest. I was the first person in my family to get a degree, certainly the first journalist. But in my newsroom I did notice a lot of 2nd and 3rd generation journalists

I feel like teaching does tend to run in groups, not sure why. My in laws are nearly all teachers, including those married in. My best friend switched career to teaching after marrying a teacher, and I know a few other teacher married couples (who didn't meet at work).

I agree it’s very class-dependent.

I’m the first person in my family to finish school. So I’m the only doctor. Otherwise the themes in my family: coal miners, steal workers, factory workers.

The other common theme is working women. Not one generation has been SAHMs. All the woman in my family have contributed financially; their family simply wouldn’t have survived and could not carry a non-working member over the age of 14/15 (hence being the first one to finish school).

*steel

No thieves as far as I’m aware.

@Pukkatea

I feel like teaching does tend to run in groups, not sure why. My in laws are nearly all teachers, including those married in. My best friend switched career to teaching after marrying a teacher, and I know a few other teacher married couples (who didn't meet at work).

I am married to a teacher and then became qualified myself

It was simply because I was insanely jealous of the amount of holiday he got

Now, we enjoy a long summer/Xmas etc together

Real mix here. Of my dad’s side of the family we have a professional sports coach, a professional referee, and a sports journalist amongst the cousins so I guess that’s fairly consistent in a way!

Of DH’s close family, everyone is/was employed in the public sector but all in different roles.

Me and my siblings:

1 factory manager
1 hairdresser
1 works in a canteen
1 can't work due to disability
1 Academic, Science
1 chef
1 nurse
1 bricklayer
1 joiner
1 photographer
1 owns a micro pub
1 retail manager

Wider family, mostly retail or factory work