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Original poster

What did you want to be as a kid compared to what you do as an adult.

97 replies

Whattheactual20201 · 02/12/2020 06:28

I’m in hospital and my kids are not allowed to visit was just talking to my DD 7 on the phone and she was telling she wants to a ambulance driver when she is older.
It got me thinking about what I wanted when I was younger.
As a young child I wanted to be an astronaut, as I got older but was still at school I wanted to be a lawyer.
At 28 ( now ) I am a pretty successful make up artist and stylist but miles away from the child/ teen aspirations 🤣
What about you ?

OP posts:
DryRoastPeanut · 02/12/2020 07:11

I wanted to be a policeman! (I’m female) I’ve started as a civil servant until my 30’s, did about 20 years as a pharmacy dispenser then ended up in theatre. (Stage theatre, no surgical)

I love my work although I’ve not done anything since March.

PhilCornwall1 · 02/12/2020 07:12

Up until mid 20s my goal was to be an airline pilot. I did my Private Pilots License and all was going well getting a sponsorship with an airline to train. I then went and had an eye injury and lost the sight in one of my eyes. No too ideal for flying a plane really.

I'm an IT Consultant and Software Engineer and have been for over 30 years now. Fortunately I did Computer Science at University and always was a programming geek from 11 years old, so had something to fall back on.

SendHelp30 · 02/12/2020 07:18

I wanted to be a newsreader from around 4/5 to mid teens. You could’ve done my makeup Op! I actually work in a bank. Your career sounds fab and wishing you a speedy recovery.

DustyOwl · 02/12/2020 07:26

As a small child, I wanted to be a "ballerina fisher lady" (a profession of my own making) and a journalist on the side. I did not have the physic for a ballerina and I wanted to be a fisher lady as I thought it was really unfair that there were only fishermen. I don't like fishing though.

Then I wanted to be a teacher. I am now a teacher and a forest school practitioner. On some days, I love both. I still don't like fishing.

LunaTheCat · 02/12/2020 07:32

I wanted to be a doctor and I am! I feel privileged but it has not always been easy and it is a hard and at times heartbreaking job - just lost a lovely young Mum to aggressive cancer.
I am now mid 50’s and when I started out I wanted to save the world - with time you learn it is hard enough to save yourself!
I love the insights into people’s lives and getting to know them over a long period. Sometimes I feel terrified by the responsibility, the long hours and the lack appreciation from some . Then someone throws their arms around you and says thanks for seeing me through that loss, thanks for helping Mum at the end - it makes me feel so so lucky.

BerryPieandCustard · 02/12/2020 07:41

I wanted to be an air hostesses up until
I was about 12 then a midwife, I spent some time as a care assistant on a children’s ward and a care home for the elderly. That didn’t work out for me so I am now the assistant Catering manager at a Grammar school and sixth form with over 1000 students

glitterelf · 02/12/2020 07:44

I wanted to be a nurse and whilst I having done nursing in my adult years I never trained and still think about it now. Problem is I'm a hands on learner and classrooms stifle me. I'm a childminder and mostly love it but this year has really taken its toll.

thismeansnothing · 02/12/2020 07:45

I always wanted to be a dinner lady. This progressed to teacher particularly in maths.

I instead ended up in the health and fitness industry working in exercise referral for the past 16 years and due to Corona now work in a supermarket

Imonaplane · 02/12/2020 07:46

I always wanted to be a police officer. I can remember my Careers Advisor at school telling me not to be so silly. (This was a long time ago!) I ended up teaching at primary school.

Emeraldshamrock · 02/12/2020 07:49

I really wanted to be a nurse as I got older the dream got lost.
I left school early with a small education always worked but didn't have a career or means to retrain.

bibliomania · 02/12/2020 07:52

Wanted to be: actress, astronaut or archaeologist.
In reality: I work in a university. It's okay but I would like to do something else now. Doesn't seem like a great time to be casting around for new horizons though.

Original poster
Whattheactual20201 · 02/12/2020 07:56

@bibliomania I feel the same. I often wonder if I would be perceived differently ( especially where we live ) if I had a different job a bit more of a professional / educated Job.

OP posts:
lazylinguist · 02/12/2020 07:56

I wanted to be an actress until I was 12, when I decided I wanted to be a languages teacher... which I still am now, age 49.

Alarae · 02/12/2020 08:00

I wanted to be a family law solicitor; specifically a divorce solicitor. As a child of divorced parents, it's quite an interesting choice.

Went to university and did Law but lost the love for pure law professions. Ended up as a tax advisor for high net worth individuals.

So still use the law, just not directly, which suits me down to the ground. I love my job and the figures I work with are outstanding (but one of my client still loves to pootle around his 12m estate in a Fiat 500!)

M0rT · 02/12/2020 08:00

I wanted to be a Sweet Valley Girl, preferably Elizabeth...then an air hostess....then a writer..
I'm an accountant...so looks like I've veered slightly off course Grin

JorisBonson · 02/12/2020 08:02

Wanted to be a roadie. I'm a police officer 🤷🏻‍♀️

Bettybbbb · 02/12/2020 08:03

I wanted to be a teacher or a nurse. I am a nurse and work in healthcare education now kind of did both.

PrivateD00r · 02/12/2020 08:04

When I was very young I wanted to be a teacher because I could see how lovely it was for friends with teacher parents to have them off so much. My mum was a nurse and dad a police officer so it was a bit crazy at times with shift work. I was always very proud of them though.

I am now a midwife and DH is a police officer Grin I decided following my dream was more important than holidays haha

choirmumoftwo · 02/12/2020 08:07

Apparently as a child I wanted to be the first lady plumber for the council. Was drawn to social work in my teens but ended up in nursing and retired from a specialist nurse role last year (not urology so no link at all to plumbing!!!)

MyNameForToday1980 · 02/12/2020 08:09

I wanted to be a flying doctor helping refugees. I ended-up as a consultant (business, not medical).

I wasn't hard-working enough in my teens to get medicine qualifications.

I love my job. But I am very aware I'm doing nothing to save the world.

Original poster
Whattheactual20201 · 02/12/2020 08:09

Haha some awesome switches !!!
I don’t know if I will re train eventually !

But I have always wanted to be really proud of what I do

Like when someone says “ oh so what do you do ?” Would love to say well I’m a banker, accountant, lawyer, doctor , nurse etc haha
I mean it will never happen for me now 🤣

OP posts:
CorianderQueen · 02/12/2020 08:26

Wanted to be an author or the Prime Minister.

I'm a journalist.

CorianderQueen · 02/12/2020 08:26

And I do get to review luxury hotels Grin

SimonJT · 02/12/2020 08:31

I wanted to be batman, sadly that didn’t quite work out.

I also wanted to be a rugby player, that did work and I was signed to a championship club for a while, sadly the pay is awful so I had to get a proper job and drop a few leagues and play part time when I was only in my early twenties.

So now I play rugby part time and I’m an actuary, also part time.

Lemonyfuckit · 02/12/2020 08:36

Wanted to be a paediatrician, prime minister, or work on the checkout in a supermarket (I loved the barcode scanners....). The doctor thing probably wouldn't have worked out as I'm quite squeamish and I decided against prime minister when I realised at least half the country would hate you. I'm a lawyer. Probably what I actually really did fancy though / missed calling was designing theatre costumes. And then the fantasy job was always travel show presenter / luxury hotel reviewer.