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Original poster

What career do you have VS what you wanted to do when younger

108 replies

Perfectlyblended · 15/08/2023 18:35

My DD was talking to me the other day about her future dreams ( she’s still primary school aged .

got me thinking about how different my path ended up compared to my childhood dreams.

what did you want to be ?
what did you end up being ?
If you could start again what would you choose now ?

I wanted to be a zoo keeper
ended up being a forensic pathologist

OP posts:
Motherofalittledragon · 15/08/2023 21:37

I wanted to be a jockey, ended up a sheep farmer

Johnisafckface · 15/08/2023 21:38

Got a degree in computers, never had a career, just work admin type roles.

I'm actually not sure what i would want to do if I had another chance. Something that made good money with lots of stability and wasn't boring lol

Luckydog7 · 15/08/2023 21:46

At 11 I wanted to be an architect (I was an unusual child) did in fact get a degree in architecture where I realised that it wasn't really for me so moved kind of sideways into landscape and now freelance doing design, technical and 3d drawings for several company's.

I don't know many people whos degree matches their career.

WaaahlDoric · 15/08/2023 21:46

Wanted to join the RAF as a teenager, ended up working in an auction house and have been doing that or related jobs for the last 30 years.

fettuccini · 15/08/2023 21:51

I wanted to be a Face Painter at Alton Towers. I work for an NHS Charity in admin/fundraising.

GreatOak · 15/08/2023 22:00

I wanted to be She-Ra. I still want to be She-Ra. Unfortunately since I’ve not found the Sword of Protection I have settled for a career in pharmaceuticals.

Leftlegwest · 15/08/2023 22:04

Cat walk model
Actress
Techer
PR person

I worked in marketing/PR
then comms/marketing
then copywriting
and now marketing.

soupmaker · 15/08/2023 22:06

Wanted to be a blacksmith at primary school.

Ended up being a trade union official.

Toxey · 15/08/2023 22:15

I wanted to be a vet and a photojournalist. I studied for a career as a lawyer and now I’m a freelance finance writer and editor. It surprises me every day how much I love my job.

Toxey · 15/08/2023 22:15

But OP, aren’t you just looking at slides in a lab all day?

Whatsthepoint1234 · 15/08/2023 22:18

I wanted to be a ‘cow farmer’
These days I’m a nurse….

If I could pick any career now I think I’d be a surgeon.

Original poster
Perfectlyblended · 15/08/2023 22:37

@Toxey huh ? No
not particularly

OP posts:
Ameanstreakamilewide · 15/08/2023 22:47

MiniTheMinx · 15/08/2023 18:48

I wanted to be an upmarket cat burglar, stealing works of art to order. I actually work with looked after children.

You wanted to be Raffles, then!

SnacksToTheMax · 15/08/2023 22:50

As a kid I wanted to be a writer or a forensic scientist. Studied psychology. Got a job straight out of uni in factual TV and hated it. Now a professional artist. I think I’ve got another couple of direction-changes in me.

Original poster
Perfectlyblended · 15/08/2023 22:52

@SnacksToTheMax never too late ! Forensic scientist- what would you actually like to do with in that ! ?

OP posts:
VeterinaryCareAssistant · 15/08/2023 22:54

I wanted to work with animals since forever and I love my job. I look forward to going to work and I watch veterinary programmes at home.

Minimum wage but never mind.

MistyTrains · 15/08/2023 22:59

Air hostess, working in publishing or becoming an author.

I'm a bid writer and work across different sectors.

TravellingSpoon · 15/08/2023 23:00

Wanted to join the army and become a nurse.

Ended up working in care but did not complete nurse training or join the armed forces. I work in a Local Authority day service for older adults, mainly those with dementia.

BlossomCloud · 15/08/2023 23:04

Childhood-poet /novelist
Teens -sahm/wife of a rich husband /socialite (much to the despair of my feminist father!)

Actually became a solicitor. I found my ambition and love of learning at university. I feel really lucky, I have found a niche I really enjoy and done really well, and been able to work around school hours etc so have had plenty of time with my children.

snowballsinhell · 15/08/2023 23:12

I wanted to be a prison officer

I applied to be a prison officer

I got offered a job - my father went mental and threatened to disown me and tell dissident paramilitaries, said I'd be blown up some morning and he'd make sure Social Services took my children off me

NI here - if you haven't guess - also a very fucked up relationship with my father

I did a civil engineering degree instead

I hate my job, but at least my children are safe and well provided for

Blackbutler86 · 15/08/2023 23:18

Wanted to be a vet but convinced myself I wasn’t smart enough eventhough I did pretty well at school. I am now a dog trainer.

Vetoncall · 15/08/2023 23:24

Always wanted to be a vet from as young as I can remember, I never really considered anything else. It's not an easy job but I've never regretted doing it. I would love to moonlight as a palaeontologist too though 🦖

takeasadsongandmakeitbetter · 15/08/2023 23:43

I wanted to be an estate agent... hear me out though - purely so I could carry a brief case.

I am now senior management in the property industry - NOT estate agency

And briefcases are not at all a thing anymore 😢

continentallentil · 15/08/2023 23:46

I wanted to be a (print) journalist and ended up in telly, which is quite close and also just as well as the arse fell out of journalism

Forensic Pathologist sounds fascinating - do you like it??

Original poster
Perfectlyblended · 16/08/2023 00:12

@continentallentil yes and no.
it doesn’t pay as well as some may think.
there is definitely a lot to do ( not just as above looking at slides in a lab all day )
and some of the cases are hard to not take home with you of an evening especially as a mum !
I do however find it all fascinating even still after 10 years.
there is a difference between a forensic scientist and forensic pathologist and I often wonder whether I would have preferred the other.
despite working closely with lots of teams I tend to be quite secluded at the same time.

OP posts: