For adults: Are you in the career you wanted to be in when you were young?

Question

Remember when we were young and people used to ask us what we wanted to be when we grew up? I am wondering who actually followed their dream.

If so, what are you? If not, what did you want to be (or still want to be)?

Answer 1

Great question! Yes and no for me: wanted to be a psychologist as a child, became one. Did that for a while then found my real passion - social development work and have been doing that for 14 years, now starting to think of a third career... I am learning that one can have more than one passion in a lifetime!

Answer 2

Ummm, I never knew WHAT I wanted to be when I grew up, it kept changing, and considering I'm technically unemployed, if you looked at it that way then I would say no I'm not being what I wanted to be when I grew up... but I am going back to college now, so I may still do it, but my major isn't anything I thought it would be when I was little. I did always know that when I grew up I wanted to be a Mommy, and I'm doing THAT now, so if you look at it like THAT I AM doing what I wanted to do when I grew up (I actually said I wanted to be a Mommy when I grew up to my kindergarden teacher). When I was in high school I wanted to be a photographer, I still like doing that, but don't want to make it my career, I DID make it my career for 2 years (in the army) and didn't end up liking it much, maybe because I was doing EXACTLY what I thought I would. I stopped doing it when I had my daughter, the two wouldn't have coinsided very well, I mean being the mom I wanted to be, and being in the army and being a photographer. Anyway, I've chosen a major in a subject that I have always show interest in. So does THAT count??? Life throws us all sorts of things we don't expect, so it's not very surprising when we don't end up where we thought we would (if I knew I would end up where I was or am, I would have taken a different foreign language in school, I've lived in Germany and Venezuela, but took 7 years of french... lot of good THAT did me). I never expected to be a stay at home mom, at least not as young as I am, but I'm happy with my life, and I don't have many regrets that have to do with where I am with my career (or lack of one). So I guess that's what counts. Although I always DID admire those people in high school (even jr high) that KNEW what they wanted to do when they "grew up" guess I still do!!!

Answer 3

You will probably have 4 or 5 different careers (not jobs, careers) from the time you graduate college to the time you retire. I've had 4 and I'm mid-50's. The secret to success is being able to learn quickly. You'll take a lot of stuff in school and wonder why you're spending time learning it. The answer is: It trains your brain. Science and math is learned differently from history, and foreign language is learned differently from science, math and history. If you do well in most subjects, you be adaptable in the workplace.

Answer 4

Yes, well I'm 24 years old and my career is in the music industry. I'm living part of my dream when I was a kid. I wanted to be one of those stars, but I'm just a sound engineer, which I love to do anyways. I like messing with the sound signal etc...

Answer 5

I used to tell people I wanted to be president to get a laugh when I was little. I wenr thru a lot of options: Social worker, lawyer, journalist, filmmaker, counselor. I am actually a social worker and working on becoming a counselor. I no longer have an interest in politics :)

Answer 6

My dad told me when I was 3 I told everyone that I wanted to be a dinosaur when I grew up. I don't remember saying that and it never came true.I do remember telling people that I wanted to be a grade school teacher when I grew up, that never happened either. But I did grow up to be an R.N.

Answer 7

for as long as i could remember iv wanted to work with animals then when i was 12 new for shore i wanted to be a dolphin trainer ( like seaworld n stuff) including orka whales which arent whales at all. they are the largest species of dolphin. now im 17 and next year im goin to a college that has an exotic animal training program that many people who work in that field has gone to.

Answer 8

No. I wanted to be a beach bum and collect driftwood. Now I work as a governmental research assistant.

But when I finally met my father, HE was living my dream! Maybe it was genetic or something.

My dad is the happiest guy in the world, so maybe I should have stuck to my plan.

Answer 9

No, I wanted to be an electrical engineer or an architect. I am a medical technologist and have worked in hospital chemistry labs since I graduated from college. I am glad that it worked out this way. I love my profession and can't see myself doing anything else.

Answer 10

Life can change quite a bit. To keep the dreams rolling is important. Focus. Focus. But Changes are good as well, so keep open for them. I suppose, I have changed my dreams as I live.