When you were a child what did you want to do when you grew up and how did that work out for you?

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Burnt_Toa5t@reddit

I wanted to be a firefighter, I’m now an electrical engineer

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No-Sandwich1511@reddit

I wanted to be a vet... I am not intelligent enough for this, I dont like needs and I am terrified if cats. So yeah it didn't work out

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All throughout my childhood I wanted either be a pilot or a photographer. The pilot thing didn't work out because I wasn't able to join because of medical reasons sooo now I'm doing photography instead! I'm 18 and it's going pretty well tbf

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Mr_Bumcrest@reddit

Don't remember wanting to be anything

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itsxafx@reddit

i wanted to be a physicist. i was well above expectations for the majority of my school life, projected to go to one of the big universities. predicted A* across the board.

then covid hit, i burned out and failed most of my GCSE exams, i didn’t do well at college because i ended up befriending addicts and becoming one myself then my parents refused to let me go to university. i got covid twice despite masking until 2023 and it basically broke my brain. i’m now living with extreme levels of anxiety and i also have complications from the covid which have left me unable to keep up with a “full” day to day life.

i’m only 21. don’t think it’s going to happen.

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Euphoric_Rough_5245@reddit

I wanted to be a vet, my mum told me I’d get too upset if animals had to be put down, then I wanted to join the army or the navy, my mum told me I wouldn’t like people shouting at me all the time, I wanted to go to university but wasn’t allowed. I worked in a factory for 4 years then as a bespoke picture framer for 4 years before being a baker in a supermarket for 16 years then had a total career change at 41 and work in education.

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Indie_Barrel_1402@reddit

I wanted to play for the Socceroos! Realised pretty early on that I had 'two left feet' and about as much athletic talent as a half-eaten meat pie. Ended up in IT. Still love the footy, but I’m much better at fixing servers than scoring goals. Fair dinkum, as long as you’re happy when you clock off at the end of the day, you’ve won the game.

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CallLongjumping2698@reddit

Train driver - I now do Model Engineering as a hobby and have won awards at shows, and I am considering going professional by selling some of my designs an casting's I make.

Gamekeeper - Trained as a keeper, quite literately couldn't get a job in the field, now IT professionally for 20 years an fucking hate it.

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TheGherkin69@reddit

I wanted to be happy.

It did not.

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baldeagle1991@reddit

I remember, due to being brought up in a upper working class family, just aiming for 'office work'......

You can imagine how that worked out.

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buy_me_a_pint@reddit

I loved buses when I was like 5 or 6 always wrote down route number and bus numbers , I found out that I needed to learn how to drive before becoming one ,

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sailors_jerry@reddit

I wanted to be a physicist. I remember thinking this from about the age of 10? 11? I ended up doing a degree in Particle Physics and Cosmology but unfortunately became unwell and PhD was never really an option for me.

I'm now a Psychiatric Nurse and love every minute of it!

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wagwanterry@reddit

PE teacher lol

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SeasonReasonable4282@reddit

I wanted to join the Royal Marines, but failed the medical due to my eyes, they were to close to the floor, I was an inch too short. Instead, I got a carpentry apprenticeship, then worked on building sites as a carpenter for the next fifty years, I retired last Christmas at the age of 66.

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vikingveteran@reddit

I wanted to follow my older brothers into the military….2 combat tours later ended up with ptsd 🤷🏻

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NoodleDoodlesocks@reddit

I never wanted to be anything in particular when I was a child. I always faked a response when asked. It has worked out pretty well for me so far.

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da316@reddit

a dragon or an astronaut and im neither of those things, so hasn't gone particularly well despite doing absolutely nothing to make either happen.

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AromaticVacation3077@reddit

As far back as I remember I always wanted to work in the theatre. I tried acting first and then switched designing, which I really loved. It didn't work out and I'd given up by my late 30s. Since then I've had no idea what to do with myself and I've been out of work for well over a decade now. I'd love to be into something again, but I just can't think of anything. The worst part is I used to love going to the theatre, but now it just makes me feel dreadful. I sometimes wish I hadn't tried theatre as a career because at least now I'd be able to enjoy it as a punter.

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Major_Toe_6041@reddit

I wanted to ‘make video games’ (I grew up with a Wii).

I’m currently a Game Art student at university, loving it. So I’d say it’s working out quite well. I’m most interested in environments, of which I’ve just found happen to be more sought after and higher paying than a lot of Game Art specialisms.

I obviously also have good options in the film and TV industry too with the skills I have.

I’m not worried about AI. It’ll take over easy stuff, generalists will be mostly phased out in a decade I reckon, and given the new Xbox CEO has said that AI doesn’t belong in games, that gives a good chunk of studios that will be needing proper artists.

Oh, also forgot to mention I’m in the first wave of Game Artists in the UK after the industry asked for specialists rather than Games Designers who took the BA rather than the BSc. Limited my options for unis but I’ve had no issues.

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Drath101@reddit

When I was 3 I wanted to be a police dog or a big fire engine. I'm still working on it. I've managed the "big" part but the rest isn't coming together yet

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Major_Toe_6041@reddit

Red shouldn’t be too difficult either, face paint isn’t limited to the face.

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Curious-Term9483@reddit

My eldest used to want to be a hedgehog when she grew up. She had it all planned out. She was going to go to hedgehog school to learn all about it.

Now she is 17 she wants to be a photographer. ... The plan is much the same but the prospectuses for the educational establishments are way less spiky.

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tinymoominmama@reddit

😅

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meowcatpanda@reddit

Did you at least dye your hair fire engine red?

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Ok-Answer-7138@reddit

I wanted to be Spiderman. Turns out it's actually quite hard to get a spider to bite you

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Willing-Primary-9126@reddit

I have full faith in you 🤣

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Drath101@reddit

I worked in a kitchen as a teenager and there was a small fire which I put out, so yknow, I am getting the work experience together for it

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Doctordelayus@reddit

I wanted to be a wrestler but then I realised that I have a shitty pain threshold and don’t like pain, it pisses me off

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FumbleCrop@reddit

I wanted to be an astronaut. Helen Sharman got there first, but there's still hope for me.

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simplytom_1@reddit

When I was a kid I wanted to be a doctor, and I did become a doctor... Albeit in Geography and not Medicine

Currently a research officer in business surveys, which is a good work and paid well enough

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Lessarocks@reddit

I wanted to be a dance teacher because I loved my dance classes. Then I wanted to be a show jumper because my best friend had a pony. That was never going to happen for me though as we did t have the money. So I did neither. I entered the civil service and later qualified as an accountant with their help

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izbiz88@reddit

I wanted to be a Spice Girl. Hasn’t happened yet, but I still know all the dance routines just in case they ever come a-knockin’

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Possiblyreef@reddit

Question; if you were being hunted by 4 of the spice girls which one would you want on your team

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Federal-Emu-4204@reddit

This is my answer too, I wanted to be Baby Spice! Ended up as a bookkeeper 🤔

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izbiz88@reddit

I wonder if you could become a kind of Baby Spice themed Bookkeeper? Like, do your normal job, but wear your hair in pigtails and have a constant supply of Strawberries and Cream favour Chuppa Chup lollies at your desk?

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Complex-Winter8687@reddit

I wanted to be an architect. Turns out I have no imagination for buildings and I'm not that great at technical drawing. I'm a midwife now

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No_Wolf4283@reddit

Policeman

Im a guard on the railway

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TalynRahl@reddit

When I was a child, I wanted to be a writer.

It kinda worked… until AI.

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ARK_Redeemer@reddit

According to my parents, I had three things I wanted to be as a kid.

1) A Power Ranger (sadly it didn't work out. I'm no longer a Teenager with Attitude either. They called Tommy old when the character was in his early 20s, so I don't think I'd have much of a chance at nearly 30 🤣)

2) A Vet (that lasted a little while, but after having several family pets put down, I realised I'd probably be having to do that as a Vet, so I dropped that idea)

3) A historian, which lasted into my late teens. Then I realised that University wasn't something I wanted to do, so I dropped that.

I ended up becoming an IT Technician at the school my mum worked at, and have been doing that job in others schools ever since. So I've technically been in school for most of my life 🤣

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CR1SBO@reddit

I longed for the days when I could eat chocolate for breakfast.

Now I know that's not a good idea, and would probably not enjoy it as much as I thought I would, but I do let myself live that dream on Christmas. You have to live for your childhood self sometimes.

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Rossco1874@reddit

In school I Wanted to be an architect but struggled with Graphic Communication & didn't like the week's work experience I did with a chartered firm. Found it quite dull.

I was always interested in computers & ended up going to college & worked in IT now for nearly 20 years

Was working in Morrisons from 16 in the bakery as an assistant to help me with pocket money while in school & college & when I finished college I had the option of becoming a bakery apprentice & if I went another month or so not able to find a job in IT I could well have went down that route.

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RenderSlaver@reddit

Didn't have a fucking clue, 41 and feel the same way now.

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space_coyote_86@reddit

Glad I'm not the only one. 34 and I just never knew what I wanted to do. I find it quite frustrating that I never had any support or advice. At least I didn't go to uni and rack up loads of debt for no reason though.

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Curious-Term9483@reddit

Same!

I am in the millions of people doing a job I didn't know existed when I was a kid. Totally by accident - not that I am not ambitious but I have always sailed with the wind and taken opportunities as I find them. But I have ended up in a spot I am happy with my eye on the next opportunity for a pay rise ;)

When I was a kid I used to feel quite anxious at the idea I might know what I was going to do when I grew up. I had no fucking clue, tbh I don't think I really wanted to be a grown up at all. So I guess in a sense where I ended up flows from there!

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RenderSlaver@reddit

What I've realised as I get older is people are far too keen to define themselves by their jobs. It's your hobbies and everything else in your life that makes you a person. I have a decent enough job that I don't hate 50% of the time and I consider that luckily. The rest of my life is awesome and I have no complaints.

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Curious-Term9483@reddit

Yep. My ambitions are more around earning enough I can do what I want to outside of work. And earning it in a way that doesn't stress/burn me out so much that I don't have the energy to do what I want outside of work.

Doesn't sound too unreasonable to me!

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boldbunny01@reddit

I wanted to be a vet. I work in HR……

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seta_roja@reddit

Somehow related... Lol

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Jdawgmancity@reddit

both deal with Bitches lmao

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alann72@reddit

Wanted to be a soldier, that happened, then so did bad knees and an equally shitty attitude (mine), pretty much just bummed around in boring jobs since.

Now I’d like to give it all up and just travel the world on minimal funds. On an old motorbike and a tent, I’m 53 now, I just want to see things again.

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PuzzleheadedFold503@reddit

Didn't get that far.

I just wanted to escape, by any means necessary.

I've been lost for 20 years.

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morfn0@reddit

At 8 years old I told my class that "I would save the world".

I think it's going pretty well....

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shredditorburnit@reddit

Wanted to be a builder, made my own company in my early 20s, relocated it twice, once just before COVID, kept it alive and making me a living, 3 years after second relocate my health collapsed and I'm now largely stuck in the house. Fun while it lasted.

Trying something new now but it's a hell of a longshot.

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MountainMuffin1980@reddit

A fighter pilot, and then I realised I didn't want to kill people the Government told me to. So I thought I'd be a commercial pilot and it turns out that's fucking expensive to get into. Then I figured I'd be an air traffic controller because at least I'm still around planes. But man that was expensive to get u to as well.

So I work in the Public sector. If I won the lottery I'd work on getting my private pilots licence and would go flying every week.

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Longjumping_Car3318@reddit

I wanted to be a train driver ever since I learnt what trains were - I succeeded shortly before my 26th birthday. :)

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NeedCake707@reddit

Something to do with animals and/or nature. Been chronically ill since I was 10 and haven't been able to have a single job 🤦🏼‍♀️

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Fine_Cress_649@reddit

From memory at different points I wanted to be a scientist, a clown, a musician, a doctor, a journalist, a professional hockey player.

I have been a scientist (sucked) a musician (sucked even harder) and a doctor (sucked the least by far).

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You_moron04@reddit

Desperately loved space and Star Wars so naturally Astronaut was on the board.

Went into IT when I left 6th form, hated it. Now chasing my dreams in aviation and starting there this year.

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SoggyWotsits@reddit

An astronaut or something related to space. An unlikely profession for a kid from Cornwall. Little did I know that we’d end up with a spaceport!

The other option was a nurse, but I’m extremely bad with blood. Not just a bit squeamish, but I keel over if I see it. I’ve ended up on the floor lots of times seeing my own blood and other people’s blood. Most than once I’ve had to have my head glued back together by real nurses who aren’t wimps!

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bluephoenix39@reddit

I wanted to be a forensic scientist or a vet (talking around age 8-10) I’m now a biomedical scientist so the scientist part stuck

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Particular_Tune7990@reddit

Ha, not just me then. Initially astronaut but quickly that turned into wanting to be a scientist. More specifically my (older) brother was going to be a scientist and I was going to be his assistant.

I am now a senior lecturer in Chemistry so I guess that worked out :).

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LocalMendicant@reddit

Is your brother a Professor in the same department?

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Particular_Tune7990@reddit

Not even close - not an academic, works as a 'software engineer'* for BaE

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ReadyWriter25@reddit

When I was a kid I wanted to be a scientist. I succeeded. I got a Ph.D then I decided I didnt want to be a scientist any more. So I re-qualified as a lawyer. I succeeded at that too. It was all hard work but worth it.

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AnonymousTimewaster@reddit

I wanted to do something I was passionate about. Love history so something in heritage would have been cool, like restoration or archiving. Or some sort of journalism or being a critic. Or something a bit sciency. Something that involved a bit of travel and seeing the world.

I did none of that and went into sales and customer service. Whoopee.

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Lyrakish@reddit

Palentologist. Then I found they needed a PHD and my mum said that was too expensive. So then I wanted to be a primary school teacher. Then I left college in 2008 after the financial crash and just had to take work where I could. I'm a project manager now. But I use what I know of teaching to help my kids.

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Hookton@reddit

I wanted to be a shop lady. I was not an ambitious child.

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user_error101@reddit

I wanted to be this guy:

https://youtu.be/Dl7xDSe9GnE?si=jwIwUcYWVDqsXhcP

Life has worked well just without the money

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tacticall0tion@reddit

Always wanted to be a fire fighter... never happened, and now I've got physical restrictions that mean its just not possible

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OkTechnician4610@reddit

I wanted to be a geologist - didn’t get there was advised by the school work expert who spoke to us about work after school - that women don’t do that sort of work. I chose IT been doing that for years now manager level & go geology as a hobby. Also own 2 businesses with my husband & son. Still regret not going to uni to do geology.

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aardvarkhome@reddit

I was always going into science. It's been interesting and fun, though not hugely lucrative .

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NoMortgage3467@reddit

I wanted to be a helicopter.

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BoopingBurrito@reddit

Initially I wanted to be a chef, and then I decided I wanted to be an ambassador.

I'm in the civil service, though not FCDO, and some of what I do involves working with a few foreign countries. Honestly it's the most frustrating part of my job. For all the criticism levelled at our civil service, I've yet to work with a foreign country who are even close to us in efficiency, effectiveness, or proactiveness. Which should give you an idea of just how frustrating they are to deal with.

And I love cooking. If I'd become a chef I think I'd have lost that love. So I'm quite pleased on that front.

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beeurd@reddit

I wanted to be a carpet designer like my dad, and I even did my work experience in the design studio of the largest carpet firms at the time, but by the time I left high school the carpet industry was collapsing so that never happened.

Went through a few other jobs over the years and I'm now a website designer.

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Kapika96@reddit

Wanted to move to Japan to become a video game dev and make Final Fantasy games.

I did move to Japan at least. Never got into coding though. I tried, it's just not for me. And I now think Final Fantasy is shit. So yeah, things didn't really go as I would've hoped.

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GrumpChorlton@reddit

I wanted to be a Barber, my dad wanted me to be a Royal Marine like he was. I joined the RAF and after 18 years in military environments I ended up in IT. The only cutting I do is cut and paste.

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snapper1971@reddit

When I was five I saw David Bailey advertising the Olympus Trip on TV. I knew I wanted to be a photographer from that moment on. My family teased me for that. Next year I celebrate my fortieth year in the industry.

I've had national advertising campaigns display my work. I've shot for major brands and had my work on household products. I've had work in national and local newspapers, glossy magazines and product packaging. I now only shoot material culture collections for academic fine art and art history books. I've got a book shelf just of books where I've been the sole photographer hefty tomes. I work with academic institutions and museums all over the world.

Today I'm going to a private view of an exhibition at a leading art university that's displaying my work.

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jilljd38@reddit

Steeple chase jockey, too tall too fat , don't even own a horse any more

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Dutch_Slim@reddit

I wanted to join the navy and train as a nurse! Dropped out of a-levels and joined the civil service whilst I planned my next move. Still here 27 years later…

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Responsible-Post6431@reddit

When I was a child I wanted to be an astronaut... I still do at age 26.

After a Master's in Natural Sciences and then science/physics teacher training, I now work at the European Space Agency in the Education Office where I've helped write scripts for ESA astronaut Sophie Adenot on the International Space Station, helped create resources for teachers, made an e-learning course about exoplanets, helped organise events for students and teachers, hosted webinars with ESA experts and an analogue astronaut.

I still have a way to go but one step closer!

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cbawiththismalarky@reddit

I wanted to be a cabinet maker, I was told the best I could do was work in a warehouse

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mirthandmurder@reddit

I wanted to be happy. It didn't work out how I wanted. But I'm currently at peace so can't say I lost entirely.

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prustage@reddit

I wanted to be James Bond.

Now, I look out the window and see a distinct lack of gorgeous women draped across an Aston Martin DB6.

I have, however, been to a casino (in Southport) and drunk a shaken, not stirred Martini (in Wetherspoons).

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Veenkoira00@reddit

(Littlan) baker (play with dough and eat cake all day long), 2. (Under 7) artist (painter – make mess all day and call it work), 3. (Primary school) architect (cause houses that I like... dream on...), 4. (Tweenager) farmer (no chance getting the land !), 5. (Teenager) work with children (this happened !)

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Shauntattoo3@reddit

Dreamed of joining the British army with only the intentions of becoming a SAS soldier … of course a young boys over zealous imagination… this was pre internet so it was just books and the odd video tape ( plus ultimate force with Ross kemp 😆) mid teens got bashed up bad with a rather unforgiving tool ended up with scar on my brain resulting in epilepsy… military was out unfortunately , still think about what could of been daily !

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Pmyers225@reddit

Ultimate Force FTW! I also wanted to join up for the same reason, but then I discovered beer and curry... Sorry to hear about what happened to you though mate

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Shauntattoo3@reddit

🤣🤣🤣 innit bro , sleeping in fields n eating rations seemed fun at 11 by 16 even I was like hmmmm not sure I could survive on food in a bag 😆!! But I appreciate that man shit happens ey I suppose it saved me the embarrassment of rocking up on day one claiming I’m gna be special forces then failing the bleep test 🤣👍

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Pmyers225@reddit

At 16 I was sleeping in fields but my rations were the cheapest bottle of "vodka" the dodgy corner shop would sell me... And yeah sod the bleep test

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Shauntattoo3@reddit

🤣 sounds like Russian special forces to be fair ! Missed your calling brother 😆

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Pmyers225@reddit

Haha yeah most probably matey

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MegaMolehill@reddit

I always wanted to be a software engineer. I wrote my first code at six years old on an Atari 800XL and had a game on a magazine cover disc at 15. I managed to get a PhD in Computing but my shoulders and body in general slowly failed me over the years and now I’m a stay at home dad. I have quite varied days with DIY, gardening, cooking, and such like but I do miss the coding.

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meowcatpanda@reddit

Couldn't you pick up coding again as a hobby, maybe write a game over several years, just do an hour here or there to keep it easy 9n the body? Especially for something like this it's never too late! I wish I was smart enough to code a game ngl, being disabled and stuck at home gaming is my whole life♡

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MegaMolehill@reddit

It’s true I should look into something like that especially with AI tools available. Probably more of a mental block these days but I do play around 3d printing as a bit of a hobby. Thanks.

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Far_Bad_531@reddit

I got be what I wanted to be , (a registered nurse) despite the “careers officer “ telling me that’s not what I should be doing and to go and work in a shop instead, 😡 I ignored her …. god knows how many dreams she crushed for other people .

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Active_Definition_57@reddit

I wanted to be a car designer, before realising my draughtsman skills weren't up to it. This was before Computer Aided Design really became a thing.

Then I wanted to be a journalist, but never fully committed to it.

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Willing_Coconut4364@reddit

Astronaut and astrophysicist. I'm an astrophysicist.

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butcherboi91@reddit

Wanted to be a truck driver but my dad said I was too clever for that. I am now a scientist so I guess he was right.

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steveakacrush@reddit

As a kid I wanted to be a zookeeper - it never happened.

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DevilsAdvocate1662@reddit

I wanted to be a wrestler, told my careers advisor at school that that's what I wanted to me. They were less than helpful in advising me how to go about this.

They wanted me to get a "real job" well fuck you careers advisor, I did wrestle in multiple promotions across the UK AND got paid for it.

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MarcusH26051@reddit

Started off wanting to be a footballer , that was quickly quashed by my lack of coordination. Then I discovered photography, went to uni for it , got to travel a bit and then COVID and mental health problems burnt me out on that. Now just trying to figure out how to put the building blocks back together.

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3D-Nutsack@reddit

As a kid I was obsessed with Greek mythology and wanted to be a heroic soldier so I would always say I wanted to be in the army, as a teenager that turned into the marines, so when I was 20 I went through the process, which was denied as I went to the doctors when I was 16 and he said I was had an panic attack and wrote on my medical records I had anxiety. I did not, must of just been a one off funny turn, never had meds for it never went back for it. But it was written on there so they denied me. Dreams crushed. But it worked out well, I am now a tree surgeon and love it

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Sea-Payment-8989@reddit

When I was a child I dreamed of joining the RAF and was given a day off school to go to the recruiting office in Bradford where I lived, to discover it was closed that day, so I went to Leeds, thinking there would be one there.When I went out of the station I saw that there were recruiting offices for the Army and Navy and as the Army one was busy, I went into the Navy one and asked where the RAF one was, to be told there isn’t one in Leeds.

The guy asked me why I wanted to join them ab nd I said I want to be a pilot, to which he replied we have a fleet air arm, come this way. Upshot is. I joined the Navy, in radio mechanics and hated it.

I left as soon as I could and couldn’t settle in any job I did, until I was made redundant from a firm and got a job as a sessional Community Service Supervisor with the Probation Service and spent 25 years dong several types of work, latterly in Probation working with offenders, until I retired and like the OP it was the icing on the cake of my working life.

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SuperDinkle406@reddit

Dolphin trainer... didn't work out and would have been cancelled any way. Hey, ho, Flipper you will never get to learn how to ride a tricycle.

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Obvious-Water569@reddit

Something creative - writer, illustrator etc.

As an adult, my career is not at all creative, but it pays me enough to pursue all the creative outlets I want in my free time. I'm totally fine with that.

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pr2thej@reddit

Journalist.

Now in IT.

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ArcTan_Pete@reddit

Journalist

Now engineering/IT adjacent

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franki-pinks@reddit

Even when I was little I loved taking things apart and putting them back together. I always said I wanted to be an engineer when I was older and was constantly told girls don’t do that which made me more determined.

I did become an engineer and at 29 started my own firm with 2 blokes I went uni with which has grow from engineering to tool manufacturing and then machinery manufacturing and at 42 I’m living comfortably and happy I didn’t listen to anyone who said I couldn’t.

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Shrimp_Watch101@reddit

Musician. But really, the most important skill is networking and I had zero self confidence when I was young.

I ended up drifting into admin, which is fine, but that dream still eats away at me. I wish I'd never touched an instrument and put all those hours of practise into a more practical skill instead.

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Hamsternoir@reddit

I wanted to fly a real X-wing or be a dinosaur.

I'm an illustrator and little me would actually think it's a cool job, even my kids grudgingly admit it's not the worst job to have.

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BlackCatWitch29@reddit

I wanted to be many things as a child but the biggest dream was to be a writer.

I have my own blog so I consider myself a writer now. I don't make any money off it but I don't mind as I don't want to write because I have to. I want to enjoy the writing process.

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millerz72@reddit

Writer was my dream job too.

Unfortunately the closest I’ve got is writing SOPs, policy documents and the odd webpage….

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front-wipers-unite@reddit

That's cool. I like that.

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GuybrushFunkwood@reddit

I wanted to Marshal Bravestarr. Ive yet to get the strength of a bear but I do have a bad knee…

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Kubrick_Fan@reddit

When I was 3, i wanted to be a catapillar who drove trains.

At ten, I wanted to work on movies, and now I do.

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sivaya_@reddit

I wanted to be a vicar... I sacked that religious shit off years ago, so worked out just fine!

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ThatstheTahiCo@reddit

That you Dougal?

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Uhura-hoop@reddit

That’s quite a shift in view! How did you go from being (I’m guessing) pretty devout, to being an atheist? I was raised to be catholic but never really believed, and binned the whole silly thing off as soon as I could. I will say though, being a cleric looks like a cushy job.

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badger906@reddit

I wanted to be a vet. I’m a retail manager. Staff and customers are often like animal, so I’m almost there.

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hyper-casual@reddit

I wanted to be an ice cream man.

Ended up lactose intolerant so in some ways I'm fortunate I didn't live up to my big dreams or I'd be trapped in a prison of torment.

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Odd-Diamond-4035@reddit

I wanted to be lots of things. 2 that really stand out were:

Monk, loved the idea of peace and quiet and just being allowed to think about stuff.
Vicar, because they got a free house, and the price of houses used to freak me out before I learnt about mortgages.

Didn't do either as I am a total atheist.

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irv81@reddit

I wanted to be a pilot

Became an Engineer, started to slowly self fund pilot training when I was 21 until the financial crisis happened and the world got more expensive, parked it for a bit whilst I got back on my feet, got myself back to a point of being able to afford to self fund it again, then I had a blood clot and lost vision in my left eye and developed a secondary macular issue that medically disqualifies you from being a pilot, only recently healed from the secondary issue to the point where I could medically qualify again but 23 years have passed since I first started.

I now have a partner, a mortgage and a dog

I'm still an Engineer

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OccidentalTouriste@reddit

Wanted to be a meteorologist but then discovered I'd need to do A level maths and physics which was never going to happen.

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Bipolar03@reddit

I wanted to work with children with HIV and AIDS, I became a pre school assistant for a while now I'm a mental health advocate. I still donate to my first love

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Purp1eMagpie@reddit

I wanted to be a pilot. Interviewed for pilot in the RAF at 18 which ultimately was never going to happen. Parents were insistent I get a job right away, so rather than go away and gain the life experience they said I needed in the interview, I applied for an apprenticeship to be an aeronautical engineer. Fixed aircraft for about 10 years before getting bored

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Jerico_Hill@reddit

All I wanted as a child was to no longer be poor and to be in charge of my own life (precisely so I could not be poor).

I'd say I've smashed it on all accounts.

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-mmmusic-@reddit

i think i wanted to be an actor, and when i realised i was shit at it/not confident enough for it, i thought musician, and technically i am? i write my own music and have made a whopping $1.58 that i can't cash in because it needs to be at least $10. plus i'm english so conversion rates make it even worse.

but yeah.. i'm a bus driver. lol.

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Chordsy@reddit

Up until I was a teenager I wanted to be a vet. I always loved animals.

Then our family dog had to be put to sleep and I was like nah I can't do that, all animals need to live forever they deserve it more than humans do.

Sooooo I studied music at university and now I'm a Data analyst. 🤣

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WitchyWoo9@reddit

I wanted to be a pop star, however I can't sing or dance. I'm a mental health nurse now.

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yorkspirate@reddit

Nearly 42 and still don't know what I want to be when I grow up

Spent most my working life in construction and as a sparky and various second jobs like bar work but seriously considering something different career wise

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diyguitarist@reddit

Something in geography. Got an A in GCSE, Took the A level course in college, but there was only one problem.

"So today, um, we will, um, be starting, um, the topic, um, of, um"

The lecturer had this very odd and specific speech pattern, which was completely intolerable for an hour, how were you supposed to do two years of it! Asked to switch classes but bad news! She was the only geography lecturer there. So dropped out of that class into something else.

But my heart and head wasn't in it. I was only doing other classes because you had to do three, all I wanted to do was geography, that was the plan. Get good A level geography, go to uni and do geography, get a geography job. Obviously none of that happened and just been doing normal jobs every since. It is what it is, but 16 year old me could not sit through two years of someone being incapable of speaking correctly. And considering how many other people dropped out of the course they couldn't either.

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Whodeytim@reddit

Started off wanting to be an ice cream man, then a footballer, finally an accountant.

Now I'm a business analyst specialising in finance so not far off

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EuphoricFly1044@reddit

House Architect

I'm now a solution Architect.

Close......

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Aggravating_Anybody@reddit

Literally, Steve Irwin the Crocodile Hunter. I was obsessed with reptiles and amphibians.

I still am fascinated by animals, but I realized pretty early on that I didn’t want to study vet or zoo science and didn’t want to have to do the gross stuff like anal gland expulsion and dealing with piss and shit all day

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JabbaTheHuttsCock@reddit

I wanted to be a rockstar. Chased that dream for far too long

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AdhesivenessNo9878@reddit

Used to want to be a dentist for ages, and used to think maybe about trying to become an orthodontist.

I eventually realised I am really really not good with medical type stuff and nearly feint every time I have to do a first aid course.

I now work as a Chief Mate on a ship which basically has absolutely no similarities at all.

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BigfatDan1@reddit

I wanted to be an archaeologist, even up to making college choices I chose all the right subjects to get me into uni. I then went for a day, never went back after, binned if off for a girl 😩

Ended up in the RAF for 10 years as an aircraft tech, and now I'm a maintenance engineer. I love it but I still always wonder what if

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Appropriate-Bag5290@reddit

I was 11, When I saw the first Commodore , ( and tried to write a game on it from a Zx Spectrum book, and did not work, obviously ), I decided to be a software engineer . Then I studied computer science , and became that.

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Bbew_Mot@reddit

Many things but the most bizarre idea I had was founding a chocolate factory that had a chocolate making school based on Hogwarts attached to it. This chocolate making school would have it's own version of the Hogwarts Express or the 'Chocwarts Express', a replica of the Great Hall, the four Hogwarts houses and a chocolate based curriculum.

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meowcatpanda@reddit

I wanted to study psychology, instead I stopped going to school after graduating high school and am disabled and unable to follow those dreams...

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CozJeez85@reddit

I wanted to join the army, or teach religious studies. I was told "girls aren't soliders" and then found myself to be too cynical to teach children about religion.

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ClockAccomplished381@reddit

I'm mid 40s and I still haven't figured out what I want to be when I grow up.

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Evening-Tour@reddit

I never dreamt of work or a career as a kid.

I wanted to be a Pterodactyl, didn't work out, turned out I remained human and became a Senior Planning Engineer for a utility company.

But I still dream of playing with leathery winfs.

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EldritchCleavage@reddit

My dreams were to be a lorry driver, then to work on a make up counter in a department store. I achieved neither.

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AngryTudor1@reddit

A few things I was interested in

For a while as a teenager I was really interested in the police. But at the time they had this advertising campaign where it had 10 people who all looked a lot better and more competent than I did, and the advert said something like "only one in ten of these will be good enough for the Police". That was enough for 13 year old, non-confident me to conclude that I would never be good enough for the police, so I moved on.

I was then interested in law. But I didn't know the difference between a solicitor and a barrister. When I read about being a barrister, it said you had to eat a certain number of meals somewhere? And I assumed I probably wouldn't like what those meals were because I was funny with food, so that was out (I kid you not!)

Then I saw the channel 4 TV show Teachers with Andrew Lincoln. Absolutely loved it. Loved the lifestyle, loved the portrayal of the job. So I decided I wanted to be a secondary school teacher.

And I have been for 20 years and I have absolutely loved it.

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Stage_Party@reddit

I've always and still want to be a pilot but I never got into the apprenticeship programs and now I'm too old I can't afford the flying lessons so it'll never happen.

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terahurts@reddit

Age 6-10ish - Train driver or astronaut.

10-16 - Fighter pilot.

16-22 - Mechanical Engineer. Got an old-school apprenticeship after fucking my A-levels and worked in heavy engineering and got my HNC, then got made redundant.

22 - 30's - IT. I went back to college got a degree and worked in IT support until my mid-30.

Now I'm mid-50s and a full-time carer for my wife.

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TheCosmicGypsies@reddit

A bike courier, think there was some 90s NY drama about it that made them look cool. I then grew up and worked as a bike courier in Leeds for a while and loved it!

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LastofAcademe@reddit

Had an obsessions with sharks, so I wanted to be a marine biologist. Then I had an obsession with collecting joke books, so I wanted to be a comedian.

I remember going on a family holiday to a caravan park when I was probably about 5 where they ran a talent competition for the kids. I say "talent competition" - they basically got each kid up on stage and asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. I said a comedian so they told me to tell a joke.

"What do you call a cow eating grass? A lawn-moor."

That joke won me a trophy and a certificate.

Anyway, I'm applying to do a clinical psychology doctorate this year...

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Pericombobulator@reddit

I wanted to be an astronaut.

It didn't work out.

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Rhym3z_Official@reddit

I wanted to be a musician or a racing driver. I became a musician very early but unfortunately ended up with far too much stage fright to pursue it. Now I'm 40 lol

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YelenaShadow@reddit

I wanted to work with horses when I was young, i was a typical teen girl. I did work with them for a short time. Since then I've just done jobs because they have been convenient for my life at the time.

I'm now in my mid 40's and finally found what I want to do with my life! I am working towards getting qualified as a nurse.

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FabulousEnglishman@reddit

I wanted to be a politican, now I can't stand the thought of being in the public eye or working in politics.

Now in my late 20's I've had an eclectic list of careers so I'm still finding my niche one could say.

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Jamjar2023@reddit

In no particular order I wanted to be an accountant, fireman, wrestler and taxi driver.

I work in an office.

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Miss-Hell@reddit

There are wrestling schools, you could still become a wrestler (I also wanted to be a wrestler, and I’m eyeing wrestling up)

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ToasterMonster69@reddit

I wanted to be an air hostess… or a social worker. Turns out people are not for me and I fell in love with coding and programming….

Today I’m a data analyst.

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vasior@reddit

I wanted to be an Inventor or an Architect.

I am a Software Dev, like all of my siblings. Sometimes I get to feel like I am inventing things, even if I'm just deluding myself.

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Lower_River_5647@reddit

Princess, hairdresser then psychosexual therapist. Even went to uni for the last one.

I work in a supermarket on nights. So yeah 😂

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MFA_Nay@reddit

I wanted to be an explorer, but sadly the four corners of the map had been explored by then.

Instead through a winding path I ended up working in research, which involves a little bit of different exploring in it.

I suppose my curiosity is fulfilled.

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toughtittywampas@reddit

I wanted to be a rockstar and now I'm a risk specialist...I mean it starts with an R

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Pristine-Account8384@reddit

I wanted to drive an ice cream van....never got to live the dream but maybe when I retire I'll go for it!

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cheltenhamcbt@reddit

run my own TV station although YouTube wasn't an option then!

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TheMarkMatthews@reddit

Happy and wealthy

Didn’t work out so great

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Nightfuries2468@reddit

I wanted to be a soldier or a policewoman. Started my uniformed public services college degree, and then told I would never be accepted due to chronic pain. So I joined veterinary, but after 2-3 years got forced out for whistleblowing animal abuse by the vet. After having kids, my new dream was to be a perinatal mental health midwife and researcher. Aced my access course, got accepted into the best uni for midwifery in the country (11th in the world), I was then medicaly differed due to an injury. Now I need several bone and nerve/tendon surgeries. So I give up at this point.

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sihasihasi@reddit

My dad was an electronics engineer. I studied electrical engineering at uni, (because I didn't know the difference between electrical and electronic engineering).

Somehow, I'm now a Lead DevOps engineer.

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ImABrickwallAMA@reddit

I had wanted to join the Army for as long as I could remember. I eventually did, but did it quite late after a few jobs here and there. Went into the complete wrong trade (which I thought was right at the time, and it should’ve been a good trade) which ended up tanking four years of my life, so I came out.

Shame really, I really wanted it to work and wanted to stay in, but I was trying to stick a square peg into a round hole and there was absolutely no leeway within my trade. So, here we are!

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InevitableAd8210@reddit

I wanted to be a baker. Worked at Sainsbury’s bakery and hated it with a passion

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Nightfuries2468@reddit

Sorry to break it to you, but that doesn't overly count as being a baker

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hornet-prodder-214@reddit (OP)

When bakers get an increase in pay, do they get a rise in dough?

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MidnightRambler87@reddit

I wanted to be a football commentator. Then I saw you needed a journalism degree and a) I was never going to be clever enough and b) I would have never been able to afford it.

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Fancy_a_cuppa13@reddit

I always wanted to work with animals, mostly a vet.

Turns out I am allergic to most mammals, apart from dogs, so that scuppered that dream.

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