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What Was Your Childhood Dream Job?

Red Herring

Superwoman
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When I was 7 years old I wrote a "book" (i.e. a short story I had made up about a talking camel that could entertain people with its fairy tales but its owner said telling stories is a useless skill! In the end they do receive some kind of material reward and everyone is happy), illustrated it and tied the pages together with a thread of wool. I was going to be an author. I kept making up stories and writing them down until into my teens.

Then, in my very early teen years, I no longer dared to do that and started to look around "realistic" professions. My Dad was a psychotherapist and I thought "Hey, I am a sensitive person, I could do that and help people like that". But that didn't last very long.
But at some point I even wrote a fictional text about some sort of superwoman who was an archeologist/science journalist who travelled the world, had adventures and was holding lectures around the world. Oh, and she lived in a tree house in the jungle. That's who I wanted to be as an adult even though I knew it was just an impossible fantasy.

Then as a teenager I thought about becoming a marine biologist. I even researched universities that offered that specialty. I came across an article about a small university in California ( I live in Germany) and thought this would be perfect.

The movie All The President's Men also impressed me a lot and for quite some time I wanted to become a journalist. But I knew I wanted to be a political journalist for some big shot paper or magazine (acually, I knew I wanted to work for Der Spiegel) and as I was aware that I'd more likely end up at some small crumpy regional newspaper, lucky to have a real contract rather than work as an easily dispensable intern - and I knew I'd probably be depressed in a situation like that.

Then, just a few months before graduating from highschool I read an article about interpreters at the European Parliament and that sealed the deal. I was good at languages and the article made it sound so sexy!

So I studied translation and interpreting. They told us that hardly anybody can make a living with interpreting alone and that you need to win the lottery first of you want to translate literature rather than business texts and technical manuals. D'oh!
There was a phase when I considered changing my major and becoming a school teacher like my Mum (only I would have taught English and History).

I graduated, set myself up as a freelance translator and interpreter after a brif stint with a language service provider and am now pretty settled in that career. I mostly translate (mainly busines contracts and some medical stuff) but also regularly travel out of town to work as an interpreter on international conferences or during business negotiations, etc.

Sometimes I still dream of becoming an writer, to be honest. But it can be interesting work, offers some variety and continuous learning since you constantly have to research your way into different subjects - very INTP-friendly! I also have very flexible working hours, am my own boss and can work on the sofa, in my pyjamas. That flexibility is of great value as I am also currently raising a toddler.
 

Gone

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2016
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545
I think I don't remember half of it... I was most creative with dream jobs in elementary school, I think they changed every two weeks.

Author.
Elementary school teacher.
Astronaut.
Full-time gardener.
Circus artist.
Pilot.
Someone who makes wooden toys, even though I couldn't carve and didn't even possess a pen-knife or anything at that time.
Horse rancher.
Rabbit farmer.
Farmer in general.
Inventor.
Travel guide.
Forester.
Aaaand of course video game tester.
Chocolate tester.
Mattress tester.
Lector, which was basically a book tester in my mind.
World traveler. (dunno who should have paid for that)

Not necessarily in that order.
Note that I don't have talent for any of this. I think. Never had a chance to (dis-)prove my hypothetical astronaut skills :D
Also I never wanted to be an artist, despite me drawing all the time.
 

Pionart

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fuck off there just be a fuckin duck hunter its the seasons for it naywayz
 

Yuurei

Noncompliant
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I wanted to be a marine biologist. Then I wanted to work for the CIA

Later I santed to work for the CIA with a marine biologist as a cover.
 

PuppyGoggles

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Comedy writer? And a firefighter, apparently? I can't really recall many -- as a kid I pretty much just danced around all topics concerning my future and adulthood (which pretty much nipped me in the butt by the time I got into college).
 

Lloyd

Ain Soph Aur
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When I was 7 years old, I dreamt of having a restaurant with a "Ninja Gaiden" theme. Weird huh?
 

TheObservatory

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I remember telling my parent that I wanted to be an astronaut and research the stars simply because they were isolated, mysterious which = much to learn, and.. also because I wanted to be away from all the drama on earth...

Yes, I really did say all that. I was like what, 6?
 

Methylene

Now with more salt.
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Astrophysicist, apparently.
 

julesiscools

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Dec 5, 2016
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I wanted to be Indiana Jones. I've come to terms with the fact that while I still - sort of - want to be Indy, it just ain't gonna happen.
 

VILLANELLE

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I never really had one but I really liked being a bit of a performer, sometimes...
 

1487610420

Permabanned
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Apr 13, 2009
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This question is so messed up af, and the more messed up af part is how pervasively accepted it's become.
 

Fluffywolf

Nips away your dignity
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I don't recall ever really having a childhood dream of becoming something. I was more concerned with who I was at the time.
 

thepink-cloakedninja

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I wanted to own a free store, where everything was free so everyone could have everything they needed even if they didn't have enough money. Then I learned about economics.
 
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