No, pestie, for all the reasons you mentioned, it’s an intriguing set of challenges. I always start thinking about it whenever I see an internet porn site. “How would I do this better? What do people like about this site? How would changing the charge structure change membership figures? Has anyone tried this, or that?”
I’ve got several. I would have liked to have been a doctor. It would be nice to be able to figure out what’s wrong with people, including myself.
I am a writer… but I’d love to be a well-paid writer with many published books and something meaningful to say. I have stuff to say, but I doubt anyone finds any of it meaningful.
I’d enjoy being a personal assistant/schedule orgainzer for someone very famous. If they were nice, especially, that would be cool, and if not, hey, then I’d write that tell-all book about 'em. I’d schedule them to go to all of these animal welfare related do’s and promote them.
And a bartender. Can you imagine all of the stuff you hear? And lots of free drinks.
Or a UPS person, delivering packages. People are always excited when a package comes to their door.
Actually, one of my way out there dream jobs actually does exist… but it’s filled. It was in the news in his hometown, about this guy who knew somebody in catering and was helping backstage at an Aerosmith concert. He made some pies for the band. They liked them, and called him, and said, ‘come on the road with us and make us pies.’ So that is his job now, touring the world with Aerosmith, making pies for them. I hate that man. That should be me.
I know what you mean. Whoever does those has an amazing imagination. How many different ways can there be to display a large “2” on a TV screen? Some of them are downright beautiful.
I would like to be a travel writer (preferably Bill Bryson-type stuff rather than interminable listings of hotels in rural Slovenia, but I’ll take either). Unfortunately, I don’t think I have enough of a way with words to pull it off.
What I hope I will be doing in a year or two is teaching English abroad.
Honestly, my true dream job would be a dishwasher, only I get paid like, $50k/year. It sounds dumb, I know, but I used to wash dishes and derived a great deal of pleasure from being able to work alone, thinking about whatever I wanted to, and listening to the radio for a living.
That, or the writer/editor or an independant comic book company.
DJ#1: James Suckling’s job. (Editor for Wine Spectator that covers Bordeaux, Port & Tuscany). Though by no means would I want his name.
DJ#2: Travel show personality. (I know that travel writer has been posted but I would prefer to do the documentary style- for example Michael Palin’s Pole to Pole or Full Circle.)
Thanks! Looks like I’d better get busy on my portfolio! 
I’m starting to do research on this again. Yes, Art Director is close. This past weekend I discovered the book Hollywood 101 which describes how the movie production process works.
<oversimplification>
Roughly, the Art Director is responsible for getting the movie to look right. The Art Director’s boss, however, is the Production Designer, who chooses the look in the first place.
</oversimplification>
I’m not giving up on this this time.
There was a This American Life episode which included a segment by a man who loves washing dishes so much, he prints a dishwashing magazine. I thought that was pretty cool.
Theater person: Several branches here, doing odd jobs, or costuming, or managing, or producing (and, perhaps, one night when the star breaks her leg and someone asks, who knows the words, stepping forward into the spotlight and … well, too far into the dream and away from the reality)
Or the answer person at the library. The one that gets called up, when someone asks weird and unusual questions, and then looks them up and answers them.
I’m already working on attaining my dream job: Working as a professional magician. I worked at a restaurant last winter doing close-up magic and plan on doing it again. Eventually I’ll start working on a stage act and perform that wherever people want me. It will be fun!
Since there are many libraries around I don’t feel bad about saying this has to be the best job I’ve seen on this thread.
That or Park Ranger at the lighthouse on Kauai.
I would say that as a professional, I have attained several dream jobs earlier in life than I ever thought possible. Ran my own company for a while, and now work in an incredible job with the best group of people I ever met (professionally). I consider myself most firtunate. This is all in the world of technology.
In the other world, I would love to be the owner and manager of the classiest restaurant and nightclub around! Incredible food ('cause I love it!), incredible drink ('cause I really love it!), and incredible music ('cause I really, really love it!). After all, a man can only install so many network servers…I have thought about it for years, but the Mrs. won’t hear of it. I just need to convince her that it would be a fun hobby.
sili