I wanted to be an artist up until the point I learned to write. Then I wanted to be a novelist.
A cartoonist, until I realized I had zero of the skills needed. But I talked about it for a long time.
Then a writer then a comedy writer but I didn’t have a way to hone the skills needed. I also chickened out on the prospect of moving away from Cleveland.
Forensic Pathologist (and yes, this was pre-CSI). I watched Quincy with my mom but was way too young to understand really what was going on but I still knew I wanted to do what he did (minus the mysteries). Later on, when I was 10 or 11, I read a book about JFK’s autopsy and it reinforced my desire but this time I was old enough to actually understand what it was I wanted to do.
Now I’m 32 and after 14 years of wasting my life, I’m finally working on getting there (working on my Junior year in college with a Pathobiology major, working part time for a Vet who doesn’t mind explaining animal pathology to me when she has free time, and starting work study in the Necropsy lab in the fall). I might go to grad school for pathology assisting (human pathology). I might go to vet school and then continue into Vet pathology. I might just stay in the Pathobiology department in the lab or something. As long as I’m in the field of investigating causes of death and the course of diseases, I’ll be happy.
For as far back as I can remember, I wanted to be a computer programmer or a writer when I grew up.
Professional software developer for 11+ years now.
Paid for writing fiction? Still working on that one… 
I wanted to be a police detective (mostly because I thought Inspector Gordon was awesome in the Batman cartoon).
Now, I investigate child abuse and neglect. Close enough I say!
I am very impressed by and a bit jealous of you people who are strong enough to do those jobs. As a former foster child who lived with a lot of damaged-by-abuse kids, thank you.
Tropical biologist. I used to read all about expeditions to the rainforest in search of the exotic animals found there.
And I eventually ended up with the job I dreamed about.
Inventor. Fighter pilot. Writer.
Inventor? I’ve come up with dozens of ideas for inventions since I was a kid…usually for things that already exist even if my solution was more elegant sometimes. I’ve never had enough money or knowhow to implement anything I’ve designed either, so I guess I’ll never be an inventor since I certainly haven’t managed to do anything with my ideas up to now.
Fighter pilot? Too old now. I wasn’t ambitious enough when I was younger, so my high school grades sucked. Could have had “works far below his ability” tattooed on my forehead.
Writer? I write all the time, and thanks to the magic of teh Intarnetz I’m “published.” The best non-electronic publishing I’ve managed in meat-space are some guest articles in a local paper and a magazine article in a publication that has about a 5:1 advertising to content ratio. Granted, I haven’t spread it around outside of friends and family, but my blog is lucky to get 5–10 hits a day, on a good day. I write it like I would if it were intended for publication, but there’s probably no audience for it. Or my friends and family just suck and don’t think anything I write is worth passing on.
Then again, I have to work 50–60 hours a week, so don’t get consistent time for writing. Thus, updates are spotty at best.
So, my dream jobs are all dust, except for the slight possibility of being able to write for a living someday. Hell, I’d even take a technical writing job if I found one. I like doing research and finding ways to explain complex problems in a simple way.
Ballerina, actress, author.
The first two were never a realistic possibility but I’m proud to write the third is about to happen in August. Now on to the second book! Even if it’s just a hobby there’s something deeply and deliciously satisfying about seeing a childhood dream come to fruition as an adult.
I wanted to be a news anchor.
That’s just it; I didn’t know. There was so much to pick from.
When I was around ten I was really getting worried because I didn’t know all the stuff you need to know to survive as an adult. And make a living. I thought I should have already had a calling, something that felt right and “fit.” I figured I was screwed.
Turned out I was kinda right. “Jack of all trades and master of none.” Doesn’t pay very well.
After awhile, as a kid, I decided I wanted to be a teacher. (Went to college for it; didn’t graduate. Would have been a good one.) But then, also while a kid, I wanted to be a missionary. I wanted to help, but it seemed like my church’s “gifts” all had a price tag on them. “Here’s some water, but it’ll cost you your soul.”
I’ve had many different, varied jobs. But it seems like my career has been trying to figure out my mind, what I can do and where I can do it.
So here I am, in my sixties, still eagerly waiting to find out what I’m going to be.
I wanted to be a fighter pilot as well. Zipping around the New Zealand mountains in an A4K Skyhawk seemed like a great way to spend your working week to me. Like others here I was better at dreaming about it than I was at actually applying myself to the goal. With hindsight I don’t have any regrets. I don’t think the military life would have suited me and the NZ Air Force don’t operate fast jets now anyway.
I’d still like to fly a fighter of some sort.
Plastic Surgeon, just for the money.
Up until junior high school:
- Firefighter
- Tram driver at Disneyland
- PA announcer at Dodger Stadium
From junior high school:
- Aeronautical engineer
- Software programmer
Actual jobs:
- Movie theater usher
- College dorm cafeteria worker
- Media library clerk
- CD/Video shop clerk/buyer
- English teacher in Japan
- Systems engineer
- Writer/editor for Japanese publisher
Hey, me too.
I also wanted to be a scientist. What’s a scientist do? Simple, wear white lab coats and cook liquids in a glass container on a bunsen burner and watch the steam travel through twisty tubes into another glass container on the other side.
Edit: At least that’s what scientists did in old cartoons and movies from the 1940s.
All I wanted to be was an architect. Would have been a damn good one too.
Primary dream job: archaeologist
Backup: writer
I got to do both. Now I’m a product manager (current unemployed, but working on it). It pays a hell of a lot better and is far more practical when you have children. I’m lucky that I enjoy doing that, too.
I wanted to be a war correspondent from an early age. I had a broken 35mm camera and a vest with lots of pockets and I used to run around in the woods pretending to be covering wars.
I ended up as an aid worker who specializes in conflict zones and probably drinks too much, but I don’t even own a vest.
When I was young I used to watch the long diesel-electric trains speed down the tracks. I thought driving such a train would be the coolest job possible.