Zookeeper. As a little kid, my fantasy centered around the “playing with animals” bit, and far less on the “cleaning up poop” reality.
Kid-dream: Astronaut, and then eventually a space fighter pilot.
Serious ambition: For my “future endeavor” in my 8th grade (1982) yearbook, I put “computer field”. I wasn’t certain exactly how, but I knew computers were going to run the world by the time I was an adult.
And yes, I now work in the “computer field”.
Meh. Not really that exciting.
First for me then and if I got a wish from a genie now: baseball player
I also wanted to dig things up. I wanted to be an archaeologist or paleontologist. Until I found out that for the most part you had to teach.
Architect, stunt man, librarian.
A Gypsy. I wanted the painted wooden caravan with a horse, the long skirts, tambourine with ribbons and wild eyes! I would plod about from town to town earning a living by telling stories.
Now I am a librarian in an elementary school, in a country I wasn’t born in. Close enough 
When I was young, I wanted to be an artist. I was very talented for a small child. But later on I got it in my head that being an artist was not practical, that I needed to be something where I could make a decent living.
So I decided I wanted to be an actor.
Once when I was a young lad, my family visited my dad’s childhood friend who had grown up to be a Luteran pastor. He asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up and I enthusiastically said “I want to be a stunt man.”
“Always have a plan B,” he replied.
As a kid, I said “veterinarian” and never really took the time to think about it. It was just the answer I gave, and I more-or-less stuck with that answer through cégep.
Then I applied for universities and realized I would have had to have worked towards becoming a vet (better grades, volunteer experience, know something about animals more than “I like cats and dogs”) and realized that I really didn’t want to do that. But I was going into university, and had to choose something. I picked “biochemistry” for no particular reason.
Before I even graduated I knew I was bored with it, I even did all my electives in organic chemistry, but didn’t really want to work in that field either. I worked a few years in pharmaceutical chemistry (analytical, mostly), while trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.
I went back to school, and now have a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Time will tell if I’ve landed my dream job or not, but if I haven’t, well, I’ve learned that I can learn anything and I can always try something else
Another would be fighter pilot checking in. I was done in by hayfever when getting the physical for AF ROTC. Did the next best thing - became a Flight Test Engineer at the world’s foremost Flight Test Center.
Jet fighter pilot, naturally. I was pretty annoyed to find out that I wasn’t going to pass the test due to not having a penis of my own. So I decided on astronaut . . . same testing problem.
I finally lit on physician, but then I found out I’d have to 1.) go to school and 2.) pay attention.
This was only a summer job dream, but I’d still like to do it if the job existed. Sadly, it has been replaced by satellites and computers.
I once visited a fire lookout tower in Northern California, where a single person or a couple lived at the top of the tower, at the top of a hill, surrounded by forest as far as you could see. Their job was to watch out for and report fires by radio, but other than keeping their eyes and noses pealed, there was nothing else they had to do.
They were given a salary and one day off per week to go to town and get supplies. The top of the tower was cramped, but what a panoramic view!
Couples and persons with agriculture experience were given precedence; there was a waiting list, and I had neither qualification, so I didn’t apply.
But it seemed like an ideal place to study or catch up on reading or music practice. Go to the library once a week and stock up. If the job existed now, it could be done by satellite Internet access, but that’s exactly what makes the job no longer available.
Professional bowler. When I graduated high school, my average was 204 and I thought I stood a chance. I went to college instead and didn’t have time to bowl because of the schoolwork. My average didn’t go back up over 200 until the mid-80s, then I came down with arthritis.
Now I’m back bowling again. If the average gets up again, maybe I’ll take a shot at the senior tour.
When I was little I wanted to be a ballerina AND work at the local Dairy Queen. You know, at the same time.
I’m not certain, but I think 8-year-old me was in love with 8-year-old you.
Don’t lie, you would just be using me for free sprinkles.
In first grade I wanted to be a stewardess, but then I also wanted to marry my Mom. Sixth grade, astronaut. Junior high, architect. High school abiogenesist and/or xenobiologist and/or comic book artist. College started out in biology, ended up with a triple minor in technology in the arts / philosophy / human reproduction. Did some acting too.
My two main careers out of college have been as graphic designer, and lab tech for a genetics company. I do a lot of art and writing as a hobby and wouldn’t mind turning those into something more. I also have a strange urge lately to start some kind of healthy cafe / yoga / art studio / ultralite lessons / turtle pond type thing.
I wanted to be a animal collector for the San Diego Zoo. Either that or work for U.N.C.L.E.
Pilot, astronaut, inventor. Gave up on the first two, haven’t quite given up on the third just yet.
I didn’t really pin down anything specific. I wanted something creative related, art or animation maybe, or computer oriented, and later I liked the idea of doing visual effects for movies. What I did know was that I wanted to sit in a quiet corner, be given tasks to do, complete them, then go onto the next, with not too many stressful deadline pressures, and witha lot of variety in the work to keep me interested.
I am currently a 3D animator. I sit in my little corner, get given assignments, and then go onto the next.
And for a hobby I do visual effects for movies.
I am quite happy.
Collecting large paychecks