What did you want to be at 12-14?

[JumpyTheFrog]

What career did you want when you where 12-15? Do you think it was/would've been a good choice? I ask because somewhere recently I read something about trying to pick a new career. The author suggested thinking about what you wanted to be at 15, apparently when it was more likely to be a choice based on interests and not other things.

[Tanaqui]

A hermit, or possibly a lighthouse keeper, which is a lot like being a hermit except you get paid.

 

Neither of those being particularly viable options, my runner-up was "independently wealthy".

 

When we finally get down to the level of "maybe in this lifetime" the answer is author, preferably wealthy and successful author who doesn't need a day job and is therefore able to live alone in the woods or something.

 

I wasn't a very social child.

[SparklyUnicorn]

No clue..

 

 

[regentrude]

opera singer

 

Not a viable option as a second career.

Edited May 6, 2016 by regentrude

[Arcadia]

Not having to work for money, as in be a full time volunteer.

 

For a career, I had always wanted to be an engineer or architect and I worked as an engineer in project management aspect which works with my personality and strengths. My backup choices were lawyer and accountant.

[Amira]

Marine biologist. Not really practical, but it would be have been fun.

[PeachyDoodle]

A journalist.

 

Specifically, Murphy Brown.

 

:lol:

[Ali in OR]

I don't know about that age specifically, but I can remember that both my sister and I wanted to be a grocery store clerk or a hair stylist. This was in the age before scanners and we just thought that working that cash register with fingers flying (like the clerks we watched) would be amazing. And we always liked styling our dolls hair. These were the "glamorous" jobs to us. I remember not really knowing at all what I would like to be through high school and early college years.

 

[SKL]

A teacher.  :)

 

The vocation would suit me, but the politics and many other negative intangibles would have done me in.  I should note that I went to college in the early 1980s when there was a lot of disrespect for teachers, and not enough autonomy in the classroom.  Turning what should be a creative, rewarding position into a thankless, restrictive one.

[myfunnybunch]

I wanted to be a teacher.

 

I have a degree in education, homeschool, and work doing data collection for education research. :)

[My4arrows]

I've always wanted to be a teacher and mom.

 

I'm a homeschooling mom who used to teach ps so it worked out well for me. I prefer the option that allows me to do both 🤓

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

I had no idea.

[Carrie12345]

A teacher.

I'm glad it came about this way, and not in a traditional school.

[The Girls' Mom]

An architect or in archaeology.  With no kids, no husband, a large dog, and an apartment in a big city.  (yep, I had it all figured out until I met my dh! lol)

I think I could still enjoy either, but with my lifestyle and location now, neither would mesh well.  

[Slojo]

Let's see, a great many things. But in that timeframe: 

 

A super model/inner missionary because those two things usually go together -- and because, at the time, church and Seventeen magazine were dominant forces in my life.

 

An interior decorator (umm, I can't keep my own house up to Better Homes and Gardens standards - who has the time?)

 

A sports medicine doctor that traveled with a major sports team (bahahahaha!)

 

And, when I was 14 1/2, I wrote to the USAF Academy because I thought I wanted to be an astronaut. (that might have actually been worth taking seriously, but obviously not something I can just "pick up" at 42). 

 

None of them viable as a second career (or a first). I wonder if the advice you were given was not meant literally, but to take the general themes of your teenage hopes and dreams and see if you can follow them to some useful current and realistic career ambition.  I've heard similar advice, but more "what do you gravitate toward now when no one's pushing you to do it -- either in paid work or "downtime". I've found that to be more useful. 

 

The only thread from my teenage years that carries through is at sixteen I wanted to be a great novelist, and actually spent 4 or 5 hours a day one summer trying to write a novel (I got 70 pages in, and it wasn't very good as novels go, but it was great personally to have something like that to be that dedicated to).  I write professionally today for policy wonks. Not novelist material, but solid writing (and more important, being editable) is a skill I've developed. That's broadly related. And writing IS something one could move into as a second career - not easy, but possible. 

Edited May 6, 2016 by Slojo

[gardenmom5]

I wanted to be a nurse. for many years, hoped to go back to college, and do that. I'm too busy with dudeling I don't think it's ever going to happen.

[Guest]

A wife, mom, and teacher so I got exactly what I wanted.

I should clarify I do not have an education degree but I get to teach my own kids which is much much better than teaching other people's.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edited May 6, 2016 by Paradox5

[3 ladybugs]

I think I wanted to be an OB. That is the age right before high school right? I have a sister who was 12 years younger then me so it was sort of on my mind. I think I would have become one if someone had just encouraged me a bit in high school. I married a scientist so I know that I somewhat have the mind for it... I think.

[Kalmia]

I wanted to be a paleontologist. Still have a great deal of interest in natural history museum paleontological exhibits, but ended up as a naturalist teaching about currently living plants and animals.

[Greta]

A hermit, or possibly a lighthouse keeper, which is a lot like being a hermit except you get paid.

 

Neither of those being particularly viable options, my runner-up was "independently wealthy".

 

When we finally get down to the level of "maybe in this lifetime" the answer is author, preferably wealthy and successful author who doesn't need a day job and is therefore able to live alone in the woods or something.

 

I wasn't a very social child.

 

 

:lol:  Love this answer!  I wanted to be some sort of scientist in some sort of lab (that was about as much as I had thought through at that point) because I love science, but also because I wanted to work with things, information, ideas, not people.  

[HRAAB]

An archaeologist, the romanticized version I had created.  Somewhere along the line I got practical and ended up in property/casualty underwriting.  Also, one professor I had in an anthropology class did everything he could to dissuade us from following that career path.

[ScoutTN]

A forest ranger. Something outdoors with nature.

[SparklyUnicorn]

One of my teachers told me I should consider being a lawyer at that age.  I loved to argue.  LOL

 

 

[Sara in AZ]

Architect. I spent a lot of time sitting around drawing up plans for gigantic houses that I wanted to live in someday with my large family. Then I took a drafting class in high school and discovered drafting is mostly about finding the right placement for outlets, and a thousand other things I didn't care about! So I pursued music in college, and live in a not gigantic house with my not gigantic family. 😊

[MinivanMom]

Lawyer. I was an intelligent, logical child, and I loved to argue. As I got older, I realized that pursuing law was not conducive with other, more important goals; I wanted to be home to raise my children.

[Mom22ns]

A vet if I had an idea. I was just as clueless about what I wanted to do when I grew up then as I am now.

[Wheres Toto]

Farm, zoo or wildlife (like rehab) veterinarian.   I stuck with that through my first three semesters of college.  When I went back after a year off, I was looking at wildlife rehab/park ranger type things.  Pretty much the same major (Biology) but my second school had an Environmental Science concentration.   Then I had to take another break and life just kind of happened.  I finished a Biology degree when I was 30, and a Business Admin/Marketing degree when I was 35.  I've worked as an Executive Assistant, mainly for pharmaceutical companies so the Biology background helped quite a bit.

 

I've done a lot of volunteer work that more closely resembles my original goals.  I was a docent at a zoo for over 10 years, teaching classes to new docents and doing lots of hands-on animal programs.  I do a lot of nature programs with my kids, and run a 4-H STEM group.

[elegantlion]

Egyptologist with a Jeep and a Siberian Husky. When I started college a few years ago, I did revisit that career goal. Too old for archaeology, will have a Jeep again someday, and will probably always have a dog, had huskies currently have a lab.

[Guest]

Astrophysicist. But I wasn't smart enough.

[ikslo]

Artist

[UCF612]

A secret agent. Yeah I would have been terrible at it. I do sometimes think if I had a second life I'd try to be an FBI agent. I wouldn't have a family in that version of life though.

[medawyn]

A teacher and a mom. I taught until number one came along, and now I'm a SAHM. Got those bases covered!

[Lady Florida.]

A teacher and a mom. I taught until number one came along, and now I'm a SAHM. Got those bases covered!

 

Yep. For as long as I can remember  - younger than 12 - I wanted to be a teacher, but I also wanted to be a SAHM. I was a teacher for 15 years, then stayed home when ds was born. 

Edited May 6, 2016 by Lady Florida.

[kirstenhill]

At 10-13 I wanted to be a chemist or a computer programmer.   My mom talked me out of my interest in either of those careers when I was in 7th grade -- she said that chemists only made evil things that ruin the earth, and that computers would program themselves by the time I grew up.  :lol: :lol: :lol:   It feels a bit ironic that I married a guy with a degree in chemical engineering who mostly does computer algorithm related research in his current job.  :laugh:

 

At 14-18 I wanted to be a civil engineer.   I got to college and found I was sadly mistaken about being engineer material (at least that kind of engineering), since I just could not "get" college level physics. 

 

I finally figured out that my true passion was related to communication related fields, and I got a degree in English.  Everyone who knew me well (including friends from high school and family), remarked that I had finally figured out what they knew all along, that I was much more talented in language/communication than in science/math. 

 

I know myself so much better now than as a teenager, it's hard to imagine the things I was passionate about then being the right career for me now.  I think I was very influenced as a teenager by teachers, mentors and coaches who constantly said, "There needs to be more women in science! There should be more women in engineering! Pursue science or engineering because those are good paying jobs!"   I got good grades in math/science classes but they weren't really my passion. 

Edited May 6, 2016 by kirstenhill

[Bluegoat]

I wanted to be a carpenter for a few years in that period.  At that point I was really hating school, so I wanted to avoid anything that would mean academic work beyond 12th grade.  In high school I realized I did like academics, and after that I became much more interested in academic goals.

 

REalistically now there are things about carpentry that might be a challenge for me - I am not the most mechanical person and loud noises can really bother me.  And I am not crazy about being cold.

 

But as I've gotten to where I might think about a second career or occupation, I do find that I am more attracted to hands on work, at least as a component, than I would have thought during my university years.

Edited May 6, 2016 by Bluegoat

[poppy]

Movie reviewer.

Now with the internet EVERYONE is a movie reviewer!  It honestly is humbling to see how many really good writing there is in this world. (Obviously lots and lots and lots of junk too....)

[Rosie_0801]

A governess to the kids of a sexy rancher in Australia!

 

I think they're called graziers here. :)

 

 

I was going to be a child psychologist, even though I didn't know what they did. Statistics put me off studying psychology. My hopes for my post homeschooling career is similar work, but without the statistics.

[JumpyTheFrog]

 

But as I've gotten to where I might think about a second career or occupation, I do find that I am more attracted to hands on work, at least as a component, than I would have thought during my university years.

 

 

 

I read once that it is quite common for white collar workers to become more interested in hands-on work during middle age. Likewise, blue collar workers supposedly start to become more interested in ideas as they get older.

[Upward Journey]

A neonatologist,and I didn't want to ever get married or have kids. What a completely different life I lead.  :lol:

[Spryte]

An archaeologist. Specifically old world.

 

I ended up doing new world.

 

Still fascinated by old world. I don't, however think it would have been a better choice. :)

 

As for working currently - my health tanked, in part from working in the field. Field work is out for me now. I do have research/writing opportunities, but don't think field work is in my future again, and I don't particularly want to teach.

Edited May 6, 2016 by Spryte

[Corraleno]

A hermit, or possibly a lighthouse keeper, which is a lot like being a hermit except you get paid.

 

My dream job as a teen was to be a forest ranger living in one of those fire-spotting towers miles away from the nearest human, with 1000 books and a cat!

[Tanaqui]

My dream job as a teen was to be a forest ranger living in one of those fire-spotting towers miles away from the nearest human, with 1000 books and a cat!

 

Only 1000 books and ONE cat?

[Garga]

Librarian.

[Gentlemommy]

From as early as I can remember I've wanted to be marked and have kids. Check!

At that age, I wanted to be a dancer, and did make that my career until I got married and had kids.

[abacus2]

I can't remember the exact ages, but I was interested in dentistry. I think that could have been a good choice. As it was I taught math for three years before staying home with children.

[happi duck]

At ten my classmates thought I should be the first woman president!

 

In junior high I wanted to be a meteorologist or a truck driver but positively *not* a teacher.

 

I became a public school teacher and then a homeschooler.

 

I don't know what to do with myself now.

[TammyinTN]

I wanted to be a nurse.  

[momacacia]

Veterinarian and not long after that wanted to be a mystery novelist.

[MrsMommy]

I wanted to be a journalist or a teacher.

 

Since I basically do both of those jobs for myself for free, I guess it was the right choice, as far as my personality. Salary-wise, however...

[J-rap]

A writer.  It's still what I want to be.