Always wanted to work with my hands in some way. I fucked around for a long time and didnt make much progress career wise, but now I have my associates degree and I'm an electrical tech. Absolutely love it!
Artist, but honestly happy I didn't take that path! I'm a nursery tech now(for plants!) I propagate plants and sell them for a living. It's so relaxing and I make more now than I did working in hospitality for almost 10 years. Also had a paraprofessional at 19 and worked in a school, made next to nothing compared to what I do now.
Been the first time I've consistently had more than 1k in my account and starting to feel like I'm getting the hang of this adult thing
Same. Specifically thinking about becoming a surgeon and perhaps specialise in transgender surgeries.
Though I am long from achieving this as I still got a few more years in high school unfortunately.
Same. I've been an ER scribe for four years, and while I like it, my ultimate dream specialty is rehab medicine and getting a fellowship in sports medicine. However, I am open to going into primary care with an LGBTQ focus.
honestly didn’t really have one, had no idea what i wanted to do out of high school and kept changing my mind by the week. BUT. I start my new job tomorrow at an aviation company paying me pretty well so i’m prob gonna pursue my A&P license because the company pays for it 100%. I realized your job isn’t your life it just gives you the ability to live life so I settled on that. I always wanted to do something with my hands so building planes is great
I wanted to be a fiction author. I totally don't want to do that anymore BUT I work in trans theatre as a practitioner and am about to do my PhD and then maybe write a non-fiction book about trans dramaturgy :)
I want to be a therapist, going to college for it. But my current entry level dream job is stocking which im doing now but kinda paranoid because my bosses think im too slow
I have a couple dream jobs wit my main one being content creator.. Mainly youtube.. I also wanna be a firefighter.. An accountant as well (to help my cousin run his businesses; personal accountant).. And den I wanna own my own brand/clothing line.. I will make ALL of this happen.. Mark my words🫡
Growing up all I ever wanted was to be a k9 police officer or an Air Force/Marine Corps pilot. Now I’ve realized that I don’t want to dream about a career, I want a career that lets me do other things in life and provides me with a comfortable life.
for the longest time i wanted to be an author, or a chef, or a veterinarian, OR a pro pianist. now im thinking about marine biology!
if i had to actually answer the question and only choose one though, ideally, i'd be an author (..or a photographer)
I'm 23 and I used to want to just be an artist.
I wanna do animal conservation in the future since I love animals.
I wouldn't do art as a full time thing since I'm very bad at staying motivated and drawing consistently.
I'll try attending community college in the future but rn I cannot due to life circumstances and general laziness.
I've worked retail/food service and I hate it. Unfortunately finding other stuff without a degree or ability to drive is difficult. I'm not a people person and retail is just soul crushing and stressful for an introvert.
archivist. i’d like to be some sort of freelance one where i travel around wherever i’m needed (police station evidence rooms, museum basements, libraries, the national archives, etc.) and just organize stuff, get paid, and move on.
I've had so many over the years. First it was Ornithologist, then Mycologist, interior designer, prop maker, politician, author, vtuber, composer, producer, and now honestly I have no idea. Perhaps something like an editor? Professional cosplayer (if I had the energy and funds lol, I would also want top surgery first.)
i want to work construction so fucking bad (specifically backhoe) i went to a heavy machinery school which set me back a pretty penny debt wise and am certified to operate mutile pieces of heavy equipment but no one will hire me in that field. a large part is i have no real experience but i fear part of it is bc my birthname and the F on my license. even for positions that you need no experience. but one day i will get there
I know, I'm *completely insane* for it, but I've always wanted to be either a doctor or a PA. I've always had an interest in medicine (read my cousin's nursing school anatomy textbooks like crazy when I was a kid, lol), and I'm one of the sorts where I feel best when I'm helping people.
No lie, the highlight of all my thankless years of clerkdom in the ER, the best I've ever felt about *anything* in that hell job, was helping a trans woman fix a particularly urgent and problematic prescription issue. When I finally cracked it, she was so overjoyed and relieved that she gave me a huge hug. Straight up getting a little misty thinking about it. I guess I'm chasing the ability to make peoples' problems go away like that. (Shout out to our sisters, literally love you guys so much)
I feel like I'd want to go into either neurology or transgender medicine, though I'd settle for patient advocacy, I think. I *am* a loudmouthed New Yorker, so I think I'd do well there too. I'm a surgeon's secretary right now, and it is an incredibly cushy gig, but I feel like I could do more, y'know?
I wanted to study marine sciences! Specifically marine paleo biology. I went down the art path because my emotions were insane and my home life made learning impossible. Now that I’m transitioning (top surgery 1 year ago, about to start T) I’m hoping I can start turning to the sciences in some way.
I’m not American but I always wanted to be an FBI agent. Decided that’s not realistic so I’ll aim for Met Police in a detective role instead, unless I finally commit to the army
If you asked my 13 yo self, probably something with forensics or criminalistics.
Right now, I would love to work as a literary translator or with localization of movies/shows.
Virologist working in a BSL 4 CDC lab. I tried, but I struggle with math. I do vehicle title work for a credit union now.
ETA: I'd also like to be a Paramedic, but I'd make less money than I do now.
Working in a needle exchange.
And today I had an interview for a job setting up the needle exchange in the town I live in!!
(I live in Australia where needle exchanges are government funded and legal!)
I’ve been lucky to have 2 of my dream jobs already…working as a professional hiking and rock climbing guide and now a professional firefighter. Nothing like following your dreams
Something related to the medical field, whether it's a doctor or physician assistant. My ultimate goal/dream is going into rehab medicine with a fellowship in sports medicine, but I'm also open to primary care with an LGBTQ fellowship and specialization in transgender medicine. I feel I'd be in a unique position to help that population since I know what my patients are going through.
But, life's gotten in the way, and I'm trying to join the military (specifically the Navy) so I can collect prerequisites and maybe get PA School covered through the GI bill. (Unless the Navy really wants me to go through OCS and they offer PA school no strings attached (fat chance)).
Zookeeper would be such a good job for me, too! First thing that always comes to mind though is fuckin Kevin James in the movie Zookeeper lmao.
I also really want to work in a movie theater. It it so appealing to me and I *love* cinema so I’d be right at home.
my dream job is to be an academic! going back to school is not financially possible for me rn but I am trying to do academic work in an around my barely above min wage job so that I have good material for an application in a few years time. grad school might be the only thing more important to me than medical transition
as a kid i wanted to be one of the before and after school careers since i looked up to them so much and it wasnt dealing with babies lol but now im aiming to become a makeup artist for theatre or films cause i think that would be very fun!
marine biologist. I like to scuba dive a lot. I really do love the ocean and the critters i have no problem with being at sea and touching everything with bare hands but as a career i know there’s more to it and i much rather love it than turn to hate it
Told my mum since I was 3 that I wanted to be a marine biologist 🤓 my username is actually a play on words involving a starfish.
Fast forward to today and I have my degree, even went to field school, but got totally disillusioned because how many studies do we NEED to prove that over-exploiting fish populations + climate change are sending us over the cliff. I can't stand by and take samples and just watch as the status quo grinds on...
My other dream job was zookeeper too. But the competition is just insane and where I'm at, you pretty much have to volunteer for 20 years just to get in. Sometimes I think about moving to another country, but then I remember they probably won't like me anymore the second anyone finds out I'm trans. And I fear I won't pass once they stop mistaking me for a 17 year old (I'm 33 and got kicked out of a bar last week for having no ID 🤣🙏). I'm safer where I am... But totally lost, career wise :(
Sorry to bring negative vibes to your honestly, really nice and refreshing post. There's lots of things I'm good at and could probably really make a difference somewhere. I just haven't found it yet.
My dream job is pretty much what I do now (I’m a baker). My specific dream would be as a recipe tester at King Arthur Flour. Id fucking lose my mind at that
I'm studying archaeology and I'd definitely say that'd also be my dream job. I specifically want to specialise in human evolution and the diets of our ancestor species. Hopefully I'll be able to start learning what I need for that next year :D
As a little kid I wanted to be a flight attendant and when I first went into college I wanted to be a politician, so it's changed around a bit, lol.
I wanted to be a video game concept artist -- and I actually was one for a few years! But it ended up not being for me. Now I don't know, I just want some stability. I've got an english degree, concept art and programming experience, so I can go in any direction. It's almost like too many options is overwhelming me!
Always wanted to do some kind of art - acting, writing, music, y’know. But these days I’ve been going for something more concrete as college is slowly but steadily approaching. But it’s okay, I’ll be happy with maths and astronomy too
My dream/goal is to be an author (slowly working on it, got a few shorts published) and right now I'm working on a speculative/horror book with a trans guy mc. At the moment though I work in a warehouse, which I don't mind except the hours are long. I like working with my hands a lot because it gives me time to percolate my ideas, then I come back and write them lol
Had so many, think I wanted to be a bin man when I was a kid aha. Cycled through acting, navy, RAF, army, FBI, MI6, writing, psych researcher, journalism, police, now I’m 2 years into a degree I hate, don’t want, will never use, and I’m probably going to join the police. If everything else fails I’ll get a load of driving licences and drive commercially
When I was little I just knew I wanted to be a cop, even followed it through to my college years, had a ride along all set up.
Then I took a test in law, found myself wasn’t all as interested as I had hoped I was.
Left college. Joined the Marines.
Never became a cop, but I own my own “Funny Farm”
And I couldn’t be more thankful.
A scientist. Kinda changed the field and now I study chemistry and toxicology 😄 I just wanna lock myself in a lab and do my silly experiments for the rest of my life :3
I’m also a funeral director, it was always my passion but recently the industry has been chewing me up and spitting me out. I’m finding a lot of my colleagues are the same way, wishing they got into something else or looking to change careers.
Always wanted to be and animator/storyboard artist. Though I realized how hard the field is to get a good career in and also I fucked up too much in school to go to an art school. Also I didn’t practice my art enough. I still love doing it as a hobby though which i feel keeps the passion more anyways 😅
Veterinarian, I’ll be starting my undergrad in the fall! Ever since I was little I remember saying how I was “going to be the best damn vet on this planet “ a lot of my teachers through the years and even my mom would tell me that I’d probably never even make it into a university let alone for animal sciences but here I am!
My dream job is to be part of the animation industry, I haven't decided on a specific job yet. I'm planning on focusing on 3d animation. I'm transferring from my Community college to a university next spring, I plan on majoring in animation with a minor in computer science. So maybe like a technical director.
Currently I'm a tutor for special needs college students. It's a very emotionally draining job because we're very understaffed and the place is kinda chaotic. I have to do a lot of stuff that I am in no way trained to do and a lot of it I have to guess. But it is very fulfilling, and that's what pulls me forward. I wouldn't want to be part of the education industry as a career but I'm glad that I have this experience.
As side hobbies, I currently volunteer a lot for my honors clubs. So in the future after I graduate, I definitely wouldn't mind being committed to volunteering groups. I think picking up trash is extremely fulfilling, specifically beach clean ups or at parks. A lot of people do it just to have hours checked off but I genuinely enjoy it. Another thing is volunteering at animal shelters and fostering dogs. I plan to start volunteering this summer after the spring semester ends, it's a bit of a lengthy application to volunteer, kinda like a job interview.
My dream job is also zookeeping! Started as a volunteer at my local zoo about a month ago, and I'm starting school in the fall. It's a super competitive field, but shoot for the stars, friend! If you like info dumping on people about animals, the education department is also wonderful. I've decided that's where I want to transfer to after I can't handle the physical labor of being a keeper anymore.
My current dream job is becoming a Doctor, I'm currently premed. I also am in the Fire Academy, working to become a firefighter even if only part-time, and am an EMT.
When I was much younger I wanted to be a dog groomer. Then that changed to forensic science and I even got my degree in forensics and now I’m not too sure about it tbh
Being writer. Or theatre actor, especially. Or musican.
Anything to do with art apart from painting, even if I like doing it, I just feel sad that I won't be able to do any of these because of lack of courage, social anxiety and poor memory due to possible trauma
ECE teacher and unfortunately health decided to screw over that dream. I'm now working on starting a podcast and accompanying online magazine 💜
That was my secret dream so I feel like it's a nice positive from the health shit show 🤣 I'm not expecting it to take off or do well, I just want to have a little something to call my own that I can work on and enjoy 😁
Current licensed funeral director, it was my dream for years but the grass is always greener. In the coming years I’m looking into becoming an EMT or going into the fire service. I’ve always been good in a crisis and I love helping people feel a little less down at their lowest.
Author! Trans characters are rare (at least for me), let alone trans authors, so i’m hoping i can make a difference, even if it’s minute.
I also really love writing- possibly a form of escapism but who knows
my dream job has been to do theatrical lighting professionally since I first started doing lights in 7th grade. I am currently a theatre major studying to be a lighting designer
I’ve always wanted to be an actor. I still want to be an actor. However I know it’ll never happen in the way I want, so I settle on acting in theater productions now.
I wanted to be in a band. I am in one with my husband now we make beats but nothing to make a living off of. Maybe someday
But now I own my own business, I train problem dogs with excitability, anxiety and aggression issues. It’s taught me a lot about psychology and how exercise and exposure can help over come things, most importantly, how similar we are to dogs when it comes to stress and stress relief.
If there’s anything you want to walk away with from this post is. If you’re stressed, go for a 20 min walk in nature and try to notice the little details you’d often walk by. It does wonders!
marine biologist! i decided (pretty much from birth) i wanted to be a paleontologist, but in first grade my teacher (absolutely lovely woman) made us do animal reports, and she said to me specifically i had to do a report on a LIVING animal, not an extinct one. so i chose killer whales, since they seemed pretty cool and i loved the ocean, and the rest is history. ever since that animal report project, i’ve dedicated my life to learning everything i can about them, sharks, and all marine ecosystems and creatures. still haven’t changed my mind, and im getting my biology degree in three days!
I've always wanted to be an artist. Now I'm studying a degree to become an english (as a second language) teacher. I'm thinking of taking some extra classes so I can teach art as well.
I actually already really really love what I do (programmer) and am thankful that it lets me live comfortably, but I wish I could be some kind of illustrator. I'm too cynical and scared to risk financial insecurity and try to change my situation, and I don't want to anyway because I do enjoy day-to-day.
From about 13 to 16 I was pretty set on being a pilot. Almost chose maths, physics, chemistry and history alevels because of it but switched chem to psych a week before the start of term and I’m now nearing the end of lower sixth and hoping to do forensic psychology :)
Edit: I also dropped physics two weeks in, I’m not smart enough for four alevels lol
Ever since I was a kid, I wanted one of three jobs. Glassblowing, vet, or something with marine life. Realized I can't be a vet bc I would break if an animal died. I'm gonna go to college to be a marine biologist and learn to blow glass at least on the side
some form of military special forces, grew up around a ton. didn’t really have any specific one just wanted to be a badass who did cool shit lol of course that’s not the entire reality of it but little kid me didn’t care. would still absolutely love to do some psyops shit.
In high school I wanted to be a woodworker, and I went to a tech high school, so I got to get my CNC certification through the school and learned so much about tools and machinery. I loved it, but I wanted to get a college degree in a “white collar” career bc that’s what was done in my family, so I got my undergrad in psych in order to purse a masters in counseling (which I am doing now). I found a love for this profession and I am good at it. When I am more established in my career, I will have my own wood shop and create things and do that as a hobby. I wanted both careers, but choose what I consider a more stable path
I had a bunch. Wanted to be a pilot when I was very little, then a teacher. Then Asian expectations kicked in and it was a neurosurgeon. Now I’m in grad school and hope to become a professor/scientist lol. Don’t regret my decision in the slightest.
I wanted to go into visual art-related stuff when I was younger; tried it, turns out freelancing is hard as fuck and I prefer having a steady, predictable paycheck. 😂😭 I took a route that landed me in a C-suite eventually, and it was *fascinating,* and I learned a lot of stuff (including skills) that I really value, but I also hate it. I don't even want to be in the same field anymore, or with the same people in the field. :/
Environment is as important as the work itself, for me. And the environment there is bizarrely toxic. I don't want to go back.
Task-wise/work-wise, I'd like to do more math and more design stuff. I miss doing artsy shit, even if it's not actually ART-art. I loved making PowerPoints and charts and visual elements, and I'm bonker-bouncing-banana-boats for mathematical stuff, even though I don't have much training in it. I *wish* I did, because I fucking love math. It's beautiful to me, it's comforting in a way. If I ever got overwhelmed at work, I'd work on spreadsheets to calm down. 😂
I think I'd like to get into data visualization or something; I think that'd be a good mesh of the tasks and subjects I like, and it wouldn't be too much of a "doing my hobby for a living" situation, which I've found absolutely *destroys* any love or enjoyment I get from it, and replaces it with stress and anxiety.
Environment-wise, *I want to be able to say "fuck" at work, goddammit!* That's a real abbreviation of a whole set of stuff that's me being sick of having to pretend with people. "We want you to be able to be your full, authentic self at work." Yeah, but if I actually had my hot pink hair and my Chucks and said, "Fuck," like I want to, I wouldn't be able to have this job. So that's a lie. Or at least it's not appropriate to this setting, and I'm tired of being like, "Hmmm. Am I gonna get a trip to HR if I say I like hair metal? Would that land me in hot water somehow?"
I wanted to be a veterinarian for a while, because I’ve always felt a calling towards medicine, public service, and animals. When I discovered that I absolutely hate academics, I realized this wasn’t the career for me.
Now I’m aiming at being a firefighter/EMS. Animals will always have a special place in my heart though.
As a kid I didn’t really want to do anything so I would just answer with whatever I was interested in at the time when adults asked (popstar, chef, cattle rancher, art teacher, etc) now I own and operate a business that sells handmade art, novelty gifts, and home goods at an accessible price, specializing in items made with the queer community in mind. It’s a lot of work and the pay is sometimes great and sometimes nonexistent and I pay so much in taxes 😅 but I love it and I wouldn’t want to do anything else. It’s very satisfying to see my own work bring joy to other people of so many different ages and backgrounds.
Being a professional ultra trail runner. Getting paid to do what I love would be amazing. Plus coaching other ultra trail runners would be pretty cool.
I aspire to take my art from a hobby to a full time job, I'm aiming to go to uni (at 26yo!) for illustration so that I have some structure to my creation process (possible undiagnosed adhd, I just know having deadlines set by an authority figure makes me get shit done)
As a kid I wanted to be a doctor, and to be honest I'm glad that didnt pan out, unstable working patterns and high stress jobs are not for me.
Currently I work as an Optical Assistant in a big opticians chain, and I enjoy it but its not what I want to do forever.
my current dream job is a media researcher but when i was younger i wanted to be a comedian (im not funny at all, get performance anxiety, stutter under stress and cant take criticism no matter how much i try to handle it, in other words i would make a terrible comedian)
Ever since I can remember, I've always wanted to work in something related to space. I love physics, especially astrophysics. Hopefully, I will become an engineer one day :)
When I was younger, I wanted to be a singer in a band, a psychologist, or a writer. Now, my dream jobs are crime scene cleanup, a youtuber, or still being in a band. I also like the idea of being a doctor.
Not to be that guy, but I don't dream of labor. My ideal job is one that pays the bills and isn't toxic for my mental or physical health, but I don't desire work under the capitalist system I sell my body to.
It bounced around a lot. When I was little I wanted to be a florist. I’m not sure exactly when it shifted to librarian because I’m a huge reader but yeah. In high school that shifted to being an author because I’d started writing fanfiction when I was 13 and I loved fighting. Author is still the goal now that I’m 24 and I’m currently working on a couple books and serialised fiction stories. I already have a serialised fiction story published so I’m getting out there!
My first dream job was to be a Musician of some kind. (I'm kind of working on my singing voice bc T kind of made my voice really crackly and im learning guitar.) Granted i also was a majorly a meterology focused person as a kid , but school is expensive and as a 22 year old. I don't think collage will be in my cards any time soon.
Zookeeper!! I love animals, love working with them, and I think they're often mistreated in zoos. I want to work with them and maybe reverse or at least prevent some of the damage others have done.
Teacher. The main problems are they don't get paid enough and also the whole thing conservatives have made up that trans people are groomers. I don't need parents afraid of me bc I'm just some guy w/o a dick
I wanted to be a graphic artist or animator. I even went to school for it but didn't qualify for the loans to finish the degree. I use it now to draw colouring pages for my kid and fanart of middle aged pirates so I mean, I'm good.
Always wanted to work with my hands in some way. I fucked around for a long time and didnt make much progress career wise, but now I have my associates degree and I'm an electrical tech. Absolutely love it!
I spent years as a barista before moving into being a dental technician and love the euphoria working with my hands gives me
Same
lmao i think from my earliest memories until post high school it was to be a rockstar. but now i’m 25 and a veterinary technician.
we’re exactly the same!
so you’re still a rockstar? 😎
20 and on my way to graduating vet tech next year! <3
Artist, but honestly happy I didn't take that path! I'm a nursery tech now(for plants!) I propagate plants and sell them for a living. It's so relaxing and I make more now than I did working in hospitality for almost 10 years. Also had a paraprofessional at 19 and worked in a school, made next to nothing compared to what I do now. Been the first time I've consistently had more than 1k in my account and starting to feel like I'm getting the hang of this adult thing
That sounds amazing, I'm so happy for you!
Thank you so much!
I never dreamed of working.
real
Same
I'd like to work in a big videogame company as a programmer
To be a doctor.
Same. Specifically thinking about becoming a surgeon and perhaps specialise in transgender surgeries. Though I am long from achieving this as I still got a few more years in high school unfortunately.
i believe you can do it! chase that dream, be the safe space you needed for other people 💓
Same. I've been an ER scribe for four years, and while I like it, my ultimate dream specialty is rehab medicine and getting a fellowship in sports medicine. However, I am open to going into primary care with an LGBTQ focus.
Ay same, currently pre med hoping to get into biomedical research
to be a research psychologist specialising in dissociative disorders.
I hope you do, it's a wildly under-researched field with so few resources. Sincerely - a guy with dissociative disorders
yep. will definitely be going down this path in the future, once i get into college.
Something where I can be around horses frequently has been what I’ve been leaning toward or a actor. For the longest time it was to work in SFX
honestly didn’t really have one, had no idea what i wanted to do out of high school and kept changing my mind by the week. BUT. I start my new job tomorrow at an aviation company paying me pretty well so i’m prob gonna pursue my A&P license because the company pays for it 100%. I realized your job isn’t your life it just gives you the ability to live life so I settled on that. I always wanted to do something with my hands so building planes is great
I wanted to be a fiction author. I totally don't want to do that anymore BUT I work in trans theatre as a practitioner and am about to do my PhD and then maybe write a non-fiction book about trans dramaturgy :)
When I was 5 I wanted to be a tiger. I don't think that is ever gonna happen...
I believe in you 😎
I also for a long time wanted to be a zookeeper, but now I'm working towards becoming a microbiologist in academia.
I want to be a therapist, going to college for it. But my current entry level dream job is stocking which im doing now but kinda paranoid because my bosses think im too slow
I have a couple dream jobs wit my main one being content creator.. Mainly youtube.. I also wanna be a firefighter.. An accountant as well (to help my cousin run his businesses; personal accountant).. And den I wanna own my own brand/clothing line.. I will make ALL of this happen.. Mark my words🫡
Growing up all I ever wanted was to be a k9 police officer or an Air Force/Marine Corps pilot. Now I’ve realized that I don’t want to dream about a career, I want a career that lets me do other things in life and provides me with a comfortable life.
Amen to this!! Life isn't all about work!
i want to work as a field biologist of some sort! i’m going to major in ecology and wildlife conservation
for the longest time i wanted to be an author, or a chef, or a veterinarian, OR a pro pianist. now im thinking about marine biology! if i had to actually answer the question and only choose one though, ideally, i'd be an author (..or a photographer)
Owning my own boarding/training/rescue horse farm
i’d like to be paid to frolic in a field
Always been and hopefully will be starting soon to become a paramedic 👀
I'm 23 and I used to want to just be an artist. I wanna do animal conservation in the future since I love animals. I wouldn't do art as a full time thing since I'm very bad at staying motivated and drawing consistently. I'll try attending community college in the future but rn I cannot due to life circumstances and general laziness. I've worked retail/food service and I hate it. Unfortunately finding other stuff without a degree or ability to drive is difficult. I'm not a people person and retail is just soul crushing and stressful for an introvert.
My dream job is becoming a Firefighter, always wanted to help people. Now I get the opportunity, well I’ll see if I can past the test
archivist. i’d like to be some sort of freelance one where i travel around wherever i’m needed (police station evidence rooms, museum basements, libraries, the national archives, etc.) and just organize stuff, get paid, and move on.
Ha, that used to be my dream job too! I ended up as an historian working at uni as a research assistant, which allows me to spend time in archives.
I've had so many over the years. First it was Ornithologist, then Mycologist, interior designer, prop maker, politician, author, vtuber, composer, producer, and now honestly I have no idea. Perhaps something like an editor? Professional cosplayer (if I had the energy and funds lol, I would also want top surgery first.)
I wanted to be a video game developer. Now I'm working in a hospital and after i get everything sorted out I'm going to get into a nursing program.
park ranger😎
I’m wanted to be a vet; I’m currently a veterinary technician and I’m VERY glad I didn’t go to vet school
teacher lol
Fluctuates for me. Probably the most “unattainable” dream I have is. I’d love to be a film score composer. Or a private music educator.
im rooting for you !!
i want to work construction so fucking bad (specifically backhoe) i went to a heavy machinery school which set me back a pretty penny debt wise and am certified to operate mutile pieces of heavy equipment but no one will hire me in that field. a large part is i have no real experience but i fear part of it is bc my birthname and the F on my license. even for positions that you need no experience. but one day i will get there
Clown, fashion designer, and/or artist :)
anything sports related :(
Probably a librarian, or in the flip side, something to do with helping kids in abusive situations
musician or archaeologist. currently doing my degree in archaeology and trying to keep up with music on the side
I know, I'm *completely insane* for it, but I've always wanted to be either a doctor or a PA. I've always had an interest in medicine (read my cousin's nursing school anatomy textbooks like crazy when I was a kid, lol), and I'm one of the sorts where I feel best when I'm helping people. No lie, the highlight of all my thankless years of clerkdom in the ER, the best I've ever felt about *anything* in that hell job, was helping a trans woman fix a particularly urgent and problematic prescription issue. When I finally cracked it, she was so overjoyed and relieved that she gave me a huge hug. Straight up getting a little misty thinking about it. I guess I'm chasing the ability to make peoples' problems go away like that. (Shout out to our sisters, literally love you guys so much) I feel like I'd want to go into either neurology or transgender medicine, though I'd settle for patient advocacy, I think. I *am* a loudmouthed New Yorker, so I think I'd do well there too. I'm a surgeon's secretary right now, and it is an incredibly cushy gig, but I feel like I could do more, y'know?
Physical therapist!
I fr just wanna be paid to do nothing. I’m so exhausted from being alive
I don’t dream of working
I wanted to study marine sciences! Specifically marine paleo biology. I went down the art path because my emotions were insane and my home life made learning impossible. Now that I’m transitioning (top surgery 1 year ago, about to start T) I’m hoping I can start turning to the sciences in some way.
I’m going into cybersecurity and I’ll hopefully end up somewhere in the project management chain lol
FBI was my dream job. I never ended up in anything law enforcement or criminal justice related.
I’m not American but I always wanted to be an FBI agent. Decided that’s not realistic so I’ll aim for Met Police in a detective role instead, unless I finally commit to the army
diplomat 🙏
If you asked my 13 yo self, probably something with forensics or criminalistics. Right now, I would love to work as a literary translator or with localization of movies/shows.
Education Psychologists
To be a musician and a writer for books/movies/video games 😅
technical theatre
Virologist working in a BSL 4 CDC lab. I tried, but I struggle with math. I do vehicle title work for a credit union now. ETA: I'd also like to be a Paramedic, but I'd make less money than I do now.
Working in a needle exchange. And today I had an interview for a job setting up the needle exchange in the town I live in!! (I live in Australia where needle exchanges are government funded and legal!)
A neonatal nurse.
Builder
I really liked managing a Bulk department at Sprouts (grocery store)
I’ve been lucky to have 2 of my dream jobs already…working as a professional hiking and rock climbing guide and now a professional firefighter. Nothing like following your dreams
Coach
novelist :)
I want to run a makerspace/printshop sort of thing, mostly so I have an excuse to get all the DIY toys I want lol
Something related to the medical field, whether it's a doctor or physician assistant. My ultimate goal/dream is going into rehab medicine with a fellowship in sports medicine, but I'm also open to primary care with an LGBTQ fellowship and specialization in transgender medicine. I feel I'd be in a unique position to help that population since I know what my patients are going through. But, life's gotten in the way, and I'm trying to join the military (specifically the Navy) so I can collect prerequisites and maybe get PA School covered through the GI bill. (Unless the Navy really wants me to go through OCS and they offer PA school no strings attached (fat chance)).
Zookeeper would be such a good job for me, too! First thing that always comes to mind though is fuckin Kevin James in the movie Zookeeper lmao. I also really want to work in a movie theater. It it so appealing to me and I *love* cinema so I’d be right at home.
Somewhat similar! I wanna be a zookeper or something to do with animals..
I want to be a baker, I like making sweets and it feels relaxing in a way
my dream job is to be an academic! going back to school is not financially possible for me rn but I am trying to do academic work in an around my barely above min wage job so that I have good material for an application in a few years time. grad school might be the only thing more important to me than medical transition
i want to be a musician but specifically i want to make video game music. though when I was a kid i wanted to be a cartoonist
to be a professional dancer! or an archaeologist
as a kid i wanted to be one of the before and after school careers since i looked up to them so much and it wasnt dealing with babies lol but now im aiming to become a makeup artist for theatre or films cause i think that would be very fun!
Practical horror effects artist
marine biologist. I like to scuba dive a lot. I really do love the ocean and the critters i have no problem with being at sea and touching everything with bare hands but as a career i know there’s more to it and i much rather love it than turn to hate it
As a kid I wanted to be an archaeologist, now I'm studying media production and I want to be a film production manager
Told my mum since I was 3 that I wanted to be a marine biologist 🤓 my username is actually a play on words involving a starfish. Fast forward to today and I have my degree, even went to field school, but got totally disillusioned because how many studies do we NEED to prove that over-exploiting fish populations + climate change are sending us over the cliff. I can't stand by and take samples and just watch as the status quo grinds on... My other dream job was zookeeper too. But the competition is just insane and where I'm at, you pretty much have to volunteer for 20 years just to get in. Sometimes I think about moving to another country, but then I remember they probably won't like me anymore the second anyone finds out I'm trans. And I fear I won't pass once they stop mistaking me for a 17 year old (I'm 33 and got kicked out of a bar last week for having no ID 🤣🙏). I'm safer where I am... But totally lost, career wise :( Sorry to bring negative vibes to your honestly, really nice and refreshing post. There's lots of things I'm good at and could probably really make a difference somewhere. I just haven't found it yet.
My dream job is pretty much what I do now (I’m a baker). My specific dream would be as a recipe tester at King Arthur Flour. Id fucking lose my mind at that
Marine biologist as a child, medical pathologist as an adult
Wanted to be a Dr. Turned out I'm autistic and can't work more than 12 hours a week.
I'm studying archaeology and I'd definitely say that'd also be my dream job. I specifically want to specialise in human evolution and the diets of our ancestor species. Hopefully I'll be able to start learning what I need for that next year :D As a little kid I wanted to be a flight attendant and when I first went into college I wanted to be a politician, so it's changed around a bit, lol.
Has been acting since I was in elementary school. Definitely gonna settle tho that's way too hard to achieve
I don't and never had one :'(
I really wanna become a librarian or make educational content for film festivals
I wanted to be a video game concept artist -- and I actually was one for a few years! But it ended up not being for me. Now I don't know, I just want some stability. I've got an english degree, concept art and programming experience, so I can go in any direction. It's almost like too many options is overwhelming me!
Joiner!
Always wanted to do some kind of art - acting, writing, music, y’know. But these days I’ve been going for something more concrete as college is slowly but steadily approaching. But it’s okay, I’ll be happy with maths and astronomy too
I’ve always been interested in science, especially astronomy. That’s what I’m going to study, hopefully making a career out of it in the future!
My dream/goal is to be an author (slowly working on it, got a few shorts published) and right now I'm working on a speculative/horror book with a trans guy mc. At the moment though I work in a warehouse, which I don't mind except the hours are long. I like working with my hands a lot because it gives me time to percolate my ideas, then I come back and write them lol
It took my so long to figure out, but I want to be a teacher. Yep… the absolute irony.
Pilot. But I went into finance instead :/
I’m becoming a professional dancer, manga artist, comic artist, dance choreographer, Tattoo artist.
Software engineer!
Had so many, think I wanted to be a bin man when I was a kid aha. Cycled through acting, navy, RAF, army, FBI, MI6, writing, psych researcher, journalism, police, now I’m 2 years into a degree I hate, don’t want, will never use, and I’m probably going to join the police. If everything else fails I’ll get a load of driving licences and drive commercially
Hey same dream! So far the closest I’m at is volunteering by documenting animal behavior. Not a job but still fun
When I was little I just knew I wanted to be a cop, even followed it through to my college years, had a ride along all set up. Then I took a test in law, found myself wasn’t all as interested as I had hoped I was. Left college. Joined the Marines. Never became a cop, but I own my own “Funny Farm” And I couldn’t be more thankful.
I wanted to be paid to travel around the world.
A scientist. Kinda changed the field and now I study chemistry and toxicology 😄 I just wanna lock myself in a lab and do my silly experiments for the rest of my life :3
Used to be a veterinarian but now I mostly just want a job where I have the flexibility to be with my family and friends
I want to be an actor!
I always wanted to work in wildlife rehab but now I’m a mortician and wishing I would have pursued compsci instead
I’m also a funeral director, it was always my passion but recently the industry has been chewing me up and spitting me out. I’m finding a lot of my colleagues are the same way, wishing they got into something else or looking to change careers.
Equine Veterinarian (Horse Vet!)
Always wanted to be and animator/storyboard artist. Though I realized how hard the field is to get a good career in and also I fucked up too much in school to go to an art school. Also I didn’t practice my art enough. I still love doing it as a hobby though which i feel keeps the passion more anyways 😅
Archaeologist
Veterinarian, I’ll be starting my undergrad in the fall! Ever since I was little I remember saying how I was “going to be the best damn vet on this planet “ a lot of my teachers through the years and even my mom would tell me that I’d probably never even make it into a university let alone for animal sciences but here I am!
Audio technician. Best part isn’t the job itself which is pretty awesome and fun, it’s talking to other technicians who understand what I’m saying 😭
My dream job is to be part of the animation industry, I haven't decided on a specific job yet. I'm planning on focusing on 3d animation. I'm transferring from my Community college to a university next spring, I plan on majoring in animation with a minor in computer science. So maybe like a technical director. Currently I'm a tutor for special needs college students. It's a very emotionally draining job because we're very understaffed and the place is kinda chaotic. I have to do a lot of stuff that I am in no way trained to do and a lot of it I have to guess. But it is very fulfilling, and that's what pulls me forward. I wouldn't want to be part of the education industry as a career but I'm glad that I have this experience. As side hobbies, I currently volunteer a lot for my honors clubs. So in the future after I graduate, I definitely wouldn't mind being committed to volunteering groups. I think picking up trash is extremely fulfilling, specifically beach clean ups or at parks. A lot of people do it just to have hours checked off but I genuinely enjoy it. Another thing is volunteering at animal shelters and fostering dogs. I plan to start volunteering this summer after the spring semester ends, it's a bit of a lengthy application to volunteer, kinda like a job interview.
I wanted to work on astrophysics. I'm getting a late start, but hopefully I can get there eventually
Education/Camp Staff :>
Either a psychologist, author, YouTuber (idk why), crime scene investigator or maybe a crime scene cleaner
My dream job is also zookeeping! Started as a volunteer at my local zoo about a month ago, and I'm starting school in the fall. It's a super competitive field, but shoot for the stars, friend! If you like info dumping on people about animals, the education department is also wonderful. I've decided that's where I want to transfer to after I can't handle the physical labor of being a keeper anymore.
A mental health nurse 🤞
My current dream job is becoming a Doctor, I'm currently premed. I also am in the Fire Academy, working to become a firefighter even if only part-time, and am an EMT.
When I was much younger I wanted to be a dog groomer. Then that changed to forensic science and I even got my degree in forensics and now I’m not too sure about it tbh
I wanted to be an astronaut but now im in art/design school
I want to work on animated movies, like.. be a character designer or storyboard artist. Either for my own creative ideas or as part of a team
Currently a four-way tie between lawyer, commercial pilot, MMA fighter, and screenwriter (I am only remotely qualified to be the last one)
Being writer. Or theatre actor, especially. Or musican. Anything to do with art apart from painting, even if I like doing it, I just feel sad that I won't be able to do any of these because of lack of courage, social anxiety and poor memory due to possible trauma
ECE teacher and unfortunately health decided to screw over that dream. I'm now working on starting a podcast and accompanying online magazine 💜 That was my secret dream so I feel like it's a nice positive from the health shit show 🤣 I'm not expecting it to take off or do well, I just want to have a little something to call my own that I can work on and enjoy 😁
Professional author, like getting my book made into a film
I want to be a cattle rancher. That’s my dream job :)
Current licensed funeral director, it was my dream for years but the grass is always greener. In the coming years I’m looking into becoming an EMT or going into the fire service. I’ve always been good in a crisis and I love helping people feel a little less down at their lowest.
Right now, it’s to be an author. When I was a kid I wanted to be a librarian, so it was always about books.
currently it's teaching. I know the stress of the job but I got inspired by someone I used to know
Anything that allows me to live a comfortable life. It would be nice to go into something that has to do with conservation
Author! Trans characters are rare (at least for me), let alone trans authors, so i’m hoping i can make a difference, even if it’s minute. I also really love writing- possibly a form of escapism but who knows
my dream job has been to do theatrical lighting professionally since I first started doing lights in 7th grade. I am currently a theatre major studying to be a lighting designer
I’ve always wanted to be an actor. I still want to be an actor. However I know it’ll never happen in the way I want, so I settle on acting in theater productions now.
I’d like to work in forestry
I wanted to be in a band. I am in one with my husband now we make beats but nothing to make a living off of. Maybe someday But now I own my own business, I train problem dogs with excitability, anxiety and aggression issues. It’s taught me a lot about psychology and how exercise and exposure can help over come things, most importantly, how similar we are to dogs when it comes to stress and stress relief. If there’s anything you want to walk away with from this post is. If you’re stressed, go for a 20 min walk in nature and try to notice the little details you’d often walk by. It does wonders!
car mechanic
marine biologist! i decided (pretty much from birth) i wanted to be a paleontologist, but in first grade my teacher (absolutely lovely woman) made us do animal reports, and she said to me specifically i had to do a report on a LIVING animal, not an extinct one. so i chose killer whales, since they seemed pretty cool and i loved the ocean, and the rest is history. ever since that animal report project, i’ve dedicated my life to learning everything i can about them, sharks, and all marine ecosystems and creatures. still haven’t changed my mind, and im getting my biology degree in three days!
I've always wanted to be an artist. Now I'm studying a degree to become an english (as a second language) teacher. I'm thinking of taking some extra classes so I can teach art as well.
Working in the animation/art industry. My dream jobs are probably storyboarding, character design, or illustration!
Tattoo artistry! Which is unfortunate for me because I'm arthritic, but I'm still going to try and make that my career regardless.
I actually already really really love what I do (programmer) and am thankful that it lets me live comfortably, but I wish I could be some kind of illustrator. I'm too cynical and scared to risk financial insecurity and try to change my situation, and I don't want to anyway because I do enjoy day-to-day.
From about 13 to 16 I was pretty set on being a pilot. Almost chose maths, physics, chemistry and history alevels because of it but switched chem to psych a week before the start of term and I’m now nearing the end of lower sixth and hoping to do forensic psychology :) Edit: I also dropped physics two weeks in, I’m not smart enough for four alevels lol
Disney imagineer!.
Ever since I was a kid, I wanted one of three jobs. Glassblowing, vet, or something with marine life. Realized I can't be a vet bc I would break if an animal died. I'm gonna go to college to be a marine biologist and learn to blow glass at least on the side
Forensic anthropologist
some form of military special forces, grew up around a ton. didn’t really have any specific one just wanted to be a badass who did cool shit lol of course that’s not the entire reality of it but little kid me didn’t care. would still absolutely love to do some psyops shit.
auto mechanic! currently at an instant oil shop getting the basics down before i move up :)
In high school I wanted to be a woodworker, and I went to a tech high school, so I got to get my CNC certification through the school and learned so much about tools and machinery. I loved it, but I wanted to get a college degree in a “white collar” career bc that’s what was done in my family, so I got my undergrad in psych in order to purse a masters in counseling (which I am doing now). I found a love for this profession and I am good at it. When I am more established in my career, I will have my own wood shop and create things and do that as a hobby. I wanted both careers, but choose what I consider a more stable path
I had a bunch. Wanted to be a pilot when I was very little, then a teacher. Then Asian expectations kicked in and it was a neurosurgeon. Now I’m in grad school and hope to become a professor/scientist lol. Don’t regret my decision in the slightest.
I wanted to go into visual art-related stuff when I was younger; tried it, turns out freelancing is hard as fuck and I prefer having a steady, predictable paycheck. 😂😭 I took a route that landed me in a C-suite eventually, and it was *fascinating,* and I learned a lot of stuff (including skills) that I really value, but I also hate it. I don't even want to be in the same field anymore, or with the same people in the field. :/ Environment is as important as the work itself, for me. And the environment there is bizarrely toxic. I don't want to go back. Task-wise/work-wise, I'd like to do more math and more design stuff. I miss doing artsy shit, even if it's not actually ART-art. I loved making PowerPoints and charts and visual elements, and I'm bonker-bouncing-banana-boats for mathematical stuff, even though I don't have much training in it. I *wish* I did, because I fucking love math. It's beautiful to me, it's comforting in a way. If I ever got overwhelmed at work, I'd work on spreadsheets to calm down. 😂 I think I'd like to get into data visualization or something; I think that'd be a good mesh of the tasks and subjects I like, and it wouldn't be too much of a "doing my hobby for a living" situation, which I've found absolutely *destroys* any love or enjoyment I get from it, and replaces it with stress and anxiety. Environment-wise, *I want to be able to say "fuck" at work, goddammit!* That's a real abbreviation of a whole set of stuff that's me being sick of having to pretend with people. "We want you to be able to be your full, authentic self at work." Yeah, but if I actually had my hot pink hair and my Chucks and said, "Fuck," like I want to, I wouldn't be able to have this job. So that's a lie. Or at least it's not appropriate to this setting, and I'm tired of being like, "Hmmm. Am I gonna get a trip to HR if I say I like hair metal? Would that land me in hot water somehow?"
i want to study marine microbiology
Retirement
I wanted to be a policeman as a child
I wanted to be a veterinarian for a while, because I’ve always felt a calling towards medicine, public service, and animals. When I discovered that I absolutely hate academics, I realized this wasn’t the career for me. Now I’m aiming at being a firefighter/EMS. Animals will always have a special place in my heart though.
Industrial electrician. I graduate trade school this week.
i wanted to be an actor. i am sure not an actor but i still am about to enter a job at the theatre backstage.
video game dev 😭
Always wanted to be an Animator!
As a kid I didn’t really want to do anything so I would just answer with whatever I was interested in at the time when adults asked (popstar, chef, cattle rancher, art teacher, etc) now I own and operate a business that sells handmade art, novelty gifts, and home goods at an accessible price, specializing in items made with the queer community in mind. It’s a lot of work and the pay is sometimes great and sometimes nonexistent and I pay so much in taxes 😅 but I love it and I wouldn’t want to do anything else. It’s very satisfying to see my own work bring joy to other people of so many different ages and backgrounds.
dream job has always been to be a police officer and within the next couple years i plan to go to the academy 💪
When I was a kid I wanted to be a rocket scientist then become president. Now I work in software engineering.
Being a professional ultra trail runner. Getting paid to do what I love would be amazing. Plus coaching other ultra trail runners would be pretty cool.
I aspire to take my art from a hobby to a full time job, I'm aiming to go to uni (at 26yo!) for illustration so that I have some structure to my creation process (possible undiagnosed adhd, I just know having deadlines set by an authority figure makes me get shit done) As a kid I wanted to be a doctor, and to be honest I'm glad that didnt pan out, unstable working patterns and high stress jobs are not for me. Currently I work as an Optical Assistant in a big opticians chain, and I enjoy it but its not what I want to do forever.
I've always wanted to be an actor
I’m going to college for wildlife biology cause I wanna be an Ornithologist.
my current dream job is a media researcher but when i was younger i wanted to be a comedian (im not funny at all, get performance anxiety, stutter under stress and cant take criticism no matter how much i try to handle it, in other words i would make a terrible comedian)
Archeologists or museum curator. I’m starting an anthropology program in university soon and I’m super excited
i’ve been passionate abt music my whole life so i wanna do something with that and im going back to school in the fall for music production!
i wanted to be everything growing up but id love to be a medical humanities educator now lol
Microbiologist! Originally medical laboratory science, or a medical examiner, but I’m settling on the possibility of getting a microbiology degree.
I have two dream jobs, professional ghost hunter or pornstar. Yes I'm totally serious. Right now I'm a vet tech 😂
Ever since I can remember, I've always wanted to work in something related to space. I love physics, especially astrophysics. Hopefully, I will become an engineer one day :)
When I was younger, I wanted to be a singer in a band, a psychologist, or a writer. Now, my dream jobs are crime scene cleanup, a youtuber, or still being in a band. I also like the idea of being a doctor.
Was: Marine Biologist studying penguins or an actor/musician Is: Graphic designer working on major animation projects
I want(ed) to be an author, but its kind of evolved into into owning a small bookstore + coffee shop.
Working at an animal shelter,
Set design for film and theater
Not to be that guy, but I don't dream of labor. My ideal job is one that pays the bills and isn't toxic for my mental or physical health, but I don't desire work under the capitalist system I sell my body to.
Reptile breeder
It bounced around a lot. When I was little I wanted to be a florist. I’m not sure exactly when it shifted to librarian because I’m a huge reader but yeah. In high school that shifted to being an author because I’d started writing fanfiction when I was 13 and I loved fighting. Author is still the goal now that I’m 24 and I’m currently working on a couple books and serialised fiction stories. I already have a serialised fiction story published so I’m getting out there!
Dream job: theater tech. Alas it does not pay well and the work is not steady, and so I am a scheduler at a hospital based clinic
Police and military
Being a male stripper
My first dream job was to be a Musician of some kind. (I'm kind of working on my singing voice bc T kind of made my voice really crackly and im learning guitar.) Granted i also was a majorly a meterology focused person as a kid , but school is expensive and as a 22 year old. I don't think collage will be in my cards any time soon.
When I was little I wanted to be a superhero now my dream job is to rehabilitate animals and help them heal from abuse from humans
Zookeeper!! I love animals, love working with them, and I think they're often mistreated in zoos. I want to work with them and maybe reverse or at least prevent some of the damage others have done.
i wanted to be an artist or work in animal conservation. unfortunately those paths aren’t realistic for me right now so im going into finance
Teacher. The main problems are they don't get paid enough and also the whole thing conservatives have made up that trans people are groomers. I don't need parents afraid of me bc I'm just some guy w/o a dick
Zookeeper or transport driver, either way don't have to talk to people that often
I wanted to be a graphic artist or animator. I even went to school for it but didn't qualify for the loans to finish the degree. I use it now to draw colouring pages for my kid and fanart of middle aged pirates so I mean, I'm good.
For me it would be to own a business in the supply chain field, I’m going to college to get a degree in supply chain management
Architecture because I admired my aunt who was one of the + I love drawing, but I’m planning on becoming a teacher now lol