When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?  Are you in that career today?  Unfortunately for most of us, our childhood dream job is just that, a dream.  When you grew up and understood the reality of what that job entails {qualifications, compensation, etc} that career choice was quickly taken off the list.

In a Forbes survey, several hundred New York children between the ages of 5 and 12 were polled to determine the discrepences in childhood dream jobs and the reality of adult careers.  Seven out of 33 5-year-olds said they wanted to be a superhero when they grow up, making it the single most popular career choice for kindergarteners.

In general, the kids we surveyed showed very little understanding about how much money different jobs actually pay. Younger children tended to grossly underestimate–on average, the 5-year-olds figured police officers make $29 annually, lawyers make $59 and dancers pull in a comparatively huge $165 a year.

And older kids think jobs pay way more than they actually do, a fact that will come as no surprise to any parent who has ever asked a kid, “Do you think I’m made out of money?” On average, 11-year-olds thought astronauts make $362,000 a year, writers $211,000 and dancers $116,000–a far cry from the actual mean annual wages of $87,039 for astronauts, $58,080 for writers and $28,829 for dancers.

So let’s explore why your childhood dream job may not have worked out…

Singer:

Why you wanted the job: You and your three best friends have an Ace of Base cover band.

Why you didn’t take the job:  Although not being able to carry a tune doesn’t seem to matter these days, Britney was only just starting that trend when you should have been {and weren’t} jumping on that band wagon.

Model:

Why you wanted the job:  You want to be just like the girls in the magazines {hey, you were told you could be anything you wanted to be}

Why you didn’t take the job:  Lets just say the halting factor on this one was the fact that you never made it past 5’7″.

Princess:

Why you wanted the job: Isn’t this every little girl’s dream?

Why you didn’t take the job:   You had to face reality {although moving to London and stalking Will did cross your mind}

Doctor:

Why you wanted the job:  It was fun playing the game with your friends

Why you didn’t take the job: You realized it took years {and years} of school and lots {and lots} of school loans

Teacher:

Why you wanted the job:  You liked bossing your younger sister around

Why you didn’t take the job: Yes you get three months off in the summer, but you decided you needed to marry rich before pursuing this one.

Artist:

Why you wanted the job:  You were told your drawings were beautiful.

Why you didn’t take the job:  You never really graduated past stick figures.

 

~Lauren Isobel

 

Feeling career-confused?  No worries–starting in a couple of weeks we’ll have a career expert, Daisy Swan, answering all your career questions.  Submit your questions now! thescoop@liminas.com

 

 

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