A
rock star. An astronaut. A professional athlete. When you're a child, your
career aspirations are the stuff dreams are made of. And whether you're passing
notes to your best friend, sizing up the new kid at the next locker, or suiting
up for the world's longest gym class, you're secure in the knowledge that when
you grow up, you can be anything you want to be.
To
explore the intriguing connection between childhood career aspirations and
adults' chosen occupations, we surveyed over 2,000 people to discover what they
wanted to be and what they do now. And to gain insights about today's kids, we
also asked respondents what their own children want to be.
Do
childhood ambitions really affect which occupations people choose as adults?
How have kids' career dreams changed over time? Are people happy with what they
turned out to be – or would they rather be optimistic kids again, telling their
friends at recess that they'll be famous one day? Whoever you are and whatever
you hoped you would be, this intriguing analysis will take you back to
childhood – and just might spark your excitement about the future.
Childhood Dreams Meet Adult
Reality
Well,
it didn't happen exactly like you'd envisioned: You're not dancing on Broadway,
collecting rock samples on the moon, or playing shortstop for the Yankees. The
good news? You're not alone: Nearly 8 in 10 adults didn't realize their
childhood career aspiration.
But
it turns out fulfilling a childhood dream really can make you happy. Among
those who did pursue the career path they'd pictured in the early years, nearly
9 in 10 say they love their job. As for those who took a different route, only
around 7 in 10 are satisfied with their amended goal.
(As
we get older, many of us are no longer blinded by the glamor of our childhood
aspirations. But we sometimes forget that all kinds of careers can make you
happy. Every career sector—from health care to design to the skilled trades to
technology—offers paths that can lead to a joyful and fulfilling professional
life.)
Kids' Evolving Career Goals
Our
survey participants revealed that during elementary school, many of the most
coveted careers – such as pro athlete, astronaut, actor/actress, and singer –
trend more toward fantasy than reality. The odds of becoming an astronaut, for
example, are astronomically slim: During a recent recruitment, NASA selected
just eight candidates from 6,300 applications. Don't bet on becoming a pro
athlete either. Only about 3 in 10,000 male high school senior basketball
players will make it to the NBA, and only 1 in 5,000 female high school senior
players will make it to the WNBA.
But
as kids grow up, they do begin to realize they may not necessarily be the next
Cristiano Ronaldo, Justin Bieber, or Angelina Jolie. In middle school, the
focus shifts to more realistic (and admittedly less glamorous) careers.
Scientist skyrockets to the top choice, and careers in writing, the legal
field, and engineering begin to sound appealing.
By
high school, the pro athlete ambition plummets to the bottom of the list, and
the majority of the most coveted jobs are realistic options: writer, engineer,
scientist, teacher, and doctor. And for the first time, computer programmer
cracks the top 10 list.
Boys vs. Girls: Childhood Career
Plans
When
it comes to future job aspirations, it appears boys crave careers that present
adventure and physical challenges. Along with the inescapable dream of being a
sports star, young boys daydream about careers as police officers/detectives,
firefighters, and pilots. STEM careers beckon, too, as boys express interest in
becoming doctors, scientists, and veterinarians.
What
about girls' professional aspirations? Forget the longing to be a princess –
today's girls are taking names and kicking aside gender-equality roadblocks as
they ponder careers in STEM fields, the arts, and more. Just like their male
counterparts, girls dream of becoming veterinarians, doctors, actors, artists,
and astronauts. However, their No. 1 career choice is teaching – which didn't
make the list for boys. Girls also appear to prize creativity over adventure,
as they envision becoming musicians, writers, and dancers.
What
sparks these career aspirations? Along with personality traits and interests,
it appears social factors including parents' occupations can shape children's
futures. A recent study by the London School of Economics and Political Science
revealed that girls whose mothers hold jobs that aren't traditionally
"female occupations" are apt to follow in their footsteps. But for
boys, having a father in a traditional "male occupation" increases
the likelihood of seeking traditionally male jobs.
The
surprising result? People who aspire as children to hold a traditionally male
or female job – such as a boy who longs to be a firefighter or a girl who wants
to be a hairdresser – are actually twice as likely to pursue these types of
positions as adults.
Childhood Dream Fulfilled: Job
Satisfaction by Industry
As
mentioned above, around one-fifth of people actually do transform their
childhood career fantasies into reality when they enter the job force. Among
the people who realized their dreams and are happy in their positions, which
industries dominate? Around 20 percent of people are in the education field,
while just under 20 percent hold jobs in IT. Health care, professional
services, and government round out the top five.
The
2015 National Society of High School Scholars Millennial Career Survey revealed
that when it comes to employment preferences, today's students and young
professionals share some similarities with our respondents – but also some
differences. One major disparity: Though the education field topped our list,
it didn't make the cut for today's millennials.
Instead,
40 percent of young people today anticipate careers in health care (especially
women), 28 percent in science, and 21 percent in technology/engineering.
Another 20 percent were intrigued at the possibility of an
arts/entertainment/media gig or a business/administration/corporate career.
The Career Goals of Kids in 2016
Next,
our survey participants shared the future career goals of their own children.
Today's tutu-clad, microphone-toting toddlers daydream about becoming
ballerinas and singers. However, kids aged 1 to 7 also want to be doctors –
perhaps partly fueled by Disney's popular animated show Doc McStuffins, which
chronicles the adventures of a 6-year-old African-American girl who plans to
become a doctor like her mother.
As
kids get older, reality begins to play a larger role. Dreams of dancing,
singing, and exploring outer space give way to plans to become veterinarians,
scientists, artists, and engineers. By the time kids reach their late teens,
the top career goals are teaching, writing, and practicing medicine.
Childhood Career Aspirations:
Past and Present
What
did you want to be as a child? Today's kids have some similar goals – but some
very different ones too. When you were younger, most kids dreamed of becoming
teachers, pro athletes, veterinarians, doctors, and astronauts. Children now
are most likely to envision careers as scientists, doctors, teachers,
veterinarians, and artists. One major difference: Today's tech-savvy kids
aspire to careers that you may not have envisioned in your wildest dreams, like
computer programmer and video game designer or tester.
Some
things never change: The old pipe dreams of becoming pro athletes, cowboys,
astronauts, actors/actresses, and musicians still ring true. However, today's
kids may be slightly more realistic: The occupation option of pro athlete – the
second-most-popular career choice in the old days – has dropped to 12th place
today. Additionally, it appears today's kids also have a need for speed, based
on one fantasy-driven addition to the list: race car driver.
Your Career, Take Two
At
some point between childhood and adulthood, many people second-guess their
chosen career paths and decide to change majors during college. In hindsight,
was it a smart move or a tactical error? Three-quarters of our respondents
don't regret the decision to switch majors. That said, 7 in 10 people who
changed their focus have thought about returning to school for another degree.
For
today's adults, juggling the responsibilities of work and home can be tough
enough without adding school to the mix. However, for people who require
flexible schedules and the option to get a degree from home, there are numerous
options for online and distance learning programs. Online trade schools,
technical schools, colleges, and universities all offer numerous training
options for careers in virtually any industry – from health care to business,
culinary arts to criminal justice.
Achieve Your Childhood Dreams
Let's
face it: You may never become an astronaut, a rock star, or a pro athlete. But
based on the insights we gleaned from our survey, the odds are good you can
still enjoy a fulfilling career. Our respondents report high levels of job
happiness, dream job or not.
What
do kids want to be when they grow up? Their career goals evolve as they age –
from sports star to scientist to writer/author. Overall, boys tend to set their
sights on jobs that offer physical challenges, while girls are more interested
in the arts. Among those who pursued their childhood dreams, careers in
education, health care, and IT score high marks for job satisfaction.
In
the old days, kids wanted to be teachers or pro athletes, but today's kids have
their sights set on becoming scientists and doctors. They're also tech-savvier
than prior generations, so dreams of a career in IT and video game design are
more realistic than ever.
If
you're at a career crossroads, reflecting on your childhood dreams can offer
unique insights. During childhood, you were your truest, most uncensored self –
before bills, kids, and other responsibilities came into play. If money were no
object, what would you want to be?
You
can spark a career revolution by recapturing the wonder and excitement of
childhood – and channeling your younger self's passions, talents, and
interests. Whether you want to chart a new path or jump-start your current
career, at www.trade-schools.net, you'll discover everything you need to find
the school and program for your needs. What do you want to be when you grow up?
The answer may be just a few clicks away.
Methodology
We
surveyed 2,136 respondents about what career aspirations they had as children.
We also surveyed parents to find out what their children today want to become
in the future.
SOURCES
SurveyMonkey,
website last visited on May 24, 2016.
Mechanical
Turk, website last visited on May 24, 2016.
Discover
Magazine, Ever Dreamed of Becoming an Astronaut? Now's Your Chance, website
last visited on May 24, 2016.
National
Association for Sport and Physical Education, Estimated Probability of
Competing in Athletics Beyond the High School Interscholastic Level, website
last visited on October 2, 2017.
The
National Society of High School Scholars, NSHSS Scholar 2015 Millennial Career
Survey Results, website last visited on May 24, 2016.
Oberver,
Animated 'Doc McStuffins' Inspires Real-Life Diverse Medical Society, website
last visited on May 24, 2016.
Fair Use Statement
We
grant permission to use the images found on this page freely. When doing so, we
ask that you kindly attribute the creators by linking to this page so your
readers can learn more about the project and its methodology.
Read the other poss of this series.
Collage Student E02: What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
Collage Student E03: What to Do After College: 29 Ideas to Inspire You
Collage Student E04: How Do I Figure Out What Career I Want?
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