When you were a kid what did you want to do as an adult?

NickyN · 07-09-2016, 11:12 PM

Not as a kid, maybe after high school or college?

Are you doing that now or did you end up changing careers?

Any regrets or are you happy, satisfied, and content?

I guess sometimes, I wonder. So I wondered about everyone else here since this AFF forum has lot of users.

The Yeti · 07-09-2016, 11:47 PM

I wanted to be a mechanic from I think 6

I did my apprenticeship I worked on the tools until 29 but staid in the industry

I'm at a bit of a crossroads now so watch this space but I have no regrets as such

JAJH · 08-09-2016, 12:25 AM

I always wanted to be in the army but I became a copper instead.

**Ratmick** · 08-09-2016, 12:35 AM

I wanted to be a fighter pilot, jets. Anything fast, not a 747...although that would have been ok as a career move later.

I was thinking of joining the Air Force, but the time I was leaving school in the early 80s there wasn't much going on in our neck of the woods the Government was winding stuff down. Quite a few people applying for a small number of pilot vacancies and I didn't want to join and end up in charge of folding blankets.

Didn't think I'd have a chance as I was a slacker in Year 12 (passed ok enough, but I didn't excel) and I ended up joining the Army, mainly because I'm an idiot. Ended up married and after a few blind turns ended up working in the beginnings of the IT industry in the late 80s...and here I am at the age of 52 working for a Bank flying a desk.

Regrets? Shiploads.

Happy? Sort-of, the rest of my life has been only slightly dysfunctional, married for near-on 20 years, now divorced and re-partnered but it's turned out well enough. The Bank pays very well, more than I would have got in the Air Force or Army, can't really complain. However the closest I've been to flying is sitting down the back of the plane with all the other passengers.

Satisfied? Not really, thought when I was young, stupid and naive that I was going to make a difference but ended up working for the man like everyone else

Content? Well at the age of 52 I'm as content as I'll get I guess. Given my time again, and knowing what I know now, things would be done differently but given the same circumstances and the same range of options I am guessing I'd end up roughly where I am now.

I wouldn't have gone to that wedding in 1986 where I met my Ex

Ben73 · 08-09-2016, 01:01 AM

Wanted to be a paramedic. But I had to be 21 to apply for it from memory. At 18 I applied for a job on the railway. My dad was telling me about jobs at his workplace. I thought it would be a good job to get me through until I was 21. Turns out I liked the railway and liked the pay even more.
It's not my dream job, but I can't see myself leaving by choice any time soon. The income alone has allowed me to do things that none of my mates have been able to do.
Having said that one day when I am financially set, I would love to work in a job I enjoy more.

If I had my time again, I would do it mostly the same. I would just not blow as much money as I did. Not that it was much, I just look back at a few things now and just think if I didn't spend money of X, Y or Z I would be closer to my financial freedom day.

Junkyard-Dog · 08-09-2016, 03:55 AM

Believe it or not, I wanted to be a "bikie" when I was a kid.

My favourite film was Mad Max (watched it every day) and I guess Toecutter's gang must have appealed to me.

I guess there's still time, right?

Franco Cozzo · 08-09-2016, 09:46 AM

I didn't really have any plans, just rolled with the punches and improvised.

Ended up falling into the automotive industry after school, qualified and left to chase greener grass that I couldn't find.

Went to the pub with a mate the start of last year, came out of the pub with a business partner and we've been running our own auto repair business for just over a year now.

No particular plans, I work on a day by day basis, float up ideas, may work and throw hat into the ring.

I just run with what ever floats to the top of the toilet bowl of life, float around with the other pieces of crap

TheSneakiness · 08-09-2016, 10:45 AM

I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do when I was a kid. Wasn't until I was in my late 20's I knew what I wanted to do (drive trains or work in rail network control, I guess I still have time on my side, just need the contacts)

What I am doing now for work was frowned upon by my dad cause he thought computers were "evil" (more like I knew what to do and he didn't) and I don't think he would cope with how the world is now.

Regrets, yeah I do have regrets cause I should have either studied after school or done a trade (too lazy and didn't care much for manual labour as a job) or joined the armed forces. Instead I've taken possibly the hardest road to get where I am and I don't have much to show for it.

Happy, satisfied and content, if you say you are all three you are naive or delusional, not one person can truly say that and mean it.

Hardtopxb · 08-09-2016, 10:52 AM

Grow up. Now wish I could grow down.

poppa smurf · 08-09-2016, 11:04 AM

heavy equipment operator from day one..

NickyN · 08-09-2016, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Damo

:

I just run with what ever floats to the top of the toilet bowl of life, float around with the other pieces of crap

:

That cracked me up!

So poppa smurf's the only user on here doing what he always dreamt of doing. You are one lucky person!

poppa smurf · 08-09-2016, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyN

:

That cracked me up!

So poppa smurf's the only user on here doing what he always dreamt of doing. You are one lucky person!

bygone days.......I'm self employed/semi retired now and hating it.......I miss the big machines, camaraderie, pay packets and the heavy transport industry.......from 14 - 20 hour days down to about 4 and trying to fill the days in.

NickyN · 08-09-2016, 12:06 PM

Maybe your expertise with big machines can land you a consulting job with a company?

If I remember correctly you referred to your family lots....then you have more time to spend with your family who bring you joy.

poppa smurf · 08-09-2016, 12:12 PM

parents keep wanting the kids back.....we travel a lot now, we love the central deserts, spend a lot of our time up there, (where I used to work) away again shortly......time tends to drag in between kids and trips, don't rebuild motorhomes now, just finished the last one for a lovely couple from NSW.......they are off around the block for about fifty years they reckon.

LG17 · 08-09-2016, 01:02 PM

Talk about confusing - the title says when you were a kid and the first sentence says not when you were a kid!

When I was a kid (in the 50s) I wanted to be a fireman!

Itsme · 08-09-2016, 01:30 PM

Always wanted to dabble in electrics/electronics which lead to a career as a sparky, taken a few career changes in different fields of this industry & now completely got out of it.

blackf6 · 08-09-2016, 02:03 PM

I wanted to be a racing car driver. Ended up a 3 rd generation tanker driver. Meh close enough.

**Polyal** · 08-09-2016, 02:06 PM

I always wanted to (and did) work in the Auto Industry.

Got there, place was a bit of a mess, too uncertain so I bailed and went into mining. Not really a certain industry either but more options in Australia.

Im always thinking I should have stayed but as a younger man I found it hard to be passionate about a brand and having to watch it crumble. The Eng side of Ford seems to be doing well but that wasnt enough security for me.

Joel. · 08-09-2016, 02:18 PM

I wanted to be a F1 driver when I was young. Up until some point when reality set in and I realised that's not going to happen. In my early teens I really wanted to be a professional motorsport photographer. I saved up for a camera, went to all local events and really had a goal. That sort of fell by the wayside over the years and I had no real ambition to be anything. I had no idea then and I still have no idea now what I would really like to be.

NX74205 · 08-09-2016, 05:18 PM

As a kid I wanted to be a police officer, join the Army/Navy/Air Force, an astronaut, an F1 driver before finally settling on becoming a lawyer when I was around 16/17 years old. Then I spent some time in the Air Force Cadets and wondered if I wanted to do my lawyering in the Air Force, but after learning of what's required in OTS, ultimately decided to go into private practice in civvy street.

**GasoLane** · 08-09-2016, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LG17

Talk about confusing - the title says when you were a kid and the first sentence says not when you were a kid!

When I was a kid (in the 50s) I wanted to be a fireman!

If, like me, you can remember the 50's, anyone under 18 is a kid

LG17 · 08-09-2016, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GasOLane

If, like me, you can remember the 50's, anyone under 18 is a kid

Anyone under about 40!

Pepscobra · 08-09-2016, 07:04 PM

From a pretty young age, I was good at drawing things. Loved the building industry too, so ended up as an Architect.
Has been a pretty rewarding career; I met my wife (also an Architect - that can be argued as a good or bad), spent seven years living and working in Asia on some amazing projects and have only moved back to Oz a couple years back as we now have a young family of three boys.

nstg8a · 08-09-2016, 07:13 PM

I wanted to join the Air Force and fly anything, but hopefully Iroquois. Which lead to me joining the Air Force cadets and my first flights ( not as a pilot of course)were in a Hercules then an Air trainer followed by my much loved Iroquois. Well much loved until I went in one.
All three of those aircraft have striking similarities to driving something like an old hg Belmont at speed...
Finally got to the age where I could apply for the Air Force and had my medical and 'aptitude' testing done on the same day... Failed both lol.

Too blind and too dumb... Recruiter suggested joining the army lol.

After that I went off the rails a bit, and have really had nothing jobs since.

**Revolver** · 08-09-2016, 07:45 PM

Wanted to become a self made Multi millionaire from my design company that designed Cars, houses, boats, clothes, well pretty much anything really.

That's how I got started as a Architectural Draftsman.

Multi-Millionare part. Still working on that. Genuinely working on it. Have a few irons in the fire.

My old boss who is a Mulit-millionaire said "the hardest Million to make is your first. And I mean really hard, it's a full on slog, but once you do it, they keep rolling in".

I've never forgotten that. And keep slogging.

Gypzy · 08-09-2016, 07:55 PM

When i was young i was allways collecting stickers. Didn't really know what i wanted to do when i grew up so when i finished grade ten, i went and did a Pre-vocational Graphic Arts course at Kangaroo Point TAFE. During the coarse i did some work expierience at a Screen Printing joint and ended up getting an apprenticeship in Screen Printing. Printed thousands and thousands of stickers since then and still printing 25 years on. I missed the bus on getting into the digital side of things which is taking over the screen printing so my present job will be my last in the trade. Just gotta try stretch it out another ten years!

arronm · 08-09-2016, 08:01 PM

I went to my aunties in the 70s. After that I wanted to be a Lava lamp.

MITCHAY · 08-09-2016, 10:15 PM

Well I barely remember last week sometimes but when I was a kid my first memory was I wanted to be a road worker but given what followed I think it was probably more likely designing the roads that I wanted to do as I recall doing a lot of drawings.

I did technical drawing in high school and it was initially a major in college. But for some reason I can't recall I dropped out, it ended up as a minor and I gave up on the uni route which was lazy of me.

My mother suggested to me that I could do IT as I was good with computers so switched to a IT minor.

After college I enrolled in a Diploma in Software Development. I had a short lived stint in .NET development with a small company followed up by a service desk role for just under 2 years. This was during the GFC.

I have been a SAP Developer for just over 5 years now so probably getting around the time where I could maybe become a contractor.

I regret not going to uni and not satisfied at the moment I'm certainly working towards it. A lot more worse off people out there that's for sure.

castellan · 09-09-2016, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Junkyard-Dog

Believe it or not, I wanted to be a "bikie" when I was a kid.

My favourite film was Mad Max (watched it every day) and I guess Toecutter's gang must have appealed to me.

I guess there's still time, right?

I became a bikie in 1974 and still am a bikie.

I love that part of dragging that bloke up the road on the back of the old Kawaka Z900 was classic and doing that donut on the road and wheel standing out of it I loved doing that stuff.
How about that mongrel who tried to run down the Toecutter in that old bomb with the flames and all on it, people don't realise, that why they smashed up that dudes car.

I wanted to be a mechanic, but me old man wanted me to work for him, should never of done that crap !
I hatted having to do that crap from when I was even 10 years old, paying for it now at my age and my brother is as well.
Regrets bloody oath ! I remember it all like it was yesterday, many a time I thought I would be happier in a Jail than going through what I had to do.
But when you are not working it's just so fantastic that you totally appreciate not being enslaved in the hell you have just come from.
I see many people who constantly mope about like it's the end of the world and they don't work f all and live like Riley.

danzvtil · 09-09-2016, 08:34 PM

In primary school I wanted the groundsmans job, move sprinklers around ( playing with water still excites me),ride a lawn mower and make cups of tea.
High school I trained to be a horticulturist and wanted to run my own business, when I turned 18 I got a salaried job and loved the security of it, so now I have found a salaried job in an associated industry.