I was bullied a quite a bit when I was younger. Now that we're all older, they're afraid of me. This turn of events is pleasing. 
What did you want to do, What do you do, What do you want to do?
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Chazwozel
hahaYeah, just doesn't have the same "oomph" there Chaz. Personally I would have gone with:
As a young person, I wanted to be an entertainer, preferrably a comic of some kind.
I am now a programmer, which it turned out I'm really good at without much effort, which appeals to me.
My dream job would be a game reviewer. Playing video games and writing are my favorite hobbies by far. Getting paid to do so would be utopia.
I am now a programmer, which it turned out I'm really good at without much effort, which appeals to me.
My dream job would be a game reviewer. Playing video games and writing are my favorite hobbies by far. Getting paid to do so would be utopia.
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Laurelai
When I was a kid, I wanted to be (per my mother) "the guy who climbs up the telephone pole and works on the wires", then I graduated to the requisite marine biologist. When I hit Jr. high school, I decided I was going to be a musician- a classical one and I pursued it quite seriously until my first year in college where I decided while it was a very nice avocation, it was not what I wanted to do for a living. My dad spit nails. I decided I wanted to be a paramedic.
That was 22 years ago and that is what I am still doing. After much fighting over it and listening to my dad cuss and mutter about it, I went to EMT school, then fire school, and I have been a medic since '93. My dad decided he was quite proud of his fire/medic daughter.
As to what I want to do? Hmmm- not sure. I love my job to this day. I'm not anywhere close to burnt out and I am at a busy station. EMS is a job for younger critters though. I'm not so sure I want to be doing this when I'm 50- I'm 42 now, so not much longer to go. The biggest killer of EMS and fire personnel these days is heart attack, so I am doing my part to try to keep that at bay- I've lost 70 pounds now since I've had my little critter and I do an hour of cardio every day between shifts. Problem is, there is no other job I want to do. I love the craziness of it, the silliness of it, my crew members, the independence..... I'll miss it when I have to leave.
That was 22 years ago and that is what I am still doing. After much fighting over it and listening to my dad cuss and mutter about it, I went to EMT school, then fire school, and I have been a medic since '93. My dad decided he was quite proud of his fire/medic daughter.
As to what I want to do? Hmmm- not sure. I love my job to this day. I'm not anywhere close to burnt out and I am at a busy station. EMS is a job for younger critters though. I'm not so sure I want to be doing this when I'm 50- I'm 42 now, so not much longer to go. The biggest killer of EMS and fire personnel these days is heart attack, so I am doing my part to try to keep that at bay- I've lost 70 pounds now since I've had my little critter and I do an hour of cardio every day between shifts. Problem is, there is no other job I want to do. I love the craziness of it, the silliness of it, my crew members, the independence..... I'll miss it when I have to leave.
The issues with your dad's reaction to wanting to be a medic are eerily similar. My father was livid when I told him I wasn't going to finish university and instead start this course.
We'll just see if I'm fortunate enough to have him proud of me later!
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Lally
What did you want to do? I've always wanted to be a writer. My mom says I was a writer before I knew how to read/write... there are cassette tapes of me as a little kid making up stories as I go and telling them into the tape recorder. The theatre bug bit me in middle school and through middle school and high school I also wanted to be an actress, but being a writer was still always my #1.
What do you do? I just graduated this spring from University of Maryland with a degree in Book Nerdery, and since I haven't been able to get an editing job, I am working a crappy retail job that I actually kind of like (but still need to get another job because I'm not getting paid nearly enough).
What do you want to do? I still want to be a writer, but the older I get, the more I realize that everyone wants to be a writer (just look at the answers on this thread), and the less I think I'll ever actually get to be one. So my realistic goal is to pursue a career in editing.
I feel like Peter from Office Space, but really, if I could do anything, I would do nothing. I don't need to travel or do all kinds of crazy and extravagant things, I just want to do nothing. Read books, write, play video games. That's all I need.
What do you do? I just graduated this spring from University of Maryland with a degree in Book Nerdery, and since I haven't been able to get an editing job, I am working a crappy retail job that I actually kind of like (but still need to get another job because I'm not getting paid nearly enough).
What do you want to do? I still want to be a writer, but the older I get, the more I realize that everyone wants to be a writer (just look at the answers on this thread), and the less I think I'll ever actually get to be one. So my realistic goal is to pursue a career in editing.
I feel like Peter from Office Space, but really, if I could do anything, I would do nothing. I don't need to travel or do all kinds of crazy and extravagant things, I just want to do nothing. Read books, write, play video games. That's all I need.
I always wanted to be an Inventor. In the seventh grade I had a question suddenly pop into my head. How are computer programs made? I've wanted to be a developer ever since.
I'm currently serving in the US Army Reserves and working as a Co-op student at IBM. This is while I'm in the process of getting my B.S. In Computer Science (3 semesters to go).
I would like to get a full time position with IBM once I graduate and get my degree. I'm loving the work that I'm doing and have zero desire to do anything else. Maybe open up my own software development company, and have the chance to be a small business owner, but that is a long, long way off.
I'm just happy for the chance to be doing what I love for a living.
I'm currently serving in the US Army Reserves and working as a Co-op student at IBM. This is while I'm in the process of getting my B.S. In Computer Science (3 semesters to go).
I would like to get a full time position with IBM once I graduate and get my degree. I'm loving the work that I'm doing and have zero desire to do anything else. Maybe open up my own software development company, and have the chance to be a small business owner, but that is a long, long way off.
I'm just happy for the chance to be doing what I love for a living.
I wanted to be a doctor or scientist. Overall, I think I made the wiser choice for my personality and lifestyle.
I've been: a farmhand (toddler through ~16), grocery stocker, pizza monkey, thermostat factory worker, marble countertop R&D/installation, pressure-treated lumber lab/pilot plant technician, grad school lab slave, postdoc lab slave, and now the last remaining employee of a biotech start-up.
The last bit there is one reason I've recently decided to move on to something else, maybe still in science, maybe not. I'm looking at somewhat equivalent positions, lab manager jobs, epidemiology (combining public health with basic math might be fun), and other scientific odds and ends. I'm open to other things, so long as I'm not totally shooting myself in the foot.
I still like the idea of science, but the practice of it is losing its luster. There are a number of scientists out there doing awesome things, but the vast majority of the scientists I've come in contact with are just kind of dicking around the shallow end of the pool and feeling unjustifiably smug about it. I think that's why the public health thing appeals to me.
I know med school isn't for me though, so I don't have to think about what might have been. If I could send 22-year old me a message to try something else, it would probably be pharmacy. You can still do research with a PharmD, or work in biotech/pharma, or just work at the local drug store for 100K/year sorting pills.
I'd also love to be a science fiction writer, but I've been reading a lot of exceptional books lately and I don't know how likely it is that I could approach that level.
I've been: a farmhand (toddler through ~16), grocery stocker, pizza monkey, thermostat factory worker, marble countertop R&D/installation, pressure-treated lumber lab/pilot plant technician, grad school lab slave, postdoc lab slave, and now the last remaining employee of a biotech start-up.
The last bit there is one reason I've recently decided to move on to something else, maybe still in science, maybe not. I'm looking at somewhat equivalent positions, lab manager jobs, epidemiology (combining public health with basic math might be fun), and other scientific odds and ends. I'm open to other things, so long as I'm not totally shooting myself in the foot.
I still like the idea of science, but the practice of it is losing its luster. There are a number of scientists out there doing awesome things, but the vast majority of the scientists I've come in contact with are just kind of dicking around the shallow end of the pool and feeling unjustifiably smug about it. I think that's why the public health thing appeals to me.
I know med school isn't for me though, so I don't have to think about what might have been. If I could send 22-year old me a message to try something else, it would probably be pharmacy. You can still do research with a PharmD, or work in biotech/pharma, or just work at the local drug store for 100K/year sorting pills.
I'd also love to be a science fiction writer, but I've been reading a lot of exceptional books lately and I don't know how likely it is that I could approach that level.
I wanted to be a marine biologist or a vet. As I went through middle/high school I realized I didn't have the head for science, though I tried.
Right now I work at a deli. It's alright, but it's not a career.
If I could really do anything I wanted to, I'd open a pub, with live music at least every few days. House band, other bands, whatever. That, or a game/comic/music shop would be cool. Sucks 'cause I don't think there's much call for those now since you can just order it all online.
Right now I work at a deli. It's alright, but it's not a career.
If I could really do anything I wanted to, I'd open a pub, with live music at least every few days. House band, other bands, whatever. That, or a game/comic/music shop would be cool. Sucks 'cause I don't think there's much call for those now since you can just order it all online.
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Chazwozel
Wow a lot of people wanted to be marine biologists when they were growing up. I admit it would be fun to do, but not if you have a family.
And you really have to like the smell of fish.
aranoid:
The first thing I can remember wanting to be is a Ninja Turtle. The first serious thing I wanted to be was a cartoonist, like in animation, so I could make shows like Doug and Hey Arnold and the Simpsons.
Right now, and for the past 7 years, I've been a Deli Clerk at my local grocery store. I excel in customer service and multitasking, and even after thins long, I still [mostly] like the work. I also sell the occasional oil painting.
I am currently in school to be an accountant. I'm fgood with numbers, and I have a line on a job afterwards working for my friend's dad's financial planning firm. It honestly doesn't matter too much to me what I do, as long as I can earn a decent living and don't absolutely HATE it. I'd also like to continue painting, but not full time.
Right now, and for the past 7 years, I've been a Deli Clerk at my local grocery store. I excel in customer service and multitasking, and even after thins long, I still [mostly] like the work. I also sell the occasional oil painting.
I am currently in school to be an accountant. I'm fgood with numbers, and I have a line on a job afterwards working for my friend's dad's financial planning firm. It honestly doesn't matter too much to me what I do, as long as I can earn a decent living and don't absolutely HATE it. I'd also like to continue painting, but not full time.
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JCM
Does screwing whores in Thailand count?
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Oddbot
That's not how you pump yourself up. The key is to read mediocre books and say "Pfft I could write better than this shit!"
Writer
Writer
Writer
But this doesn't mean I wanted to be the writer I am or that I am the kind of writer I'd wish to become... Also, the middle part will soon become Student/writer.
Writer
Writer
But this doesn't mean I wanted to be the writer I am or that I am the kind of writer I'd wish to become... Also, the middle part will soon become Student/writer.
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JCM
That's not how you pump yourself up. The key is to read mediocre books and say "Pfft I could write better than this shit!"[/QUOTE]And thus, Twilight enters the best-selling books list, as every aspiring writer buys it to improve his self-esteem.
That's not how you pump yourself up. The key is to read mediocre books and say "Pfft I could write better than this shit!"[/quote]And thus, Twilight enters the best-selling books list, as every aspiring writer buys it to improve his self-esteem.[/quote]
I've often thought "Man, I need to write the sci-fi Harry Potter." As soon as someone does that, they're a billionaire.
A fluffed-up reboot of Ender's Game would probably do it.
My childhood dream, simply put, was to make video games for a living.
I did make video games for a living (programming) for a year. It was absolute hell. I now work as a db admin/web programmer/app programmer/data security official/occasional programming instructor for a small private college.Crone said:
I wish I had enough time/talent to create my own game ideas from scratch, but I just don't have the artistic/musical chops to handle anything beyond programming and simple sprites.Crone said:
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EpicEpileptic
Oh man what didn't I want to do when I was younger. I was one of those kids who's future career goals changed an regular daily basis. The careers that held my attention the longest though that I can remember are Batman, Deli owner, video game designer, and rock star. The two that held my attention the longest were Thespian and Cartoonist.
So what am I doing now? Working a part time gig at a cigar shop with cheap boss while attending college full time working towards a History degree. What I wish I was doing is Drawing more or acting more but the schedule doesn't allow that anymore.
So what am I doing now? Working a part time gig at a cigar shop with cheap boss while attending college full time working towards a History degree. What I wish I was doing is Drawing more or acting more but the schedule doesn't allow that anymore.
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Dusty668
What did you want to do-Be an astronaut.
What do you do-work with networks.
What do you want to do-Be an astronaut.
What do you do-work with networks.
What do you want to do-Be an astronaut.
Jake said:
Chazwozel said:
I don't want to hear that.What did you want to do
I wanted to be a cartoonist, comic-book artist, architect, voice-actor, and physician. That's pretty much how is progressed from kid to adult.
What do you do
I have done all sorts of farm work growing up. I've worked at McDonalds, a psychiatric hospital, assembly line work at 3M, custom woodworking, and call center lackey.
Currently, I am a research assistant/teaching assistant working towards a PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. Specifically, I am studying ecology and systematics of "unculturable"rare biosphere bacteria, and a little single-cell genomics.
What do you want to do?
I want to post-doc with a prestigious prof/lab with work that is quite different from my current work, but not too different. I still want to be able to use the tools that I have and apply to to a different field.
I really love carpentry. I would like to use my degree to fund my custom furniture kick, and ultimately build most of the furniture for my home.
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Staff member
I hate to do it, but I have to echo Jake and Chazwozel a little. By the time you finish a Ph.D. and a post-doc, you may not only be jaded, but burnt out. Also there's another danger. Someone posted a cartoon about it here once...the math cliff. Insert any subject for math. When you're an undergrad, you start out feeling like you know nothing. By the time you get your bachelor's, you feel like you know pretty much all there is to know about your science. Then you get to grad school, and you realize you haven't even scratched the surface. It branches off in a zillion directions, and nothing is as neatly packaged anymore. There are no hard boundaries, because people at this level are writing the science.
TL;DR: Sometimes I post here during work hours because I'm very burned out after so much school. 13 years of college if you count the postdoc.
TL;DR: Sometimes I post here during work hours because I'm very burned out after so much school. 13 years of college if you count the postdoc.
I wanted to be an astronaut as a child. Now when I grow up I want to be a space pirate. I'm currently studying as an Aerospace Engineer, father of two, hobbyist metal fabricator (I built my own foundry in my back yard) and in general jack of no trade.
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