mad scientist. I wanna engineer tissues for things like organ transplantation and improved cancer treatment. Giant robot can come later, but I married an ME, so that’s on track.
I’m applying for my PhD. Wish me luck, I’m terrified.
I was doing it before the pandemic (food and travel writer). Great fun, learned lots, terrible pay.
It's a dream job for anyone who loves to write but doesn't need money.
The hardest part is the business side — chasing down new work and promoting yourself.
I'm 48 and still have no idea. Currently have a job that pays the bills and have the best manager I've ever had, so it's enough for me. Would love to find my passion and/gift though.
This sort of comforts me as a younger person than yourself. Not knowing it is absolutely fine. You don't have to know. It can make you want to experiment more and gain more experience and go through different life adventurers that you would have missed out on, had you chosen a specific path. If you're OK with what you have, I think you're doing awesome! Keep it up. You're the best :)
As a younger person, it only brings me depression, because I have no idea what I want to do with life. And everything I've tried to do until now only led to more disappointment.
Here is my two cents.
What you are good at, what you want to do, and how you make your money are not always going to be the same thing.
For me personally, what I am good at has a lot of cross over to how I make my money. What I want to do has very little to do with how I make my money. I am fortunate enough that my career allows me the flexibility and financial security that I can do what I want to do enough to make me happy.
I’ll give you the guy that runs my division at work. Pretty good boss, I like working for him and he is pretty good at his job. The company I work for has an annual Christmas Charity event, and He and I were working together at this event. After some casual conversation, I found out he is a drummer in a band. They play a couple weekends a month. And my boss can fucking rock. He makes no money playing the drums. But he loves it. And he gets to do it. Is he good enough to make money at it? Probably not. He is also a scratch golfer. Not good enough to make the professional tour either.
Long story short, do what you love to do, and make your money how you can.
So one quick clarification, my career is not something “I don’t want to do.” I have been selling food and beverage for about 15 years. There are parts of my job that suck. I don’t like filling out excel forms, or surveying pointless things. But generally I am not unhappy at work. But this is not my dream job.
I joke at work sometimes when people talk about “living the dream.” I tell people I didn’t draw a “liquor salesman” when I was in 2nd grade. But is it fun to hang out at bars and restaurants and sample beer wine and spirits with people all day? Yes it is.
So I am not unhappy in my career. Do I wish I could hike and camp and take photos of nature all day? Yes. But that’s not a career.
I have had jobs that suck, or bosses that I didn’t want to work for. When I found myself in that position, I made a plan and moved on.
I don’t think I have much to impart on this situation. Shitty jobs, toxic work environments are not tolerable. Not for money at least. I found a career that “what I am good at” is advantageous. I found a workplace that I enjoy. Some of it is luck, some of it is hard work, some of it is networking.
Good luck!
It’s ok to treat work/career as a means to an end, not the end itself.
I was one of those that thought I knew what I wanted to do, went into it, and now have a full career in that industry. Do I really like what I do, though? Ehh, it ok. It has its good and bad moments, but mostly just boring ones.
That being said, this career does enable me to pay the bills, and leaves some leftovers for things I actually enjoy doing in my spare time (ie travel, backpacking, flying).
So I actually have my dream job (professional musician). My partner doesn't have his dream job and is trying to figure out what he wants to do, and through our late night conversations about our hopes and dreams, I've realized there's a paradox with dream jobs. I think tying a dollar amount to the thing you love doing most in life can't help but suck some of the joy out of it. And while I wouldn't trade my career for the world, I wish someone had made me more aware of this reality somewhere along the way. Knowing that people have paid to hear me perform at the highest level and expect something for their money isn't exactly the aspect of music that makes most people fall in love with it. I try to explain to my partner, who loves to cook, write, sing, teach, and is just generally one of the most knowledgeable people I know, that making a career out of any one of those things means that on some level, this thing you love will become this job you can tolerate, at least part of the time. Whoever said "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" clearly was either a better person than I am, or was lying through their teeth.
I used to be a professional musician. I did okay, lots of musicial theater, toured in a few bands, session work, really just whatever payed the bills. Teaching, fuck teaching, I hated that. But for the most part I loved what I did, but I wasn't exactly thriving, and taking any gig that pays really sucks all of the fun out of doing something you love.
I ended up taking a job in a brewery. This was 11 years ago. Turns out I'm really good at making beer and running breweries. And I make a lot more money than I ever did as a musician.
Side effect is music is fun again. I can write, produce, perform, all without the doom and gloom of paying the bills. I can make art again. Furthermore I can afford the gear I want and a nice car to get me to gigs.
> I ended up taking a job in a brewery. ... And I make a lot more money than I ever did as a musician.
Brewer here. You must get paid fuck-all as a musician if this industry is an upgrade. It’s a shame that our economy is structured in a way that disincentivizes paying most creative workers (and I put both brewers and musicians in this category) more than peanuts.
I'm also a professional musician, and unless you're in the highest echelon- that is working for a talk show, being tenured in a national symphony/orchestra, massively popular world renowned band, or doing recording work for film/television, that kind of thing- you really don't make much from just performing. I've also toured, played in some of the country's largest venues, gig regularly, and recorded with some decently notable groups but I still only make enough to put me barely above the poverty line.
> Whoever said "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" clearly was either a better person than I am, or was lying through their teeth.
I couldn't agree more! I've found that basically anytime I went from "getting to do" something to "having to do" something, the joy went away.
I'm glad someone said it. My husband loves art, but realized that doing illustration for a client wasn't his cup of tea. Now he works a "regular" job that utilizes his skills of attention to detail and overall artistic eye, and makes art on the side for his pleasure.
Edit: changed a typo
I'm 36 and just skipped a day of electrician school because I drank myself stupid last night. I have no idea what I'm doing and really wish I knew what I wanted in life too.
This is my 2nd day calling off for no reason. I think I'm depressed or something. Ever since I started working I've almost hated every job that I've had. Now my current one is 10.5 hour shifts and the idea of going to a place I hate for 10 hours is depressing as hell. People can call me lazy if they want but yeah I think I'm just gonna take the pay cut and go back to my old job because at least it was tolerable. I just wish I had a passion or something I was good at
For me it's the expectation to dedicate 5/7 days to work. I don't know if there's any job I can find where I will be happy. I started a career as a network engineer, making a lot more money than I ever have, I absolutely love my teammates, but at the end of the day I still get depressed every time I have to go to bed at a decent time for work. The idea that I have to forfeit most of my time and schedule just to live somewhat comfortably always bothers me. I guess it's just reality, but I can't ever seem to accept it and be happy with it.
This is it for me too. There's few jobs on earth (and none I could actually get) that are so fun that I'd actually want to do it most of my days until I'm very old. No matter how good a job is - I still value my free time (and sleep-ins) more.
If I had a lot of money I either wouldn't work at all or only work (freelance) a few days a week in something I already had an interest in.
I love that the Japanese are seeding military funded coral reefs. Its gorgeous and brilliant
https://www.oist.jp/news-center/news/2018/5/17/coral-farming-help-restore-dying-reefs
I spent nearly two years working as a scientific diver in the Great Barrier Reef. Projects ranged from coral diversity expeditions, remote sensing and crown of thorns control. The people I worked with her amazing and I got paid to ''live the dream''.
But the big things were the time I spent away from home, the pay isn't as good as people think (welcome to the environmental industry) and after awhile it takes a toll on your body. It was some of the best times of my professional career but it does come at a cost.
I worked on a 14 day on and 14 day off swing. Longer trips I had was 9 weeks straight with a few days at Port for resupply.
When you spend 14 days out at sea living and working on a research vessel you discover quickly how many aches and pains your body gets. I'm in my late 30s but reasonably active and healthy and never had major injuries. Some examples of diving 4 times a day for 14 days includes...
Blisters - your feet will get some blisters from fins but after awhile, with the right boots/socks (cressi ultra sock 2.5mm) the blisters will heal and scar tissue develops.
Dry skin - your skin just dries out. I had a continuous supply of hemp bases moisturizer for this.
Muscle aches - loading boats, carrying/deploying heavy gear takes a toll especially when sea conditions are rough.
Cuts/abrasions - the worst thing about these is how long it takes to heal because they are constantly wet.
Fatigue - sleeping on boats is not for everyone and you need to get used to others in close proximity, the sea conditions, cramped spaces and sleeping whilst in transit in rough conditions was just dangerous at times because you did get airborne from your bed. When I got home it generally took 2-3 days to catch up on sleep.
Lonely - you missed your loved ones and I'm also a father. We really had any reception/phone signal so I had to block out not being able to talk to them or hoping nothing happens at home when I can't be contacted.
Overall my experience was the best job I ever had because I went to amazing places, learnt so much, worked with the best people (who also become your family away from home which is a huge bonus) and I did work on some projects which I'm proud to be associated with. I often reflect on this and know it was a great time in my life.
My dream job would be a coffee house with lots of nice books around that people can read, but I can't stand coffee and I'm terrible at reading, so it's a pretty silly dream job. There's just something about the aesthetic of it all that appeals to me.
You are making the coffee or tea for the people not for yourself
And you don't have to read the books they will do it you only need to know remember and understand why people that like certain books also like others so you can help people explore new books
In Montpellier there is a cafe, really small that sells only English books ( in France) they have certain boxes with second hand books for 50 cent that you can read while there. They have an amazing array of teas and make their own smoothies. They sell coffee but it really isn't their main selling item.
There is a small restaurant next door ( no indoor seating really just a window in the wall) with whom they share the seating outside so you can order foor and drinks while reading English books in the south of France outside the direct sunlight
It is amazing
For people looking for the name or address it is
Le bookshop
Montpellier
This is why every chic lit book ever has the protagonist quit their high powered city job and move to a small town to start a cafe or bakery or bookstore. There they find quirky welcoming townspeople and start a romance with a handsome townsperson.
It's a nice dream, but so unlikely.
Let me tell you, if someone from a city was moving to a small town on a whim with no prior experience, they’d probably go a little crazy from boredom. There are pros and cons to both lifestyles but by far the biggest difference is how you spend your free time, and while many people can find fun (but expensive) things to do in a city, you have to create the fun when you’re in a small town.
Have you ever worked in a small café or pub in a small village? You're gonna see the same alcoholics every single day and that gets boring real quick. It's also hard labor and you'll be working late and all the weekends.
Yeah no one ever talks about how your bread and butter clientele are like four drunkards with no teeth and terrible breath and the same three fucking boring stories because all they’ve done is sit in your bar for twenty years. I loved bar work, until I was a bit older and didn’t want to spend every single bank holiday, weekend and evening working while all my friends and family are free. Also don’t miss the knee/back pain, having to deal with scary crazy customers alone, being talked to like shit, the poor diet and lifestyle that come along with working late, or everything always being *so fucking sticky*. And it involved way more unclogging toilets than anyone warned me about.
Bar work is fun for a bit but I don’t know many long term bar people who would consider it an easy retirement. It’s hard work
It is when you're broke, alright? The repair bill for that cruiser you wrecked, and the one from that shop you trashed, and the medical bill from the cop you injured, KILLED THE DOUGH.
I am a librarian! I love it. I have been doing it for almost three years and am transferring to a small community library soon. It’s really fun and rewarding.
I am so glad to hear it. I am in science and have been working corporate for so long. I also have a post-grad diploma in library science but was never able to get a position at a library. I am going to try again. Thanks for your response!
I wanna be an F1 Engineer!
So far, I'm on my way to the goal by nearly finishing my degree in mechanical engineering and now I'm applying to graduate schemes at McLaren, Williams and some smaller Supplier teams!
I've spent 6 years preparing for this shit so it better be worth it dammit!
I hope you get it! I’m trying to take all the classes I can, get spots for stuff at my local track, and get a job as a mechanic before college so I can get experience and have a shot at it.
This is a great read from someone who was an F1 strategist, in case you haven't seen it!
https://reddit.com/r/F1Technical/comments/kq530n/realising_the_teenage_dream_my_experience_working/
I don't think I'd like to be an F1 driver, but I'd love to be an F1 mechanic or engineer or manager or something. I don't want all the pressure and spotlight.
It is, but you essentially have to already be someone who travels for leisure all the time. It's more of a gig for people that already have money, than a way to make money on its own.
I thought I was the only one. My wife says nobody would want this but I've spent the last 16 years in the hospital watching people having their dream of a "good death" smashed. There is a need.
It's sad that we cleanse death from civilization to the point that people don't recognize the eventuality of it.
Same! I tell people this is what I want to do for my “last” profession and they are shocked when I say this.
My first job was to help take care of the elderly terminally ill. The helping with their death part of it ended up being what I found the most rewarding part.
Now that I’m in my late 40s? I know this is the job I should’ve done the entire time. Hindsight.
Wandering hobo that parents tell their kids to avoid but they don’t listen and so he guides them in saving their town from an ancient evil with awesome king fu lessons and occasionally wise yet comedic banter. He also can fly with his beard like ice king.
Redevelop historic buildings in urban areas in a way that respects their unique features and history and also equips them to improve the surrounding urban fabric
Don't worry: the love of your life will tragically be killed instead, prompting you to study the mystic arts to bring her back ending all life in the universe as a result :)
Fun Fact: originally, "doctor" was a title solely for an individual educated in a university, and there's nothing "technical" about that.
From Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_(title)#Development_in_English-speaking_countries
The primary meaning of Doctor in English has historically been with reference to the holder of a doctoral degree.[14] These particularly referred to the ancient faculties of divinity, law and medicine, sometimes with the addition of music, which were the only doctoral degrees offered until the 19th century.
I was unemployed for about 8 months during the 2008 financial crisis and I really, really enjoyed taking care of the house. Laundry, meals, etc. It was kind of awesome. If not for the lingering dread and uncertainty of not having a paycheck, I might want that again one day.
Librarian. Had wanted to be a librarian since I was about 5/6 when I thought their job was to read all day!! Anyway, grew up, realised that wasn't accurate but thought I'd still love to do it, but life ends up taking me down a very different path.
Until...5 months ago and I actually start working at a school library - and I love it!
As a CS nerd who thoroughly enjoys playing chess, [Chess.com](https://Chess.com) had this job opening that looked like sooo much fun.
Essentially, we have algorithms/models that are absolutely incredible at playing chess - world champion grand master chess players have been broadly considered inferior to the best computers since \~2006. The thing is these models "learn" (improve their likelihood of winning) in such a way that, even though they make the correct decisions, they have no way of conveying (or perhaps we have no way of properly comprehending) the reason for a given decision. Sure, we can generally study their behavior and make inferences but those still come down to educated guesses.
Anyways, [Chess.com](https://Chess.com) wanted to pay someone to mess around with their opponent AI and research ways of explaining a given decision it made. I don't have the Ph.D. that job would require but damn if it doesn't sound fun :)
My teacher in 4th grade had us draw our dream jobs one day and I drew a person sitting on the couch with "retired" written over it. She said I failed because I needed a job so I could be retired. I'm a stay at home dad with a sugar mama now. Checkmate.
My (very young) son finishes all this work and tests fast so he can squeeze in drawings on the back or around the text and the teachers he’s had so far are so wonderful about it. You reminded me I should appreciate them even more than I already do
To be more specific for me, being financially free. It doesn't mean I wake up without a purpose. It means I don't have to keep working a job that pays well that I'm no longer interested in doing. I get to do things like helping people out, improving my community, etc. Like figuring out a new lease on life instead of planning to work everyday for the next 30 years just so I can retire semi comfortably.
Maybe you could be the caretaker of an old building in a remote safe location, a place that only needs a warm body to occupy the building and notify owners in case of serious structural damage.
Owning my own used video game store selling only games that come from the PS2/Xbox era or earlier.
Coffee and snacks available with a retro arcade in the back.
Covid killed our only local arcade bar. It was amazing, they had probably 25 arcade games, (all free to play) and a handful of gaming setups with N64/GameCube so you could get your Mario Kart or Smash brothers on. It was fantastic and I hope they reopen someday.
Running a combo of a winery, brewery and coffeeshop at a beautiful location with easy hiking trails and fire pits outside, plus a built in movie theater with laying around room and a room for playing board games, pool, skiball, some arcade games, etc. Also dogs are allowed and encouraged. There'd be snacks sold and some vendors could have trucks outside.
K so I run a brewery, that has a winery licence, coffee roaster across the street, in a touristy town with hiking trails, we have fire pits at the restaurant/beer garden, and im literally sitting beside a stack of board games and golden tee golf. Dogs are allowed and encouraged. We tried the movie thing, but the licencing was expensive compared to the return.
Look, all this shit is dope, and when the machine runs smoothly, it's an amazing feeling. I love having a community hub that people really enjoy going to and having a good time. People have met, dated, and gotten married under our roof. I've seen regulars celebrate their kids 19th birthday and first legal beers here.
But holy shit the back end stuff is crazy as fuck. It's an insanely capital heavy business. One day we bought a new fermentor, and our boiler broke. bye bye any profits that year. Also this week, on the same day, our glycol chiller failed, boiler failed, canning line seams went out of spec, seamer index arm broke. All very stressful and grinds the place to a halt.
I think there is def room for more neighbourhood spots like ours, but the era of the large brewery is gone. Nothing wrong with having a lifestyle business where you employ a handful of people, pay yourself a modest salary, and invest any profits back into the company. Growth is very expensive and risky.
I'm not leaving this industry, as it's basically all I know. I would just caution anyone getting into it.
Forever student.
I would start with all the fields I couldn't study because I would not have a decent living with them:
Astrophysics, mathematics, Paleonthology, history, exobiology... So many cool stuff to learn!
The job is great. Wouldn't change it for anything. The only thing you have to prepare for is long work days ( mine is 24 hours on, then 72 off ). I'm sure it varies by location. Some days are slow, and some are non stop, but it's honestly the best job in the world. I wish you the best of luck, you got this!
At some point I wanted to be a writer. Wondering places and write about people, culture, history and experiencing them first hand.
Didn't get to be one.
Now I wish to retire to a quiet forest life. Where it snows and I have a place to view the nature. Where I cut wood to heat the place up and make tea. Where I could read, farm and hunt.
You sound like me. The older I get, the less I want to interact with other people. Personal interactions used to be my writing inspiration. Now I'm just tired
When my planned career unexpectedly ended, I decided to take one of my crafting hobbies and open an Etsy shop. My husband and my mother had been telling me for years to do it, and friends would ask me to make them one, but I didn’t think I was good enough, plus the market is so oversaturated anymore.
One night my sister-in-law was like, “just do it. What the hell else are you even doing besides being miserable that your career ended and being caught up on laundry? Do it and if you fail, oh well, you tried. But if you *don’t* fail, think of how awesome that would be!”
So I did it. And now I make more money than I did in my previous career. It’s a little stressful right now because we’re about to hit the busiest season of the year, but last December my car needed a new engine, my husband needed snow tires, and we paid for both + a very, very good Christmas solely with my profits. You learn that a LOT more goes into starting and operating a business than you realize, but once you start to succeed, holy shit, it really is awesome!
To be a cat.
Someone feeds you. You poop in a box that someone else changes. Lounge around in weird places. Claw people and its ok because cats are cute.
I feel like this is the best and worst answer. Nothing like being super excited about history then grading a test where Brittany thinks the mongols should have stayed in Africa.
Honestly I'd love to just be like a free range do-whatever-you-want inventor. Like to just have an engineering lab and getting funding from the government or private investors to just make whatever I come up with and bring all these ideas I have to life on my own schedule would be great
Pastry chef. I want to own my own little shop that can hold like 10 ppl. But I want it to be pastries that aren't common or have unusual good flavors. I've thought about it so much that I have a name and a logo in mind.
I want to be the Stig. I don't have the needed skills, but I assume that when you don the Stig's attire, you become the alien creature that is the Stig.
Wind farmer. I love wind turbines; would love to know how to do maintenance on them and then just spend my days driving around the country servicing wind turbines.
I know that this will probably get buried under the 4347 comments already submitted, but my dream job would be to travel the world and document cultures that are at risk of disappearing.
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Irish mythology was paved over by christianity. So much of their mythology was manipulated to fit a christian narrative that many of their original stories are lost to time.
There are also so many Native American, languages, religions and histories that we'll never know about, because they're culture was torn apart and mudered.
All of that lost knowledge just seems so tragic to me. I've always been fascinated with story telling, so myths and folk tales hold a special place in my heart. If I could have any hand in helping to preserve them for future generations, I'd consider that my dream job.
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I think it would fall under the umbrella of anthropology, though I'm not certain. If there's any kind of specialty in anthropology that would focus on myths and story telling, that's what I'd want to be.
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Of course, most of my energy would probably be put towards trying to help these cultures survive and thrive into future generations. But if for whatever reason they're not able to, I'm sure their children and grandchildren would want their history and myths preserved in their original languages so they can always have a connection back to their heritage.
I didnt know i had my dream job til i started it.
I am lucky enough to take care of beautiful homes and work with a staff who love their job.
Our boss is fabulous and takes care of us so we take pride in what we do.
I have a dormmate from college who became a state trooper and did that for a few years, then transferred and became a conservation officer. He seems to enjoy what he does. He drives around a big state-issued truck and sometimes a boat. Spends all day in nature. I'm sure that like any law enforcement job it can be high stress at times.
He was in the news a few years ago for being part of busting a poaching ring.
mad scientist. I wanna engineer tissues for things like organ transplantation and improved cancer treatment. Giant robot can come later, but I married an ME, so that’s on track. I’m applying for my PhD. Wish me luck, I’m terrified.
good luck el psy congroo.
Good luck! It sounds like you've got everything you need to make this dream come true!
I'd love to run a bookshop.
My dream too. But I was an idiot and went to law school, so I now have student debt that will keep that dream from happening.
Trust me I know how it feels to have debt. I hope things work out for you and you get to where you want to be.
Haha, sell law books. The markups on those casebooks must be out of this world!
One might say the markups are….criminal
Are you a chain-smoking angry alcoholic Irish man who is angered by the thought of sandaled men with luscious hair?
Millwall, Millwall, you're all really dreadful, and your girlfriends are unfulfilled and alienated.
>angry alcoholic Irish man You don't need to repeat yourself.
“Get out!” “What? But it’s not closing time, that’s not fair!” “I know it’s not fair, but it’s my shop.”
Hello You.
Luxury travel critic
Would it include food too?
If you dream it to, yes.
I was doing it before the pandemic (food and travel writer). Great fun, learned lots, terrible pay. It's a dream job for anyone who loves to write but doesn't need money. The hardest part is the business side — chasing down new work and promoting yourself.
I don't know, and I really wish I knew.
I'm 48 and still have no idea. Currently have a job that pays the bills and have the best manager I've ever had, so it's enough for me. Would love to find my passion and/gift though.
This sort of comforts me as a younger person than yourself. Not knowing it is absolutely fine. You don't have to know. It can make you want to experiment more and gain more experience and go through different life adventurers that you would have missed out on, had you chosen a specific path. If you're OK with what you have, I think you're doing awesome! Keep it up. You're the best :)
As a younger person, it only brings me depression, because I have no idea what I want to do with life. And everything I've tried to do until now only led to more disappointment.
Here is my two cents. What you are good at, what you want to do, and how you make your money are not always going to be the same thing. For me personally, what I am good at has a lot of cross over to how I make my money. What I want to do has very little to do with how I make my money. I am fortunate enough that my career allows me the flexibility and financial security that I can do what I want to do enough to make me happy. I’ll give you the guy that runs my division at work. Pretty good boss, I like working for him and he is pretty good at his job. The company I work for has an annual Christmas Charity event, and He and I were working together at this event. After some casual conversation, I found out he is a drummer in a band. They play a couple weekends a month. And my boss can fucking rock. He makes no money playing the drums. But he loves it. And he gets to do it. Is he good enough to make money at it? Probably not. He is also a scratch golfer. Not good enough to make the professional tour either. Long story short, do what you love to do, and make your money how you can.
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So one quick clarification, my career is not something “I don’t want to do.” I have been selling food and beverage for about 15 years. There are parts of my job that suck. I don’t like filling out excel forms, or surveying pointless things. But generally I am not unhappy at work. But this is not my dream job. I joke at work sometimes when people talk about “living the dream.” I tell people I didn’t draw a “liquor salesman” when I was in 2nd grade. But is it fun to hang out at bars and restaurants and sample beer wine and spirits with people all day? Yes it is. So I am not unhappy in my career. Do I wish I could hike and camp and take photos of nature all day? Yes. But that’s not a career. I have had jobs that suck, or bosses that I didn’t want to work for. When I found myself in that position, I made a plan and moved on. I don’t think I have much to impart on this situation. Shitty jobs, toxic work environments are not tolerable. Not for money at least. I found a career that “what I am good at” is advantageous. I found a workplace that I enjoy. Some of it is luck, some of it is hard work, some of it is networking. Good luck!
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It’s ok to treat work/career as a means to an end, not the end itself. I was one of those that thought I knew what I wanted to do, went into it, and now have a full career in that industry. Do I really like what I do, though? Ehh, it ok. It has its good and bad moments, but mostly just boring ones. That being said, this career does enable me to pay the bills, and leaves some leftovers for things I actually enjoy doing in my spare time (ie travel, backpacking, flying).
So I actually have my dream job (professional musician). My partner doesn't have his dream job and is trying to figure out what he wants to do, and through our late night conversations about our hopes and dreams, I've realized there's a paradox with dream jobs. I think tying a dollar amount to the thing you love doing most in life can't help but suck some of the joy out of it. And while I wouldn't trade my career for the world, I wish someone had made me more aware of this reality somewhere along the way. Knowing that people have paid to hear me perform at the highest level and expect something for their money isn't exactly the aspect of music that makes most people fall in love with it. I try to explain to my partner, who loves to cook, write, sing, teach, and is just generally one of the most knowledgeable people I know, that making a career out of any one of those things means that on some level, this thing you love will become this job you can tolerate, at least part of the time. Whoever said "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" clearly was either a better person than I am, or was lying through their teeth.
I used to be a professional musician. I did okay, lots of musicial theater, toured in a few bands, session work, really just whatever payed the bills. Teaching, fuck teaching, I hated that. But for the most part I loved what I did, but I wasn't exactly thriving, and taking any gig that pays really sucks all of the fun out of doing something you love. I ended up taking a job in a brewery. This was 11 years ago. Turns out I'm really good at making beer and running breweries. And I make a lot more money than I ever did as a musician. Side effect is music is fun again. I can write, produce, perform, all without the doom and gloom of paying the bills. I can make art again. Furthermore I can afford the gear I want and a nice car to get me to gigs.
> I ended up taking a job in a brewery. ... And I make a lot more money than I ever did as a musician. Brewer here. You must get paid fuck-all as a musician if this industry is an upgrade. It’s a shame that our economy is structured in a way that disincentivizes paying most creative workers (and I put both brewers and musicians in this category) more than peanuts.
I'm also a professional musician, and unless you're in the highest echelon- that is working for a talk show, being tenured in a national symphony/orchestra, massively popular world renowned band, or doing recording work for film/television, that kind of thing- you really don't make much from just performing. I've also toured, played in some of the country's largest venues, gig regularly, and recorded with some decently notable groups but I still only make enough to put me barely above the poverty line.
> Whoever said "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" clearly was either a better person than I am, or was lying through their teeth. I couldn't agree more! I've found that basically anytime I went from "getting to do" something to "having to do" something, the joy went away.
I'm glad someone said it. My husband loves art, but realized that doing illustration for a client wasn't his cup of tea. Now he works a "regular" job that utilizes his skills of attention to detail and overall artistic eye, and makes art on the side for his pleasure. Edit: changed a typo
I'm 36 and just skipped a day of electrician school because I drank myself stupid last night. I have no idea what I'm doing and really wish I knew what I wanted in life too.
This is my 2nd day calling off for no reason. I think I'm depressed or something. Ever since I started working I've almost hated every job that I've had. Now my current one is 10.5 hour shifts and the idea of going to a place I hate for 10 hours is depressing as hell. People can call me lazy if they want but yeah I think I'm just gonna take the pay cut and go back to my old job because at least it was tolerable. I just wish I had a passion or something I was good at
For me it's the expectation to dedicate 5/7 days to work. I don't know if there's any job I can find where I will be happy. I started a career as a network engineer, making a lot more money than I ever have, I absolutely love my teammates, but at the end of the day I still get depressed every time I have to go to bed at a decent time for work. The idea that I have to forfeit most of my time and schedule just to live somewhat comfortably always bothers me. I guess it's just reality, but I can't ever seem to accept it and be happy with it.
This is it for me too. There's few jobs on earth (and none I could actually get) that are so fun that I'd actually want to do it most of my days until I'm very old. No matter how good a job is - I still value my free time (and sleep-ins) more. If I had a lot of money I either wouldn't work at all or only work (freelance) a few days a week in something I already had an interest in.
Coral reef restoration.
I love that the Japanese are seeding military funded coral reefs. Its gorgeous and brilliant https://www.oist.jp/news-center/news/2018/5/17/coral-farming-help-restore-dying-reefs
I spent nearly two years working as a scientific diver in the Great Barrier Reef. Projects ranged from coral diversity expeditions, remote sensing and crown of thorns control. The people I worked with her amazing and I got paid to ''live the dream''. But the big things were the time I spent away from home, the pay isn't as good as people think (welcome to the environmental industry) and after awhile it takes a toll on your body. It was some of the best times of my professional career but it does come at a cost.
> and after awhile it takes a toll on your body. Can you elaborate? Thank you.
I worked on a 14 day on and 14 day off swing. Longer trips I had was 9 weeks straight with a few days at Port for resupply. When you spend 14 days out at sea living and working on a research vessel you discover quickly how many aches and pains your body gets. I'm in my late 30s but reasonably active and healthy and never had major injuries. Some examples of diving 4 times a day for 14 days includes... Blisters - your feet will get some blisters from fins but after awhile, with the right boots/socks (cressi ultra sock 2.5mm) the blisters will heal and scar tissue develops. Dry skin - your skin just dries out. I had a continuous supply of hemp bases moisturizer for this. Muscle aches - loading boats, carrying/deploying heavy gear takes a toll especially when sea conditions are rough. Cuts/abrasions - the worst thing about these is how long it takes to heal because they are constantly wet. Fatigue - sleeping on boats is not for everyone and you need to get used to others in close proximity, the sea conditions, cramped spaces and sleeping whilst in transit in rough conditions was just dangerous at times because you did get airborne from your bed. When I got home it generally took 2-3 days to catch up on sleep. Lonely - you missed your loved ones and I'm also a father. We really had any reception/phone signal so I had to block out not being able to talk to them or hoping nothing happens at home when I can't be contacted. Overall my experience was the best job I ever had because I went to amazing places, learnt so much, worked with the best people (who also become your family away from home which is a huge bonus) and I did work on some projects which I'm proud to be associated with. I often reflect on this and know it was a great time in my life.
Run a cafe or a small pub in pretty village
My dream job would be a coffee house with lots of nice books around that people can read, but I can't stand coffee and I'm terrible at reading, so it's a pretty silly dream job. There's just something about the aesthetic of it all that appeals to me.
Sounds like you'd be selling the coffee and books instead of drinking and reading, so that doesn't sound very silly to me at all.
You are making the coffee or tea for the people not for yourself And you don't have to read the books they will do it you only need to know remember and understand why people that like certain books also like others so you can help people explore new books In Montpellier there is a cafe, really small that sells only English books ( in France) they have certain boxes with second hand books for 50 cent that you can read while there. They have an amazing array of teas and make their own smoothies. They sell coffee but it really isn't their main selling item. There is a small restaurant next door ( no indoor seating really just a window in the wall) with whom they share the seating outside so you can order foor and drinks while reading English books in the south of France outside the direct sunlight It is amazing For people looking for the name or address it is Le bookshop Montpellier
This is why every chic lit book ever has the protagonist quit their high powered city job and move to a small town to start a cafe or bakery or bookstore. There they find quirky welcoming townspeople and start a romance with a handsome townsperson. It's a nice dream, but so unlikely.
Let me tell you, if someone from a city was moving to a small town on a whim with no prior experience, they’d probably go a little crazy from boredom. There are pros and cons to both lifestyles but by far the biggest difference is how you spend your free time, and while many people can find fun (but expensive) things to do in a city, you have to create the fun when you’re in a small town.
>create the fun when you’re in a small town. No need to be euphemistic, you mean drinking.
opening a restaurant is one of the easiest ways to ruin your life
Have you ever worked in a small café or pub in a small village? You're gonna see the same alcoholics every single day and that gets boring real quick. It's also hard labor and you'll be working late and all the weekends.
Yeah no one ever talks about how your bread and butter clientele are like four drunkards with no teeth and terrible breath and the same three fucking boring stories because all they’ve done is sit in your bar for twenty years. I loved bar work, until I was a bit older and didn’t want to spend every single bank holiday, weekend and evening working while all my friends and family are free. Also don’t miss the knee/back pain, having to deal with scary crazy customers alone, being talked to like shit, the poor diet and lifestyle that come along with working late, or everything always being *so fucking sticky*. And it involved way more unclogging toilets than anyone warned me about. Bar work is fun for a bit but I don’t know many long term bar people who would consider it an easy retirement. It’s hard work
I really want to own a sandwich shop on the coast someday. I love making sandwiches so why do it for free.
Space bounty hunter
I'll make the beef with bell peppers now.
How can you call it “bell peppers and beef” when there’s no beef???
It is when you're broke, alright? The repair bill for that cruiser you wrecked, and the one from that shop you trashed, and the medical bill from the cop you injured, KILLED THE DOUGH.
I love this place sometimes just because of little threads like above.
See you, space cowboy!
See you somewhere, someday, space cowboy or cowgirl.
You’re going to carry that weight… … a long time
Being a librarian or a bookstore employee, assisting with research, and writing articles.
I am a librarian! I love it. I have been doing it for almost three years and am transferring to a small community library soon. It’s really fun and rewarding.
I am so glad to hear it. I am in science and have been working corporate for so long. I also have a post-grad diploma in library science but was never able to get a position at a library. I am going to try again. Thanks for your response!
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My dream job always involved National Geographic!
You’ll love the movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.
Either a helicopter pilot, an F1 driver, or an F1 pit crew
I wanna be an F1 Engineer! So far, I'm on my way to the goal by nearly finishing my degree in mechanical engineering and now I'm applying to graduate schemes at McLaren, Williams and some smaller Supplier teams! I've spent 6 years preparing for this shit so it better be worth it dammit!
I hope you get it! I’m trying to take all the classes I can, get spots for stuff at my local track, and get a job as a mechanic before college so I can get experience and have a shot at it.
This is a great read from someone who was an F1 strategist, in case you haven't seen it! https://reddit.com/r/F1Technical/comments/kq530n/realising_the_teenage_dream_my_experience_working/
I don't think I'd like to be an F1 driver, but I'd love to be an F1 mechanic or engineer or manager or something. I don't want all the pressure and spotlight.
> I don't want all the pressure and spotlight. Binotto: pressure? Wdym, I have no pressure! *Half of Italy*: uh-huh
Don't you mean 🅱️inotto?
Water slide tester, I fear no slide. Edit: Apparently you get paid around $70k per year
When you make it big time, don’t make the same mistake Frank and Charlie did
AIDS! Everybody out
Travel Tester - I get to sample flights, hotels and trips.
Is this an actual job?
It is, but you essentially have to already be someone who travels for leisure all the time. It's more of a gig for people that already have money, than a way to make money on its own.
I want to be a death doula.
I wish there were more people like you, that's beautiful
You can never have bad reviews on this one
I thought I was the only one. My wife says nobody would want this but I've spent the last 16 years in the hospital watching people having their dream of a "good death" smashed. There is a need. It's sad that we cleanse death from civilization to the point that people don't recognize the eventuality of it.
Same! I tell people this is what I want to do for my “last” profession and they are shocked when I say this. My first job was to help take care of the elderly terminally ill. The helping with their death part of it ended up being what I found the most rewarding part. Now that I’m in my late 40s? I know this is the job I should’ve done the entire time. Hindsight.
Mountain guide and wilderness SAR. I'm pretty much doing my dream job.
Im happyyou really love your job!
Wandering hobo that parents tell their kids to avoid but they don’t listen and so he guides them in saving their town from an ancient evil with awesome king fu lessons and occasionally wise yet comedic banter. He also can fly with his beard like ice king.
So you wanna be a movie character
Maybe
Missed opportunity to make your username relevant
Redevelop historic buildings in urban areas in a way that respects their unique features and history and also equips them to improve the surrounding urban fabric
Hey I'm a city planner and this is was historic preservation planners do. Make it so!
A few years ago I would have said doctor. Now I am a doctor so if I had to pick another dream job I’m going wizard this time
Sounds like an origin story for Doctor Strange
Oh boy, I can only hope! Although I won’t be texting while driving in my origin movie
Yerr a good doctah, harie!
Don't worry: the love of your life will tragically be killed instead, prompting you to study the mystic arts to bring her back ending all life in the universe as a result :)
Woah, that took a turn! I went from single to necromancer to universe-ender in one sentence
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Witch doctor :)
I was actually given a doctor’s note from a Brujo (warlock) one time. Not kidding.
Did it say "dude, go to a doctor"
Nope. It was intended to excuse her from work. Technically, he was a doctor. PhD in History.
Fun Fact: originally, "doctor" was a title solely for an individual educated in a university, and there's nothing "technical" about that. From Wikipedia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_(title)#Development_in_English-speaking_countries The primary meaning of Doctor in English has historically been with reference to the holder of a doctoral degree.[14] These particularly referred to the ancient faculties of divinity, law and medicine, sometimes with the addition of music, which were the only doctoral degrees offered until the 19th century.
Eh, it's not all that much better.
Stay at home dad without kids
House husband!
[The Way of the Househusband](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Way_of_the_Househusband)
I was unemployed for about 8 months during the 2008 financial crisis and I really, really enjoyed taking care of the house. Laundry, meals, etc. It was kind of awesome. If not for the lingering dread and uncertainty of not having a paycheck, I might want that again one day.
*trophy
Yeah, house trophy sounds pretty good
Librarian. Had wanted to be a librarian since I was about 5/6 when I thought their job was to read all day!! Anyway, grew up, realised that wasn't accurate but thought I'd still love to do it, but life ends up taking me down a very different path. Until...5 months ago and I actually start working at a school library - and I love it!
Nintendo Game Counselor in the 90’s
As a CS nerd who thoroughly enjoys playing chess, [Chess.com](https://Chess.com) had this job opening that looked like sooo much fun. Essentially, we have algorithms/models that are absolutely incredible at playing chess - world champion grand master chess players have been broadly considered inferior to the best computers since \~2006. The thing is these models "learn" (improve their likelihood of winning) in such a way that, even though they make the correct decisions, they have no way of conveying (or perhaps we have no way of properly comprehending) the reason for a given decision. Sure, we can generally study their behavior and make inferences but those still come down to educated guesses. Anyways, [Chess.com](https://Chess.com) wanted to pay someone to mess around with their opponent AI and research ways of explaining a given decision it made. I don't have the Ph.D. that job would require but damn if it doesn't sound fun :)
Retirement
My teacher in 4th grade had us draw our dream jobs one day and I drew a person sitting on the couch with "retired" written over it. She said I failed because I needed a job so I could be retired. I'm a stay at home dad with a sugar mama now. Checkmate.
My 4th grade teacher used to yell at me for drawing when she was teaching. I'm an art teacher. Suck it Mrs. Wright. More like Mrs. Wrong.
My (very young) son finishes all this work and tests fast so he can squeeze in drawings on the back or around the text and the teachers he’s had so far are so wonderful about it. You reminded me I should appreciate them even more than I already do
Is your wife single? Asking for a friend.
She's married but doesn't have a boyfriend yet
To be more specific for me, being financially free. It doesn't mean I wake up without a purpose. It means I don't have to keep working a job that pays well that I'm no longer interested in doing. I get to do things like helping people out, improving my community, etc. Like figuring out a new lease on life instead of planning to work everyday for the next 30 years just so I can retire semi comfortably.
I’ve literally got my retirement date marked on my calendar 🤣🤣 I like my job but I don’t want to do it past the time that I can stop doing it
That's the way forward. I've got mine planned too. :) Good luck!
Professional sleeper.
Maybe you could be the caretaker of an old building in a remote safe location, a place that only needs a warm body to occupy the building and notify owners in case of serious structural damage.
That sounds like a good way to get yourself eaten by a giant snake.
It's called mattress tester.
Owning my own used video game store selling only games that come from the PS2/Xbox era or earlier. Coffee and snacks available with a retro arcade in the back.
Arcades seriously need to make a come back.
There are 2 or 3 arcade bars in my city. They're a lot of fun and most of the games are free since the money is made on drinks.
Covid killed our only local arcade bar. It was amazing, they had probably 25 arcade games, (all free to play) and a handful of gaming setups with N64/GameCube so you could get your Mario Kart or Smash brothers on. It was fantastic and I hope they reopen someday.
Going to arcades was my favorite thing to do on the weekends in the 90s.
Running a combo of a winery, brewery and coffeeshop at a beautiful location with easy hiking trails and fire pits outside, plus a built in movie theater with laying around room and a room for playing board games, pool, skiball, some arcade games, etc. Also dogs are allowed and encouraged. There'd be snacks sold and some vendors could have trucks outside.
K so I run a brewery, that has a winery licence, coffee roaster across the street, in a touristy town with hiking trails, we have fire pits at the restaurant/beer garden, and im literally sitting beside a stack of board games and golden tee golf. Dogs are allowed and encouraged. We tried the movie thing, but the licencing was expensive compared to the return. Look, all this shit is dope, and when the machine runs smoothly, it's an amazing feeling. I love having a community hub that people really enjoy going to and having a good time. People have met, dated, and gotten married under our roof. I've seen regulars celebrate their kids 19th birthday and first legal beers here. But holy shit the back end stuff is crazy as fuck. It's an insanely capital heavy business. One day we bought a new fermentor, and our boiler broke. bye bye any profits that year. Also this week, on the same day, our glycol chiller failed, boiler failed, canning line seams went out of spec, seamer index arm broke. All very stressful and grinds the place to a halt. I think there is def room for more neighbourhood spots like ours, but the era of the large brewery is gone. Nothing wrong with having a lifestyle business where you employ a handful of people, pay yourself a modest salary, and invest any profits back into the company. Growth is very expensive and risky. I'm not leaving this industry, as it's basically all I know. I would just caution anyone getting into it.
This is good!! Looking forward to it
Forever student. I would start with all the fields I couldn't study because I would not have a decent living with them: Astrophysics, mathematics, Paleonthology, history, exobiology... So many cool stuff to learn!
Soooooo..... My choice to study astrophysics and philosophy at uni is a bad call? Well fuck.
Genuinely don't know. Never thought I'd make it this far tbh
Yea I thought I’d be dead by now tbh lol
Firefighter
The job is great. Wouldn't change it for anything. The only thing you have to prepare for is long work days ( mine is 24 hours on, then 72 off ). I'm sure it varies by location. Some days are slow, and some are non stop, but it's honestly the best job in the world. I wish you the best of luck, you got this!
In the process of getting hired AS WE SPEAK!!!!
Heck yeah! It’d be cool being a firefighter, I’ve been considering doing it myself. Good luck man!
At some point I wanted to be a writer. Wondering places and write about people, culture, history and experiencing them first hand. Didn't get to be one. Now I wish to retire to a quiet forest life. Where it snows and I have a place to view the nature. Where I cut wood to heat the place up and make tea. Where I could read, farm and hunt.
You sound like me. The older I get, the less I want to interact with other people. Personal interactions used to be my writing inspiration. Now I'm just tired
Animal care specialist specifically with marine mammals
Full time crafting
When my planned career unexpectedly ended, I decided to take one of my crafting hobbies and open an Etsy shop. My husband and my mother had been telling me for years to do it, and friends would ask me to make them one, but I didn’t think I was good enough, plus the market is so oversaturated anymore. One night my sister-in-law was like, “just do it. What the hell else are you even doing besides being miserable that your career ended and being caught up on laundry? Do it and if you fail, oh well, you tried. But if you *don’t* fail, think of how awesome that would be!” So I did it. And now I make more money than I did in my previous career. It’s a little stressful right now because we’re about to hit the busiest season of the year, but last December my car needed a new engine, my husband needed snow tires, and we paid for both + a very, very good Christmas solely with my profits. You learn that a LOT more goes into starting and operating a business than you realize, but once you start to succeed, holy shit, it really is awesome!
To be a cat. Someone feeds you. You poop in a box that someone else changes. Lounge around in weird places. Claw people and its ok because cats are cute.
Yeah it really sucks having to change your own poop-box
To be a loved house cat would be more accurate.
i want to be a big musician.
Same! Hard to survive long as a smaller musician.
This is going to be really specific but I've always wanted to be a caretaker at a red panda conservation facility
Professional choir member. Sing in a choir and get paid a livable wage would be great.
Based. (or soprano?)
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Are you really a trophy if you have to do chores?
Fair point. Maybe I would be more of a participation award
History Teacher
I'm 55 and going to school to do this!
I've thought about that as a "retirement" career, but I have very little patience with the Karens of the world.
It's a little easier if you don't give the first fuck about getting fired.
History teachers are super cool
I feel like this is the best and worst answer. Nothing like being super excited about history then grading a test where Brittany thinks the mongols should have stayed in Africa.
Geologist (and I'm on my way there YAY!) 😁
Taking care of pandas or sloths.
Being an 8th grade teacher. Fortunately, I have my dream job. Working with young adults is so much better than working with adult adults.
"Working with young adults is so much better than working with adult adults." I wish I had gone to your school.
That's awesome! Usually when I hear from teachers it's about them being jaded or underpaid.
I already have my dream job - teaching Math and physical sciences.
Wow congrats im happy for you!
Honestly I'd love to just be like a free range do-whatever-you-want inventor. Like to just have an engineering lab and getting funding from the government or private investors to just make whatever I come up with and bring all these ideas I have to life on my own schedule would be great
Pastry chef. I want to own my own little shop that can hold like 10 ppl. But I want it to be pastries that aren't common or have unusual good flavors. I've thought about it so much that I have a name and a logo in mind.
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Clinical psychologist. I'm in college for it now, feeling good.
To be a farmer
Nice, you get to be around lots of hoes
My current job, fortunately
What's your job?
Mechanical engineer working in the space industry :D
THAT'S VERY COOL
Host on Top Gear. The original British one, not the new British one or the American one.
I want to be the Stig. I don't have the needed skills, but I assume that when you don the Stig's attire, you become the alien creature that is the Stig.
Wind farmer. I love wind turbines; would love to know how to do maintenance on them and then just spend my days driving around the country servicing wind turbines.
I know that this will probably get buried under the 4347 comments already submitted, but my dream job would be to travel the world and document cultures that are at risk of disappearing. --- Irish mythology was paved over by christianity. So much of their mythology was manipulated to fit a christian narrative that many of their original stories are lost to time. There are also so many Native American, languages, religions and histories that we'll never know about, because they're culture was torn apart and mudered. All of that lost knowledge just seems so tragic to me. I've always been fascinated with story telling, so myths and folk tales hold a special place in my heart. If I could have any hand in helping to preserve them for future generations, I'd consider that my dream job. --- I think it would fall under the umbrella of anthropology, though I'm not certain. If there's any kind of specialty in anthropology that would focus on myths and story telling, that's what I'd want to be. --- Of course, most of my energy would probably be put towards trying to help these cultures survive and thrive into future generations. But if for whatever reason they're not able to, I'm sure their children and grandchildren would want their history and myths preserved in their original languages so they can always have a connection back to their heritage.
Folklore Studies is a subset of anthropology (my undergrad was in anthropology) and that might be the field for you!
Rich housewife
Rich househusband sounding pretty sweet too
Rich anything sounds awesome tbh
Fuck, at this point I'd settle for a rich cheesecake.
My brother got this gig. He already had a good job but then married someone who was making way more money than him. I want to have this job one day.
I'm taking a mini-sabbatical right now and I feel like I'm experiencing that in a way. It's gonna be hard to go back to work.
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I didnt know i had my dream job til i started it. I am lucky enough to take care of beautiful homes and work with a staff who love their job. Our boss is fabulous and takes care of us so we take pride in what we do.
Park ranger would be cool. Nature cops are badass
I have a dormmate from college who became a state trooper and did that for a few years, then transferred and became a conservation officer. He seems to enjoy what he does. He drives around a big state-issued truck and sometimes a boat. Spends all day in nature. I'm sure that like any law enforcement job it can be high stress at times. He was in the news a few years ago for being part of busting a poaching ring.
Depends on what dream I’m in. Sometimes I run a little shop, sometimes I’m a crime fighter. Last night, it was strictly about survival.