I was going to be...

[Glow worm]

I wanted to work on an offshore radio station. My careers adviser told me to 'get out' when I told him!

 

[Brandane]

I saw myself travelling the world so applied for an apprenticeship as a merchant navy navigating officer. As an added bonus I only needed o levels so escaped school a week after my 16th birthday.

It was good while it lasted but then the British Merchant Navy disintegrated in the early 80's and ships were sold left right and centre.

I jumped ship, got a job in a pub for a couple of summers, then sobered up and joined the Police. 20 years later was pensioned out on health grounds.

Since then numerous jobs. Sales, security, taxi driver, HGV driver, call centres, and other revolving door employers who like to think they hold all the cards and don't like it up 'em when they try to take the pish. Now handyman at a local care home which should do me another few years until I leave the rat race..

 

[Dave 123]

When I was 13 my uncle who was the Commodore of the Alexander Towing Company in Southampton Docks told me there was a job waiting for me. I would have to start at the bottom and work my way up, his son was all ready a skipper on one of the tug boats.
At school we were asked what we wanted to be when we left school, I said I'm going to work on the tug boats in Southampton, the teacher laughed calling me "Tug Boat Anderson", I felt so ashamed I never took it up. I was very good at metalwork and we had a Blacksmiths forge at school, I was good at that too so I became a Blacksmith.

Some teachers are arseh01es.

 

[Milkfloat]

For some reason I wanted to be an accountant - I did not do that, but got into Digital Cartography and have stayed in my very first company through it's many owners, in various roles as software engineer, big data analysis and now in operations. Strangely enough I have almost gone full circle as I spend most of my day budgeting and accounting.

 

[nickyboy]

At my school I got practically no careers advice nor any steer based on my aptitudes. I left with A levels and no idea what to do. Got a job in an office of a large manufacturer

As it turned out I was good at accountancy but it took me about 6 years after leaving school to realise it. 6 wasted years

Did well career wise on the back of accountancy qualifications and now "fly around the world drinking beer and having a good time" as Son #2 puts it. I do try to assure him there is a little more to it than that

 

[Leaway2]

I loved anything to do with Radio and TV. Listening to short wave radio. Messing about with electronics. I became a radio ham. When I left school I went to college to do a radio, TV repair course. When I finished the course, TV's were being starting to be built with transistors and were far more reliable and cheaper to buy than rent. The rental companies, Radio rentals, Colourvision, et al were all going down hill.
I went into computing. 40 years later, still doing it.

 

[RoubaixCube]

I wanted to become a carpenter or a musician. But I ended up being sh1thot with computers at school so I tried to change my fate and go down the path of IT. Never could get a job in it though because by the time i completed my studies, the jobs market was saturated with people looking for the same job. Tried my hand at the musician thing too. Spent 3 years playing local venues and didn't get anywhere with it so decided to leave it be as my job with Royal Mail started.

I honestly should of stayed on the path of becoming a carpenter. I'd be guaranteed a decent wage and constant work.

 

[Julia9054]

I wanted to be Jane Goodall or Gerald Durrell. I didn't much mind which.
My mum wanted me to be a doctor (sick people - ewww!)
Later on, I fancied being an actor - but didn't have the single mindedness or dedication
I have done quite a few things but these days I'm a biology teacher.

 

[Dayvo]

My dad wanted me to be an electrical engineer like he was (and his father and grandfather before him): that was never going to happen. I have always been far more interested in being outdoors and moving around.

I wanted first to be a professional cricketer, and although I played to a high amateur level, wasn't good enough to go higher. Then I wanted to become a sports journalist, travelling the world drinking Pimms and G&T whilst watching and writing about cricket and other sports.

After the summer of 1976 (I had three great holidays) and decided I wanted to be a bum and spend as much time as possible 'on holiday' and I've succeeded rather well at that.

I'm about 9 years away from retiring, but I still don't really know what to do when I grow up.

 

[booze and cake]

My favourite one was by my young niece Sofia. At a gathering with a load of her friends aged about 4, one of the grown ups asked all the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up. It went round the room, all predictable responses, nurses, vets, bus drivers, hair dressers, and so on, it came to my niece, and straight out of left field she replied, an elephant. The whole room rolled around laughing. She's 7 now and is already annoyed that I keep bringing it up, which of course I will be doing, forever

 

[Hill Wimp]

I still haven't decided yet.

Me neither.

I knew I didn't want to do the same thing everyday and have pretty much stuck to it but that's about all. I have been very lucky in my job and taken opportunities as they have come up which lead me all over the world but none of it was planned.

About to retire after 30 years and have far more ideas now than I did when I left school.

 

[Cuchilo]

When asked at school what i wanted to do when i left ( 1989 ) i said interior design . I was told i couldn't do that so i ended up in a carpentry and joinery apprenticeship .
My step dad asked me what i wanted to make if he bought me the wood and i said a door . I was told no one makes doors any more so i couldn't do that .
Now i run my own joinery workshop and pretty much do both .

 

[tyred]

I wanted to be a car mechanic. My mother wanted me to get a "nice clean job" and I ended up studying electronic engineering. I did work in that sort of field for many years but currently process insurance claims and oddly enough I actually enjoy it. I do maintain my own car and bikes but have found dabbling in car/bike maintenance may be more enjoyable but I do it for people I know who never pay me despite their assurances.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

I wanted to be a journalist and an author, an impossibility for a village girl with the wrong looks, no connections, a family that wanted a bank clerk.
So I emigrated, took the first job I could get with my then poor language skills.
It was in a restaurant, 35 years later I still work in catering.
I still think I should have been a writer

 

[screenman]

A car dealer, no clue why as we were not a car owning family, I achieved my aim only to find out after building up a fair sized business that I was not enjoying the stress of employing people. Still in the motor trade and enjoying life.