What jobs didn't you do?

[stephec]

Helicopter pilot. I was told at the army recruitment office I didn't have enough O-levels. 17 years-old and had to leave home so decided to join up anyway and work my way up through the Army Air Corps. Took the tests and was told I had too high an intelligence score for the AAC. Told to become an Electronic Warfare Operator and learn russian instead. So I tried that. But, after a couple of months of being told what to do and shouted at all the time, I left and started digging ponds for a living.

I, sometimes, look up to the skies even now.

Similar to me, I wanted to join the Air Corps but got a high test score.

Went all they way to the final interview at Sutton Coldfield to be an electronics technician in the REME, but was then told there was no vacancies so I'd have to be a radio operator instead.

When I pointed out that I hadn't applied for that I was told, "off you go then, try again when you're eighteen."

 

[Saluki]

I grew up wanting to be a vet, accepted into uni and everything. Then my big brother died, when I was 19 and I decided to study archaeology instead. I'd have been a crap vet. Far too soppy!

 

[Donger]

I was told I was too big to be a helicopter pilot.

 

[Pat "5mph"]

As a young child I wanted to be a vet, no doubt inspired by some tv programme or other or by my family's many pets. At one time we even had a monkey!
More seriously, from the age of 12 or so, until my early 20's I really wanted to study towards becoming a journalist and a writer. My father of course nipped the notion in the bud and sent me to bookkeeping school.
Where I come from a girl does what she is told, well, we did in our time.
As I cannot add two plus two to save my life, I ended up emigrating, getting a job in catering, then another, then another ... 30 years later I still work in catering, still love the written word, kept my talent for languages, can make up fiction at the drop of a hat.
Looking for my "retirement job" now, might train to be a bike mechanic

 

[rich p]

I wanted to be a freelance doctor but I didn't have the patients...
(works better as a spoken gag - or perhaps not)

 

[oldfatfool]

Always wanted to be a physicist and work at CERN failing that a comedian.

 

[NorthernDave]

Wanted to join the forces, but my eyesight wasn't good enough apparently, so that was that.

 

[Spinney]

fighter pilot and astronaut
- total non-starters, being a girl who wore glasses (this was before the days that fighter pilots were allowed)

and then join the navy - as a girl, it would have had to be the merchant navy, but wearing glasses would have ruled out being a deck officer, and I didn't fancy spending all my working time below decks as an engineering officer

so I became an aeronautical engineer instead

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

First I wanted to be an RN Officer but at that time the only way in was if you came from the right school or had a degree from a good Uni. Coming from a council estate in Fife ruled out the "good school" bit and there was no way my parents could have afforded to put me through Uni. Next option was Merchant Navy as a Deck Cadet but I needed 4 Highers including Maths - I got 3, not including Maths. Third option was RN Artificer - got in but that poor maths grounding and a bit of a temper caught up with me eventually. Gave up on going to sea after all that, much to my continued disappointment.

 

[Freds Dad]

Professional footballer. I had the skills but didn't have the attitude. My last ever match was at Wembley about 5 years ago and I've not kicked a football since.

 

[gbb]

Lorry driver. I used to watch Scammel Routemans and Crusaders, AECs, Leyland Matadors, Volvo F88s and want to be in those cabs...lorries had character back then.
Army. No idea where it came from, parents were RAF so a military background didnt phase me....but It never happened anyway, just as well, my back would never have took it.

 

[Ian H]

During a youthful job in a hotel kitchen, the owner offered to train me to become his sommelier.

 

[rdfcyclist]

I wanted to be mechanic and work on rust-bucket classic cars to make them look all neat and shiny when I was very young. Other careers include; photographer, filmmaker, musician, architect, personal secretary, toy designer, journalist, programmer, adventurer, actor, designer, animal-behaviour expert, internet celebrity, athlete, but most importantly an entrepreneur and business owner.

 

[Dave 123]

I wanted to go into agriculture, dairy farming.

It never came to be, but I needed to be outdoors, so chose horticulture.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I wanted to be an RAF pilot or a vet, but I am too uncoordinated to be a pilot and not clever enough to be a vet. Then I wanted to be an electronics engineer, but I fluffed my A levels a bit. Could have still studied it at Brighton Poly, but I decided I was not cut out for it, which was a mistake looking back.