What was your dream career?

[N Florida Mike]

I didn’t think about it much when I was young. My dad was by far the biggest influence on me about work.We worked around our property and I saw him work 6-7 days a week for many years. 
My first word wasn’t momma or daddy - it was “ outside”. All the jobs I’ve had have involved being outside.

I mowed a few lawns, and worked on a farm and loved it, due to all the fishing/hunting benefits! I was good at baseball , and wanted to play MLB from childhood until High school . Did play in college at least.

went to college, and didn’t like being cooped up all day so would skip and go fishing 1-2 times a week. Got a degree in a phys. Ed type major, and Thought about being a coach but ended up for awhile as a park director. Manage kids sports in the afternoon and adult sports at night. Very low pay so I quit. 

To get to the point, about this time I decided I wanted to be a fire tower operator so I could live in the woods and totally live a off the grid type life.Also wanted to be a game warden for the same reason.

Got no response to the applications so so when a friend asked me to work In lawn care/pest control, I did. Didn’t know what else to do, so I kept doing it. I have generally enjoyed it for the most part, and it’s met our needs.
Have also wanted to be full time in the ministry since I was 25 , so I could help people with their needs. I have done it as a volunteer for many years now.

 

 

[SuperDuty]

49 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

I didn’t think about it much when I was young. My dad was by far the biggest influence on me about work.We worked around our property and I saw him work 6-7 days a week for many years. 
My first word wasn’t momma or daddy - it was “ outside”. All the jobs I’ve had have involved being outside.

I mowed a few lawns, and worked on a farm and loved it, due to all the fishing/hunting benefits! I was good at baseball , and wanted to play MLB from childhood until High school . Did play in college at least.

went to college, and didn’t like being cooped up all day so would skip and go fishing 1-2 times a week. Got a degree in a phys. Ed type major, and Thought about being a coach but ended up for awhile as a park director. Manage kids sports in the afternoon and adult sports at night. Very low pay so I quit. 

To get to the point, about this time I decided I wanted to be a fire tower operator so I could live in the woods and totally live a off the grid type life.Also wanted to be a game warden for the same reason.

Got no response to the applications so so when a friend asked me to work In lawn care/pest control, I did. Didn’t know what else to do, so I kept doing it. I have generally enjoyed it for the most part, and it’s met our needs.
Have also wanted to be full time in the ministry since I was 25 , so I could help people with their needs. I have done it as a volunteer for many years now.

 

 

Interesting Mike! Oddly enough, pest control is the next business I'm opening up. I'm working on my website now and will be attending the required classes in a few weeks to obtain all my licenses. There is a huge demand for it in my area and only two competitors who are booked weeks out. We've already got a huge customer base from our other business so that'll really help us take off running. My wife is also a realtor so that helps. I have zero experience so lots to learn. But I expect this business to do very well. 

[N Florida Mike]

Where are you located. I know it’s not near me , my biggest problem is ALL the competitors!!!

[TnRiver46]

Dream job?? Winning the bassmaster classic! 5 or 6 of the guys I graduated college with are game wardens. I never had a desire for that job, I do wildlife damage control and guide fly fishing on weekends (which has caused me to hate trout and fly fishing that I once enjoyed haha)

[SuperDuty]

15 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

Where are you located. I know it’s not near me , my biggest problem is ALL the competitors!!!

A few hours South of Chicago. Two times we had to hire a pest control company and both times it took weeks for an open spot. That's when we started researching getting into the industry. 

[TnRiver46]

9 minutes ago, SuperDuty said:

A few hours South of Chicago. Two times we had to hire a pest control company and both times it took weeks for an open spot. That's when we started researching getting into the industry. 

Bugs require moisture and from what I've seen of the Midwest, there is no lack of moisture. You're in a good area!!!

[SuperDuty]

15 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Bugs require moisture and from what I've seen of the Midwest, there is no lack of moisture. You're in a good area!!!

Yes it should be good. Also, one of our best clients owns over 700 apartments in the nearby college town and also the largest mfg company in the state. They love my wife and I so their pest control business will be the first account I go after. 

[Tizi]

I fell in love with Finance while attending school for computer science.  I switched to Finance and have been doing that ever since.  Started as an accountant and am now a CFO.  I get paid for what I love doing.  Not a bad deal.

[SuperDuty]

That's definitely a win/win anyway ya look at it @Tizi

[Boomstick]

Well my dream career was to either be a rock star or run a recording studio or do something to do with music since I was really young. I ended up becoming a software engineer instead, and with the whole self-inflicted downward spiral of the music industry, I can say I don't really mind. I'd either play music I can be proud of for 5 people or play music I can't stand for crowds of people.

 

I would still like to work for myself someday though.

[N Florida Mike]

3 hours ago, SuperDuty said:

A few hours South of Chicago. Two times we had to hire a pest control company and both times it took weeks for an open spot. That's when we started researching getting into the industry. 

Wow- seems like that would be a sure thing -,we can usually get out within a few days or sooner.

[billmac]

I have two that stick out in my memory.  First, I wanted to be an oceanographer.  This most likely stems from watching Jacques Cousteau.  My second one was professional tournament fisherman.  But I had no real resources other than a passion for fishing.  Back in the late 70s, people from the North just didn't compete at the pro level other than Al Lindner.

In the end I went to a local community college and got into electronics, then computers / IT, and finally worked my way into a professor position.  I don't regret the path.  I've never had a job I hated, and love what I do.

[12poundbass]

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do until I was 15. I worked at the local lumber yard like most kids did, and I did construction at times thru high school. I decided I wanted to design houses for a living. My last two years of high school I was able to take CAD classes at the career center for the first half of the day. I graduated high school and went to college for this. Six weeks in I was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and had to drop out. After my treatment was done i needed time to recover and I had to wait for fall classes again. By this time I had went back to work at the lumber yard, got a loan for my first jon boat and just never went back. To be honest I never cared for school and taking a year off was no good. I just wasn’t mature enough. 
 

After going through other jobs and them not working out for various reasons, I’ve found a career I love! I’m a utility locator and have been for 10 years now. I love the job almost every day and I’m climbing the ladder. I may not stay a locator forever but I will stay in the utility field. 
 

Looking back now I don’t think I could sit in an office everyday in front of a computer designing houses. I like being outside, I like being around heavy equipment, and being in the utility field. I’m not in one spot very long and this work can be like a puzzle and work your brain. Just yesterday I was head first in a trench no wider than my shoulders reaching down to hook up to a gas main we were having a hard time locating. That’s not an everyday occurrence, but I don’t mind getting in the trenches and getting dirty once in a while. 

[ohboyitsrobby]

As a wee little guy I wanted to drive a monster truck. As I got towards the end of school I wanted to coach. A couple of bad decisions later and I build stuff. I also volunteer coach tee ball and basketball which reinforces that coaching was my dream job. 

[roadwarrior]

A cowboy...

 

 

[Oregon Native]

Wanted to be a game warden but when I started going through school and went to first interview a warden with coke bottle glasses said I couldn't qualify due to wearing glasses!!  So..having just got married at 23 I got the first job I could and worked for Hewlett Packard for 23 years...my wife had a decent job...kids were moving on ...thought about bass fishing.  Wife said try it....I did and was in the black until daughter got cancer and life changed.  Worked as an assistant manager for couple sporting goods stores and this was fun but long hours...tried a hot dog cart with daughter while going through cancer....this was interesting in many senses of the word.  Manly helped her take her mind of her health.  Then my health went through the bumps.

My best jobs were working at a golf course and professional fishing.  

[redmeansdistortion]

My dream career was to be an architect.  I've always been enamored with architecture and always sketched building plans as a kid and teen.  For the better part of 20 years, I've been working in credit unions which I find enjoyable.  I also run a quickly growing reel repair business on the side which I may dedicate myself to full time in the future.  Apparently there aren't many reel repair outfits in my area and many customers have commented that they prefer to deal with a local instead of having to send their reels out.  As of now, most of my business is from the various charter services that dot the coasts of my state, but I also get a lot of recreational fishermen.  I'm already pretty backed up, not bad at all for not doing any advertising.  All of my business comes from word of mouth.

[WVU-SCPA]

Was set on being a fisheries biologist and went to school for Wildlife and Fisheries.  At the time I never gave a thought to how few jobs exist, how little they pay, and how insecure jobs were.

 

Lucky the chemical company I worked for during the summer had other plans for me and my life traveled down the path of operations.  Currently a plant manager learning the world of metal fabrication.

 

Never got paid a dollar for my fisheries knowledge, but do keep in contact with some local conservation officers to volunteer when possible.

[TnRiver46]

6 minutes ago, WVU-SCPA said:

Was set on being a fisheries biologist and went to school for Wildlife and Fisheries.  At the time I never gave a thought to how few jobs exist, how little they pay, and how insecure jobs were.

 

Lucky the chemical company I worked for during the summer had other plans for me and my life traveled down the path of operations.  Currently a plant manager learning the world of metal fabrication.

 

Never got paid a dollar for my fisheries knowledge, but do keep in contact with some local conservation officers to volunteer when possible.

They warned us all going in freshman year haha

[jimmyjoe]

   I wanted to be a teacher. But with a wife and baby son, I went into HVAC/R to pay the bills. 37 years later, the bills are paid and I've been retired for almost 4 years.  I guess I can't complain.      jj

[slonezp]

On 2/3/2020 at 9:21 AM, Tizi said:

I fell in love with Finance while attending school for computer science.  I switched to Finance and have been doing that ever since.  Started as an accountant and am now a CFO.  I get paid for what I love doing.  Not a bad deal.

My boy went to college majoring in finance. He took a job as an accountant, is now the senior accountant and is being groomed to take over the business in the next 5 years. I told him not to forget who brought him into this world.

3 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

   I wanted to be a teacher. But with a wife and baby son, I went into HVAC/R to pay the bills. 37 years later, the bills are paid and I've been retired for almost 4 years.  I guess I can't complain.      jj

A very lucrative career. I was a refrigeration mechanic for 15 years before a career ending injury took me out of the game. I'm currently selling commercial and industrial controls. The hvac/r industry is hurting for skilled technicians right now. Current UA journeyman wages in Chicago are close to $50 an hour plus carte blanche benefits as far as insurance and retirement.

[flyfisher]

On 2/3/2020 at 9:09 AM, TnRiver46 said:

Dream job?? Winning the bassmaster classic! 5 or 6 of the guys I graduated college with are game wardens. I never had a desire for that job, I do wildlife damage control and guide fly fishing on weekends (which has caused me to hate trout and fly fishing that I once enjoyed haha)

This is so true.  In college i was a fly fishing and rock climbing guide.  I began to loathe them both not because of the fun of it but running into people when i was doing it for fun ruined it for me.  I got back into both of them but it was definitely not fun for a while.  Having a guy come up and say hi when I am going after a rising brown during a trico hatch and spook the fish can ruin a day lol 

[NittyGrittyBoy]

I had my dream job, then quit because I needed a 401k and health insurance. I worked for 10yrs swamp logging. Yes just like the tv show minus the drama. I ran various tracked tigercat feller bunchers ( track cutters) 

 

I gained access to some outstanding ponds. But alas marriage and looking to the future done me in. I'm a swing shift working mill worker now. 

[Columbia Craw]

Interesting stories.  When I graduated from high school I wanted become a physical therapist.  I worked retail to pay the bills and ended up being promoted pretty fast and was successful but still wanted to enter sports medicine.  My retail career was pulled out from under me.  I was in the position of choosing to pursue what ever career I wanted. It didn't happen fast but I was persistent. I was sworn in at age 39 as a police officer, made detective and then sergeant finishing a 25 year career with only eight trips to the ER and one surgery. I've been retired for over two years now.  I'd still like to be a physical therapist.

[CrankFate]

I’ll put it this way.....I was in a meeting a year or two ago and we were were talking, during a break, and the lotto was like half a billion dollars that day and they were talking all like “if I won, I definitely wouldn’t be doing this anymore.” I didn’t say much of anything. Other than I bought a few tickets.

 

Afterwards, I was talking to my boss about the meeting, he’s 85 and still going to work everyday, I said I didn’t want to tell them this, but I’m sure you’ll understand....if I won.....and he finished my sentence for me by saying....”you’d still be doing this.”