Today’s 12-25 year olds have very different career goals to those of their counterparts 50 years ago.
As a child, many of you probably had wild dreams of what you wanted to be when you grew up. Perhaps you wanted to be an astronaut, having been inspired by the moon landings, or maybe you hoped to become a footballer, spurred on by a sporting triumph? But how would those dreams differ from today’s youth?
Being a bit of a tomboy and a big fan of Top Gun to boot, I initially aspired to be the first female Red Arrows pilot – I was pipped to the post on that one. Growing up close to a Royal Air Force base, I seemed to be forever spotting some impressive noisy aircraft dancing through the sky and I suppose I was very influenced by what was around me.
And it seems today’s social-media-obsessed, fashion-conscious world has a big impact on the future working generation’s goals, too.
Dream jobs
According to a recent study commissioned by Currys PC World, the top dream job of someone aged between 12 and 25, I am (obviously) pleased to report, is writer 🙂
This is then followed in second place by YouTube sensation, then artist in third, photographer in fourth and clothes designer in fifth. Those surveyed claimed that finding the right job was more important to them than money and they felt less inclined to follow in their parents’ footsteps.
The list has changed quite considerably from the ambitions held by youngsters 50 years ago.
According to the study, the top dream jobs then were teacher, followed by scientist, footballer, sportsman and doctor.
Of the over-50s who were asked about their childhood ambitions, 43% of them said there weren’t as many opportunities available to them as there are now. Around a third thought they weren’t very aspirational in their youth, and 15% said they were pressured into a career path by their parents.
Older and wiser
Now for me, as I got older and, as my mother would probably say, slightly more creative, I left my petrol-head ways behind me, and moved towards the slightly more attainable dream of becoming a writer.
I had a very inspirational English teacher, who had a background in magazine writing and editing, and although I don’t recall ever being pressured into a career path, I chose one that led to writing for a living. Once again, I was heavily influenced by what was around me.
Whether it was a far-fetched aspiration or a sensible attainable goal, we all had dreams of what our future jobs might be when we were bright-eyed young things. So what did you want to be when you were young? How were you influenced in your future dream jobs?