10 Common Childhood Dream Jobs to Apply for Now

While you can’t quite be the caped superhero or space ranger that you wanted to be when you were a kid, there are the real jobs you thought of growing up which you can consider having a career in now

Remember what you wanted to be when you were really young? Almost all of us romanticized during childhood about our potential professional lives as adults, at a time when it seemed like the world would be our oyster.

Now, while we can’t exactly become the Pokémon players or dragon trainers we fantasized of becoming as we were growing up, there are the real-world occupations that we also imagined for ourselves as kids that have always been worth considering.

Granted, we may not have realized back then how some of these vary drastically in terms of experience needed, education required, and earnings potential, but these remain viable careers, and can provide us with the same excitement and fulfilment that we thought it could when we were toddlers.

The following are some of these jobs which also happen to be available to apply to now.

Animator

Cartoons are almost synonymous to children, and it stands to reason that many dreamt of creating their own cartoons when they are young. With that said, being an Animator is not limited to making traditional cartoons, as computer animation is also often utilized in teaching or training videos, marketing materials, instructional guides, and a slew of others.

The advent of platforms like YouTube and Instagram, and the emergence of new ones almost regularly, continues to have some companies continually on the look-out for imaginative and skilled animators, who can help further their branding and/or content initiatives.

See all Animator opportunities available on Kalibrr

Architect

Kids who enjoy building things while also having a knack for illustrating often have Architect as their dream job, or the first real on they think of doing as adults anyway, proving that it may be one of the world’s oldest professions, but certainly one that doesn’t go out of style.

Among the professions which require earning a professional license, Architects mostly work in architectural and/or construction firms, either as part of one or as founder of their own. They can also do project-based or consultancy work, as well as work in the public-sector, particularly in government organizations like the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) or the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

See all Architecture and Engineering opportunities available on Kalibrr

Art Director

A trip to the museum or local gallery is usually what inspires many young people to embark on an artistic career. While most dream of being artists who paint, sculpt, or illustrate, these aspirations often evolves to wanting to be an Art Director, someone who is responsible for overseeing the artistic aspects of a film, publication, or other media production.

As a result of the continued advancement of technology and the emergence of social media and other platforms, the opportunities for Art Directors have now expanded to digital. Among the skills modern Art Directors need are proficiency in design applications like Adobe Photoshop and Sketch-Up on top of knowledge of typography, image manipulation, illustration, and animation.

See all Art Director opportunities available on Kalibrr

Chef

With the continued popularity of cooking shows like the MasterChef and culinary programs like those available in Enderun Colleges, Chef is surely a dream job for kids and adults alike. Almost everyone wants to be able to cook different kinds of dishes well, and the ability to do so on a professional level is also an opportunity worth considering.

From five-star hotels, restaurants, and resorts to cruise ships, catering companies, and even the private functions of the rich and powerful, there are a variety of opportunities available for chefs to practice their craft. Being a chef can also be the catalyst for being able to establish a business, be with your own food enterprise or as something of a consultancy service.

See all Chef opportunities available on Kalibrr

Chemist

Almost any kid who enjoyed dropping Mentos in carbonated drinks like Coke, and other experiments, has likely thought of becoming a chemist. The draw of working in lab while wearing a lab coat, occasionally going out to do field work, and making new discoveries and effecting change with one’s work is definitely a career worth pursuing.

Common roles for Chemists include those in manufacturing companies, be it for the development of products in cosmetics, food and beverage, construction, and essentially almost everything else. However, chemists can also establish careers in government or environmental organizations, and of course, educational institutions.

See all Chemist opportunities available on Kalibrr 

Interior Designer

Children who enjoyed designing and organizing their room, playing house, or creating a makeshift “tent”, “fort”, or “base” may have a calling as an Interior Designer. Of course, this requires more than being imaginative and having an eye for detail, as professional Interior Designers these days are required to have training or a degree in the profession, or related courses such as Architecture or Arts/Design Multimedia.

Interior Designers can practice their craft and build their portfolio either as employees of design firms, as the head of their own, or as consultants who render Interior Design services on a per-project basis.

See all Interior Designer opportunities available on Kalibrr

Lawyer

Children who often know how to talk their way out of chores and punishments, and can negotiate buying toys and the like just as well, are often remarked as having a future as a lawyer. If you were one of these kids, and you ended up pursuing a law degree, then you are in a profession that is another that will never go out of style.

Lawyers are commonly thought of to work in law firms and government offices. However, they are also needed in private corporate offices, especially now that the continued advancement of communications and technology has resulting privacy and usage laws which companies want to make sure they are fully complying with.

See all Legal opportunities available on Kalibrr

Photographer

Almost everyone has fancied themselves a photographer at one point or another, and for many kids, it was when reading about Peter Parker or Kara Zor-El, the true identities of Spider-Man and Super-Girl. Of course, becoming a superhero wasn’t real, but working as a photographer is always a real possibility.

Of course, Photographers aren’t limited to taking photos for newspaper publications. If you are looking at a career behind the lense, you can look to other print media like magazines and print ads, as well the digital variety such as social media and digital marketing. While many photographers work as freelancers, there are also opportunities to work full-time as companies’ exclusive photographers.

See all Photographer opportunities available on Kalibrr

Physician

The chance to help others is the root of many childhood dream jobs, and is the reason why many aspire to become doctors or physicians. Granted, the path to actually becoming a doctor is a long and significantly expensive one; but after four years of undergraduate school, another four for med school, and several more for residency, it is indeed one of the most fulfilling and highly regarded professions in the world.

While doctors are more commonly relegated to working in hospitals and clinics, roles are also available to them in different companies, especially those with a large employ, as they need in-house physicians to help ensure the proper well-being of the employees.

See all Health and Medical opportunities available on Kalibrr

Teacher

Kids who enjoy school, and really looked up to their teachers, often take after their mentors and imagine themselves as teachers. While Teachers’ salaries (or the lack thereof) continues to be a contentious topic in legislature, many continue to aspire to teach because it is considerably among the most noble professions to exist.

Along with work in the different grade levels of traditional learning institutions, Teachers can also find opportunities to train and educate in major corporations who have developed their own learning programs for their employees and government institutions such as the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

See all Education and Training opportunities on Kalibrr

Raring to make your dream (job) a reality? Sign up at Kalibrr and be connected to thousands of employers who can provide you the right opportunities, today!

Kalibrr is a technology company that aims to transform how candidates find jobs and how companies hire talent. Placing the candidate experience at the center of everything it does, the company continues to attract the best talent from all over, with over 2.4 million professionals and counting. Kalibrr ultimately connects these talents to companies in search of their next generation of leaders.

The only end-to-end recruitment solutions provider in Southeast Asia, Kalibrr is headquartered in Makati, Philippines, with offices in San Francisco, California and Jakarta, Indonesia. Established in 2012, it has served over 18,000 clients and is backed by some of the world’s most powerful start-up incubators and venture capitalists. These include Y Combinator, Omidyar Network, Patamar Capital, Wavemaker Partners, and Kickstart Ventures.

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