Do you remember your childhood dream job?
My dream was to become an ice cream van driver so I could eat ice cream whenever I wished. I haven’t achieved that, yet, but I’m happy nonetheless – and I’m sure my waistline is grateful for the change of heart.
A new survey by Perkbox Insights found that a huge 64 per cent of adults still wish they were working in their childhood dream job. The sad news is that only four per cent were successful in making their dream job a reality. That’s unfortunate, as the study also found that those who didn’t pursue their childhood dream job were twice as likely to be unhappy with their career as those who did.
The most popular childhood dream jobs
At the top of the childhood dream job list were vet, teacher, pilot, actor, and police officer. Interestingly, those who dreamed of becoming a lawyer or teacher are most likely to have turned it into a reality.
However, men are more likely to chase their dream job than women. According to study, nearly a third of women (28%) felt they did not have the talent, opportunities, or resources to pursue their childhood dream, compared to just 15 per cent of men.
Money really can't buy happiness
It’s good news for the self-employed, who often chase a passion rather than pursue a career they are uninterested in. The study found that you are almost 20 times more likely to be unhappy in your job if you chose your it because it is well paid, than if you chose your job as it suits your interests and passions.
While I sit at my desk very happy with my career choices, I never did fulfil my childhood dream of driving an ice cream truck and eating cornettos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
