Dream Job VS What You Actually Do?

[ReZourceman]

Feel free to rename the profession thread.

 

Bonus question at the bottom.

COPY AND PASTE FOR EASY BANTICS/ANTICS/BANTER

 

1) What's your dream job?

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

-------

 

1) What's your dream job? As most people probably know, I'd like to be a professional YouTuber. Professional in the sense that it's my job, not professional in the sense that I'd be projecting some kind of adult life...image. Thing. I'm getting there. Still no idea if it will ACTUALLY happen. Growth is static (as in, I'm consistently getting 350 subscribers a month) on Food Review UK, so really this needs to actually grow month on month in order to become a reality, but I mean...it IS getting there. There IS progress, across all my channels. I'm about 15% of the way to it being possibly realistic as a job.

 

2) What are you actually doing? I'm a manager for a customer services team for an award winning st ock br ok er. I've worked there for five years, started off as a call handler and got promoted last year.

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now? I mean, not in the management role now. I only really applied for it because I was one of the most experienced people in the department, was totally burned out after 9 ish years of customer services phone roles, and the department had a shake up so all roles were up for grabs. It was my third choice, out of three and I didn't expect to get it. Not even a tiny bit of me thought I'd get THAT role. But I did. I don't,....like it. But it has it's ups and downs. In comparison to lots of other things its far better. It can be very tough and it's largely without thanks, but it's definitely a different kind of stress/pressure/disenjoyment in comparison to the phone role. Meh.

 

I'm alright at the people side of it I suppose. Compassionate, motivating and human....I think.

 

BLAH.

 

WORDS.

 

You?

 

[Goafer]

1) What's your dream job?

International Lingerie Detective.

 

Failing that, I mirror ReZ's YouTuber fantasy. I was quite uncomfortable doing it to begin with, but I'm really enjoying it now. I enjoy recording them, but I probably enjoy editing more. The thought of having enough fans to appear at a convention would be my equivalent of winning the lottery.

 

In terms of realistic dream jobs, I'd love to be a Graphic Designer for a decent agency. Or an in-house Designer for a decent company.

 

2) What are you actually doing?

Graphic Designer/Sign Maker. I moved into this role from my full time Design job in the same company, as we were starting to make our own stuff in house and I figured knowledge of the actual manufacturing process would be good to have. Plus, pay rise.

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

Not really, although I never really had any solid plans when I was younger. I did have a brief period where I wanted to be a graphic designer, so I guess that worked out, but I had so many phases as a kid that at least one was bound to come true.

[Guy]

1. I'd like to be able to write and draw a long form online comic that can support my partner and I to live comfortably but by no means lavishly. I have endless ideas but struggle with too much self doubt and second guessing of everything I do to progress this dream at the moment. I'm slowly coming around to the idea it may never happen and I guess that's probably okay.

 

2. I currently work in a small team

managing an online game community, my role tasks me with everything from customer service to graphics, content direction and copy. It's extremely enjoyable work and I have never woken up feeling anything other than excitement to do what I do every day.

 

3. Absolutely not. I spent most of my early adult life with no idea what to do with myself and expected to continue milling around in customer service forever. My current role started as customer service and just slowly grew into what it is now due to needs of the business and general progression. As someone with no formal qualifications I consider myself very fortunate to have the opportunities I do.

Edited November 1, 2016 by Guy

[Agent Gibbs]

1) What's your dream job?

 

Games developer! i even went to University and did a BSC in Computing (aiming to speciaise in Multimedia programming the sub course on programming for films, Tv and other media), got to the gap year when we were to do a placement and even sent out letters to a few places (including Rockstar Leeds, didn't hurt to try)

However life screwed me, I worked in McDonalds and whislt working one night it was robbed and i was hit round the head a half dozen times with a hatchet - "thankfully" the hammer like end and not the blade. Long story short i was off work and Uni for the best part of 3 months, missing my end of year exams. The uni was understanding and i could resit that year the following year

The following year came......and they'd dropped the multimedia specialization leaving the choices of databases and web design, with no alternate course to move to, to continue doing what i want and the prospect of paying to do something i didn't want and then doing another costly course to get where i wanted i took the uneasy decision to drop out.

so i dropped out and.....

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

I got a job for Leeds City Council as a trainee Civil Engineer, they paid for me to do a Civil Engineering course, 5 years of Training later and i was a qualified civil engineer spending my days designing on AutoCad. The downside to which being having 70% of my time spend doing paper work, answering public correspondence (mainly asking for unreasonable things?) or meetings.

Its a job which i can enjoy, the design work and problem solving can be incredibly rewarding, the special projects which i've worked on planning (like the Tour De' Yorkshire) and impressive to add to CV's and its quite easy to do additional training to deal with other engineering sub sets - architecture, flood risk management etc

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

No

Not in a million years. I always thought i'd end up designing on computers, but designing civil engineering works wasn't on the radar. To me i wanted to develop games or work in the film industry doing CGI (Jurassic park really had an effect on me).

Back then i knew the public sector was hated and not appreciated due to the persistent media campaign to set working man against working man as a distraction to the real issues. Even now i hate admitting where i work, it starts as a joke but there is truth in it, but people always go "oh are you responsible for..." and proceed to moan about the public sector, road works, dog mess, bins, you name it

[Raining_again]

1) What's your dream job?

 

Owning a cat rescue sanctuary.

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

Admin in the NHS

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

I never saw past leaving school. Wanted to be an accountant when I was in school because I was good at maths and accountancy has a lot of numbers, right? I went onto work with computers in technical college after school. Then got the job I'm in, at 19. Have been there ever since (now 30) I make 20k. It supports me being able to live by myself. Its an ok job.

[bob]

1) What's your dream job?

 

Not really sure. Unrealistically, i'd love to be a ranger or safari guide in Kenya or Tanzania. Learn how to track animals etc. Not sure there's much market for that though.

In terms of what i'm actually qualified for, i'd probably like to work in the renewables sector, or at least doing some work that felt useful to society.

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

I work for a small engineering consultancy who specialise in automobile dynamics and suspension, currently working on a (i shit you not) flying car.

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

No. I always hated cars.

[killthenet]

currently working on a (i shit you not) flying car.

 

That sounds like something childhood dreams are made of but it's clearly your nightmare.

[Will]

1) What's your dream job?

Formula 1 Driver

Realistically running my own business or head of a games publisher

 

2) What are you actually doing?

I manage subsidiary businesses at a games publisher in Japan. From next year I'll be Director of Strategic Planning at our Singapore office.

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

I guess from University I expected to be doing something similar, but I didn't think I'd be doing it in the games industry. I'm more surprised about the different things I've done in getting here. I never really liked to venture too far from home when I was younger. It wasn't that I was scared or particularly tied to home or anything, it was just always such a hassle to go to places. After Uni I found a job in London and moved there with a friend, then I transferred to San Francisco and lived there for five years before moving to Japan two years ago. That's been pretty cool and I'm super happy with what I do, I'd still rather be a Formula 1 driver though.

[Charlie]

1) What's my dream job?

 

I've never really had a 'dream job'. All through school and uni I had no idea what I wanted to do afterwards. I went into marketing initially as that's what my degree is but didn't enjoy it so moved to banking.

 

If I had to pick, I'd go back to being a swimming teacher as that's the only job I've loved. Making full time money out of it is too difficult/impossible though. I'd love to own my own swim school and teach celebs in Hollywood.

 

2) what do I actually do?

 

Business analyst in a bank. Working mainly on the data side and it's quite enjoyable but pays very well.

 

3) did I see myself doing this job?

 

I sort of did. I always knew I'd end up in financial services as that's where most people go after doing my degree. This exact job perhaps not but working with data, or 'computers', as my mum calls it has always enemy sort of thing. Yeah

[Shorty]

1) What's your dream job?

 

On the realistic spectrum, it would be pretty rad if this website generated enough money to live on, think what you could do with it then.... Would be so cool to have people at E3 with N-E tshirts on doing videos that thousands of people watch. And then we could do a Eurogamer and have our own conference. I'd happily just be the head of web development for that!

 

I also wouldn't mind tinkering in the world of youtube professionalism. There's a lot of money to be made there, but a lot of stress too. That said I recently found a lot of enjoyment in video editing.

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

I build websites for a company, the one that hosts this site, you can find a link if you nosy around I've built websites for some pretty big clients, including one of the most famous classical musicians in the world. There's a lot of potential for this company to grow and grow and for me to be in the middle of that, which is pretty great.

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

Not really. In my life up until work, I was aiming to be in the air force, then a writer after that. When I was a cadet though I was put off the former life a little. And ironically all the reading I did at uni killed my passion for books, which is the fuel you need to be a good writer....

 

I built websites as a hobby. I rebuilt N-E, I made other gaming and band related websites. When I finished Uni I realised if I wanted to keep living self-sufficiently, I needed a job, and I needed it sooner than I'd be able to get something degree-related. So I improved my portfolio site a bit and sought work related to my skills.

Edited November 2, 2016 by Shorty

[Grazza]

When I was younger I honestly hoped "Oil Boy" was a real job:

 

 

In all seriousness:

 

1) I always wanted to be a comic book maker or own a theme park. In the case of the former, I probably never had the talent for it, not to mention the fact that it's hard to find support/collaboration in person for that sort of thing. Later on I was plagued by the need to use technology; and, to be quite honest, doubts about what I really wanted to convey.

 

The 2nd one was obviously a lot more unrealistic, but for the record I'd love about 500 acres of woodland and to fill it with wooden roller coasters.

 

2) Something pretty unremarkable, but I don't really want to go into details (sorry)

 

3) Yes

[MoogleViper]

1) What's your dream job?

 

Probably a writer. I'd love to have a decent fantasy novel, and then have it turned into a film/sitcom. I do fuck all to try and achieve that though.

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

Insights/Analytics. I'm at a point where I can specialise and move more into data science, or more into marketing. Don't know which to do (probably just apply for both and see which I get a job in).

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

I didn't even know roles like mine existed. As a young kid I had ideas like farmer or games designer. But as a teen I genuinely had no idea what I wanted to do. I always hated the conversations with adults asking what you wanted to do:

"What do you want to do after uni?"

"I don't know."

"You must have some idea?"

 

Why do adults assume young people know what they want to do? Most kids have only ever had careers advice from teachers, who've never done anything but teaching, and our parents, mine had worked down the mines and in factories. How the fuck was I supposed to know what I wanted to do? It wasn't until I went to uni that I realised there were so many middle class people.

[Blade]

What's your dream job

 

I've always wanted to be a lawyer. I cannot remember how long or when I decided when I wanted to do it. I remember reading To Kill a Mockingbird back in Y9. That may be when I decided I wanted to become a lawyer.

 

What are you actually doing

 

Practising law. I am due to qualify as a solicitor on 15 November.

 

Did you actually envision yourself in what you're doing now

 

Yes.

 

I did A level law, passed my law degree and a postgraduate diploma in legal practice. I have been practising as a paralegal for the past 6 years. I will be fully qualified on 15 November 2016 after a total of 10 years training.

[Mr-Paul]

1) What's your dream job?

 

Never had a "dream job" as a child. Was never sure what I wanted to do until I decided to study journalism. I guess in that field, I would love to be a TV/Radio presenter or a broadcast journalist, but it's a notoriously difficult field to get into. I know there's more I can do to push myself in that direction, but I struggle to find the time. I need to start Youtubing again.

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

I work as a "Social Media and Operations Executive" for a company that deals with digital media platforms for some of the biggest clients in the sporting world. My main responsibility is pretty much running the social media for the International Cricket Council. I also live-blog cricket matches for several of our clients meaning I have to work at stupid times in the middle of the night quite a bit through the winter. It's quite a fun job, although it does have its downsides.

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

Nope. I wasn't really that much of a cricket fan before I got this job outside of following The Ashes! Now I'm an addict!

[bob]

I also live-blog cricket matches for several of our clients meaning I have to work at stupid times in the middle of the night quite a bit through the winter. It's quite a fun job, although it does have its downsides.

 

The main one being that you have to watch cricket, presumably?

[Mr-Paul]

The main one being that you have to watch cricket, presumably?

 

It can be absolutely awful to watch at times, I admit, but also very exciting when you absorb yourself into it as much as I have to!

[Eenuh]

1) What's your dream job?

 

I think my dream job was always to do something with art, mostly to become a children's book illustrator (though at some points when I was a teenager, I wanted to become an animator for Disney :P ). The animation love kind of died when I actually did study animation in uni (and dropped out after 2.5 years for various reasons). I then went on to do Graphic Design/Illustration instead, which suited me more (the illustration bit). Also did an extra year after my Masters to get a degree as an Art Teacher, though I couldn't really see myself teaching in a school, it was just a bit of a backup plan.

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

After spending about 2 years in a horrible customer service environment after moving to the UK, I finally found a company looking for a whiteboard animator/illustrator. It was only advertised as a part-time job (2.5 days a week), but I desperately wanted out of my customer service job. Applied (with a drawn CV), had the interview and got the job!

 

So now I have been a whiteboard animator for about 2.5 years, worked my way up from 2.5 days to 4 days, to 5. It is a mix of animation/illustration and has me drawing storyboards, drawing the illustrations, getting them ready to use in the software (as we don't use an actual whiteboard) and putting together the video. The subject matter is usually pretty fucking boring (the amount of times I've had to try and make marketing things sound fun...), but I get to draw so it's not all bad. Not paid much in my job either, but I get to work from home (as I am the only employee) so that kind of makes up for it.

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

Not really! I didn't even know there was such a thing as a whiteboard animator to be honest!

 

Ideally, I would still like to become a freelance illustrator/animator at some point, maybe do what I do now (or something similar) as my own business. Somehow. It's mostly the lack of money/confidence/motivation that is stopping me I think. And the uncertainty it would bring. Oh and dealing with clients, that's the one thing I would hate, as currently that is the part my boss takes care of (I hate talking to people!). :P

[MoogleViper]

I worked in McDonalds and whislt working one night it was robbed and i was hit round the head a half dozen times with a hatchet - "thankfully" the hammer like end and not the blade.

 

That sounds absolutely horrific. Did they catch the people who did it?

[Raining_again]

the real agent gibbs wouldn't take any of that nonsense in maccies

[Agent Gibbs]

That sounds absolutely horrific. Did they catch the people who did it?

 

No unfortunately not, they knew who it was and that they'd done other robberies but the CPS felt there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute

Thankfully i've a thick skull so no cracked skull

[dan-likes-trees]

Bluddy hell, didn't realise everyone on here was so successful! Thought you were all a bunch of twenty-something chancers like me!

 

1) What's your dream job?

 

It was always to make it into a full time animation position. I'm now pretty much there! Need to get some new goals. Having made it to where I wanted to be, whilst it's a great job, varied in work and I get on well with my colleagues.. I don't know. Maybe I need some new goals, or something.

 

	Audio

 

I have an eye on starting opening a studio further along the line, or aiming for more specific clients or styles.

 

I've also always wanted to try my hand at fiction one day. I notice many others on here saying the same.. maybe because it's the easiest thing to dream big about, given all you need is a laptop and no further skills!

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

Recently started working as an animator and video editor full time, following a few freelance stints, and a few years of graphic design and more admin-y roles.

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

When I was in early secondary school I used to make videos, short films, animations for fun. In hindsight I got sidetracked for about 7 years doing an english degree that led nowhere that I wanted to go. About 2 years ago I dropped my then job to part time with a laser focus on becoming an animator, which now I am professionally. I do wonder how much further along the career path I'd now if I hadn't given in to pressure from teachers / parents to do a 'more academic' english degree that ultimately led nowhere that I wanted to go though..

 

So now I have been a whiteboard animator for about 2.5 years, worked my way up from 2.5 days to 4 days, to 5. It is a mix of animation/illustration and has me drawing storyboards, drawing the illustrations, getting them ready to use in the software (as we don't use an actual whiteboard) and putting together the video. The subject matter is usually pretty fucking boring (the amount of times I've had to try and make marketing things sound fun...), but I get to draw so it's not all bad. Not paid much in my job either, but I get to work from home (as I am the only employee) so that kind of makes up for it.

 

Ideally, I would still like to become a freelance illustrator/animator at some point, maybe do what I do now (or something similar) as my own business. Somehow. It's mostly the lack of money/confidence/motivation that is stopping me I think. And the uncertainty it would bring. Oh and dealing with clients, that's the one thing I would hate, as currently that is the part my boss takes care of (I hate talking to people!). :P

 

I had no idea you were doing that! What is whiteboard animation? Literally animation in the aesthetic of a whiteboard? What software is it made in? Sounds great.

 

Feeling in quite a similar position to what you describe in your last paragraph. Really like having producers take care of most of the client related stuff and not having to worry about getting enough money in. On the flip side, seeing how much money clients pay for animation and how little gets back to the animators makes me think I've got to make the leap of faith at some point!

Edited November 2, 2016 by dan-likes-trees

[Jimbob]

1) What's your dream job?

 

I wanted to follow my Grandfather into the line of Civil Engineering, and i did get that back in 2007. Worked for a Civil Engineering company called Mabey Bridge. Job was going well, i was training up in another aspect of the job. However, due to senior management making a monumental mess up, they had to make redundancies (one manager was laughing about it, seeing as his job was safe. He wasn't laughing when someone punched him in the office). The company hasn't been the same since, has never recovered and has closed all the Wales manufacturing and has scaled back drastically. The site i worked on was around over 100 years, and due to the management it's all gone. Management had to serve jail time for what happened.

 

So yeah, did my dream job. Can't get another as i'd have to go back to college to get the qualifications updated.

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

Working as a Tax Professional Caseworker these days, it's fun. Had to work hard to get it, 3 1/2 years in a call center aspect of the company dealing with everyone whom was either nice or annoying as anything. Nearly left 2 years ago, but got this job i'm in now. My aim is to work in the Investigations area at some point down the line.

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

Nope, never. When i had my civil engineering job, i thought that would be it for me and i'd see it through to the end of my working life. Never dreamed of leaving and finding another job.

[Agent Gibbs]

1) What's your dream job?

 

I wanted to follow my Grandfather into the line of Civil Engineering, and i did get that back in 2007. Worked for a Civil Engineering company called Mabey Bridge. Job was going well, i was training up in another aspect of the job. However, due to senior management making a monumental mess up, they had to make redundancies (one manager was laughing about it, seeing as his job was safe. He wasn't laughing when someone punched him in the office). The company hasn't been the same since, has never recovered and has closed all the Wales manufacturing and has scaled back drastically. The site i worked on was around over 100 years, and due to the management it's all gone. Management had to serve jail time for what happened.

 

So yeah, did my dream job. Can't get another as i'd have to go back to college to get the qualifications updated.

 

2) What are you actually doing?

 

Working as a Tax Professional Caseworker these days, it's fun. Had to work hard to get it, 3 1/2 years in a call center aspect of the company dealing with everyone whom was either nice or annoying as anything. Nearly left 2 years ago, but got this job i'm in now. My aim is to work in the Investigations area at some point down the line.

 

3) Did you ever envision yourself in what you're doing now?

 

Nope, never. When i had my civil engineering job, i thought that would be it for me and i'd see it through to the end of my working life. Never dreamed of leaving and finding another job.

 

Could you not get a post at another engineering firm? Lots of them do day releases to university to do degrees, so do a lot of the local authorities - speaking with personal experience Leeds City council has taken on people who've done part training elsewhere and taken them throguh to HNC/HND & Degree and even allow you to do a Masters (at your won cost) and are very helpful at getting you to incorporated, chartered etc

[ReZourceman]

I hate that so many people are happy.

[Ashley]

I wasn't sure for a long time what I wanted to be. Had lots of ideas, sometimes similar/recurring but never really settled on anything. I think I have now settled on video game stuff. I say stuff because ideally I'd own a studio and, if that wasn't my main responsibility (i.e. I still helped out) I would be doing so on the design side. I've taken steps to head towards this (such as making a game a while ago, working on some other stuff at the moment) but it's going to take a while and due to a skills shortage (including my own) I'm mainly doing the programming side which is an interesting challenge, but hopefully relatively short-term.

 

As well as that I'm currently working 3 days a week at a uni in a systems developer role. A year ago I decided to leave my last job (similar kind of thing, but also training and managerial and the buttload of meetings that entails) which I did in February to focus on the video game stuff and rely on my savings, but this offer came through and is easy work, pays reasonable and still affords me some (but not as much as I'd like sometimes) time to work on the other things.

 

So I dunno, guess I'm getting there?