Everyone's always had one job they've always dreamed of having. It can be anything - from a teacher to a dentist, from a conductor to a writer. Although sad, sometimes people don't always get the job they really want. However, that doesn't stop them from wishing they had it.
People on Reddit discuss the job of their dreams. Content has been edited for clarity.
A Very Scenic Job
“I’d love to be a park ranger. I want to drive a truck around nature for most of the day. Sure, half of it might be picking up trash or dealing with stupid people, but I’d also be out in nature for most of the day and I think that’d be fine.
However, according to movies and TV, I’d also either die or be maimed by some supernatural creature living in the woods.”
“What Do You Need Help With?”
“I’d love to be just a regular dude at Ace Hardware.
If all of my bills were paid and I could afford the pay cut, I would totally go work at my local Ace and just be one of the guys that’s like:
‘Afternoon sir, what do you need help with today?’
‘Umm… I’m looking for this thingy… I don’t know what it’s called,’ the customer would say.
‘Yeah, those are right over here in aisle 12, follow me,’ I would respond as I confidently walk over to the correct isle.
Then, I would show the customer the doohickey and move on to the next customer. I don’t want to work at any of the big stores, they are literally too big, too much walking around. I want a local hardware store or an Ace where there’s like 15-20 aisles max and they’re small. I would be super helpful since I’m an industrial electrician and know a lot of other stuff about home improvement, cars and small engines as well.
I just want a low stress job, honestly, and the guys at my local Ace all seem pretty chill.”
A James Cameron In the Making
“I would love to ‘make movies.’ Ever since I was six years old, I’ve always wanted to make movies because films were always something that really made me happy. I have a creative enough imagination to make cool films or write cool books. I plan on screenwriting and selling my writings to film producers, and putting them into contests.
First though, I want to do something fun (and challenging) that would help me get a bit of a popular reputation to help me get better chances for my creativity to be noticed. I plan on making animations and putting them on YouTube. I just need to draw things in frame form, get some voice actors, and add sound effects and music to these animations.
She Would Be Great At Both
“My dream job is to be a psychiatrist for kids and teens, alternatively a teacher. I was thinking of maybe taking the middle way and becoming a school psychologist and teach a few classes as well. Or, I would be a teacher at a special kind of school for kids with mental/physical disabilities, concentration issues or basically any kids that can’t attend a regular school for whatever reason.
Another thing I’d love a lot, but that’s very likely to stay a dream and just that, is being an author. I enjoy writing, but I’m more the short story kinda gal, and it’s not really realistic earning money with that. If you wanna make it as a fiction writer, you basically have to go for novels or screenwriting.”
They Have A Good Plan
“Recently changed from being a veterinarian to being a landlord.
I’ve always wanted to be a vet because I like medicine and I like animals. I hated the fact there were so many strays and wanted to pursue my own trap-neuter-return program. Getting into grad school is increasingly unlikely so I had to pick something else.
Regular hours and rat racing have been bothering me lately. Burn out from 3 years of pizza delivery and micromanagement, I’m sick of taking orders. For years I thought the end goal would be me as the boss but that’s fading. Then I remembered some deliveries to various apartment landlords. They all are definitely middle class with lots of acreage, upscale SUVs, and private stocked ponds. I want that. I’ve been doing the numbers and if I do things right, I can retire at 35-42 years old, and never listen to anyone again.
Also kinda want to own a Domino’s franchise. My first 2 years were at one and it was the first long term job I had. Started good and stayed that way but fuckos for managers ruined it. Having some apartments and a business, I’ll be the rich person I’ve always wanted to be. With that kind of money (even if just 150k/yr) I can still catch strays and pay vets to do bulk surgeries.”
There’s Always A Chance
“I know it’s not glamorous and a ton of hard work and tiring dedication, but I always wanted to be a doctor ever since I was young. I still do at the age of 30. I had to work full time while in college getting my engineering degree, and my grades suffered as a result. Medical school admissions are incredibly competitive, and I just don’t have the transcript to get in. I still regret it to this day.”
“With Luck And Hard Work, I’ll Make It”
“I always wanted to be an architect.
Even as a child, I was drawing houses and looking at books in the library which had floor plans in them. I didn’t do well in school, and when I was a Senior I had given up on pursuing a formal education in it. The year was 2008. Not a good time to build houses. I didn’t qualify to get into the universities and my family didn’t have the money, so I never went to college for a formal education in anything.
I currently work at a fast-growing mortgage company in Chicago. My goal right now is to become a loan officer. With any luck and hard work, I’ll make it.”
Interactive And Informative
“My dream job is to start my own museum focused on Japanese traditional performing arts like Noh and Kabuki. This museum would have a centerpiece that’s a replica Noh stage where you can put on the costumes/masks and the masks would have a VR/AR component that would show you how to do the movements and how to say the chants. It’d also have a Japanese garden with a full outdoor theatre with performances! I think that would be SO COOL.”
“Keeping It Fun, Playing Games”
“I’m studying to be a middle and high school second-language English teacher, but my dream would be to be a freelancer and help out at elementary school english programs. I would come in when the elementary school teachers feel like they can’t properly do it as the level required is rising so quickly nowadays. It would be so fun to teach little kids their first English! Just, keeping it fun, playing games, having a laugh. Kids are great.”
“The Bigger Picture Is What Keeps Me Going”
“I have my dream job! I’m a social worker in a group housing project for people with a mental disability. One hundred and thirty people live with us. Everyday is just a constant flurry of small and bigger tasks, no day is the same as the last one. Some parts of it are pretty boring, but even then the bigger picture is what keeps me going. Everything I do, from difficult family talks, giving tours of the facility, paperwork has the same big end goal: Making the people that live with us (more) happy or ease their problems. I’m not working for the profits of my boss, I work for ‘K,’ who never really had a home and cries of joy because we serve french fries every Friday. I work for ‘P,’ who’s parents are so grateful for me that he has gone ‘living on his own’ with us.
Everyday is this. Everyday is fighting big and small battles for the good of the people in my care. And that’s something I truly never get bored of. I will do this to the end of my days.”
“It Is My Passion”
“I am currently getting my Bachelor of Science in Genetics and Physiology. From an American perspective, and that’s much how I see it sometimes, you can say I’m kinda premed.
But I live in South Africa and it doesn’t work that way…we get to apply to medical school as soon as we leave high school. Then its a 6 to 7 year course to get your Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. The truth is I didn’t get into medical school on my first try.
But I’ve reapplied and I’m going to reapply and reapply and work my butt off until I get in, because I love medicine. It is my passion, and I know it is what I was born to do!
I love helping people, easing or taking away their pain, seeing them get better, seeing them happy again! And on top of that I love the human body, anatomy, physiology, pathology. I’m really interested in studying what can go wrong with the human body and what can be done to fix it. I find it fascinating to try and solve the puzzle of what the diagnosis is, and what is the best thing to do to make the person feel better with all the knowledge I have of human anatomy and physiology and disease pathophysiology!
So my dream job in general is being a doctor, really any kind of physician! But specifically I have my heart set on two! A specialty and subspecialty.
I first, after receiving my medical degree, want to specialize in Emergency Medicine and become an Emergency Physician! I love the thrill and excitement of Emergency Medicine. You never knowing what’s going to come through the door, and you meet so many different people and see so many different problems. One of the things I love most about it is being a jack of all trades. I’ll know how to treat a patient medically (with medications and medical therapies and procedures like cardioversion or pericardiocentesis) and surgically (treating the patient by cutting them open, like putting in a chest drain or doing an Emergency ED Thoracotomy). I’ll also be able to touch on every single medical specialty and organ system. From Neurology, Cardiology, Trauma Surgery…all the way down to dermatology, ophthalmology, I’ll see it all!
I plan on working as an ED Attending Emergency Physician for a few years and then doing my fellowship if I still want to, in Intensive Care/Critical Care. I think after just a few years, most probably my younger years, of having excitement and a high pace career like Emergency Medicine, I think it would be a nice slow down to go into Critical Care.
All of the good parts of Emergency Medicine you do still find in Critical Care only at a bit of a slower pace. An Intensivist, as they are called, is also a jack of all trades. They need to have knowledge of the anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology of all major organ systems and knowledge and experience of virtually all medical specialties. Although Critical Care is mainly medical in nature, an Intensivist still performs many procedures and even some surgical in nature like again inserting a chest drain.
But the other reason I want to be an Intensivist as well is because I think I want to eventually care for critically ill patients, that’s ultimately what I want to do and I think what I was born to do. I want to be there for them, and give them hope in their darkest time. Give their family hope in the darkest time. Perhaps not verbally as one must be careful not to give false hope. But through my actions, through my confidence, through my competence and through my kindness and compassion hopefully. And if all else fails and I can no longer help them, I want to do my best to take away as much pain in their last days/hours on Earth. And make sure that they know even when facing the end, they are loved, cared for that their life matters and their right not to suffer matters even till the bitter, inevitable end.”
Take The Chance
“My absolute dream job would be overseas (I’m American), specifically in Copenhagen or Vienna.
I’m 41 and single, no kids, no real family besides my parents. I have friends, but I’m not super close to any and I’m not really included in the social activities of most of my friends.
As an American, I’ve never really felt like I fit in anywhere. I love the idea (probably idealized / romanticized) of not only living in a large European metro area where I can walk, bike, or use public transport to get most places, but also being relatively easy to visit other countries that are only a couple hours away.
I specifically like Denmark and Austria as my father’s family are German but came from what is now southern Denmark, and I’m fascinated by Austria-Hungary and would love to live in the heart of its history.
I guess work-wise it’d be what I currently do, business analyst, but to me the real dream part of a job is the life it enables you to have.”