New data from Legal & General shows that one in four people (25%) have landed the job they dreamed of as a child. The survey of 2,000 adults across the UK, which looked at how many people were following the career path they envisaged as a child, found one in four (25%) adults are currently doing the job they always dreamt of, but three-quarters (75%) are not. At a time when working habits are shifting, Legal & General surveyed the nation to uncover attitudes towards career ambitions and life goals.
The top 3 jobs UK adults dreamt of as children (between the ages 10-15) were teachers, vets and doctors. When asked why they were interested in these roles, 30% told us they were inspired by seeing the jobs featured in TV and film.
Of those who didn’t go on to pursue their dream job, 22% said they did not have enough self-belief to follow that path.
So, what about the roles they have today? 32% of UK adults claim they ‘just fell into’ their current job – despite 70% stating they are happy in their current role.
For those at the start of their career journey, salary is the most important factor when deciding on a profession. 31% of 18–24-year-olds said that money is the key motive, choosing this option over other reasons such as interests and opportunity.
Here are some key points we found:
– The top 3 industries adults dreamt of working in as a child (aged 10-15) were teachers, vets and doctors
– Teachers were the most likely to have realised their childhood dream job, with 23% successfully achieving their aspirations
– 22% of UK adults say they did not have enough self-belief to follow their dream career path
– Greater London is the region where people are working in their dream job or career (31%) whereas in the East of England, 83% said they’re not in their dream role or industry
– 66% of adults have made or considered making a career change, rising to 74% among 18-24 year-olds
– The research also found that women were more realistic about their childhood career ambitions than men with 16% aspiring to be teachers compared to just 4% of men. Meanwhile, men were far more likely than women to aspire to become professional sportspeople, with 14% selecting this option compared to just 1% of women. Just 2% of those who aspired to be professional sportspeople landed their dream job.
– Some respondents’ childhood dreams were driven to pursue a passion, with 30% choosing a job relevant to their hobbies, while 24% were interested in school subjects relevant to their job or industry. A further 16% said they were inspired by their teachers to follow their childhood ambitions.
https://www.legalandgeneral.com/insurance/life-insurance/childhood-dreams/
