Your Career Plans as a Kid?

[Rhodie Ranch]

Except for about 6 months in 1970 when I wanted to be a social worker, I always wanted to be a veterinarian. Went to college and got a degree in Biology, but I had so much fun after joining Army ROTC, that my grades slipped. I never got into UC Davis Vet program. So I went to grad school in Food science. Then Food service for half of my career.

I joke that instead of saving animals, I ended up serving them.

 

[Dahlia]

Except for about 6 months in 1970 when I wanted to be a social worker, I always wanted to be a veterinarian. Went to college and got a degree in Biology, but I had so much fun after joining Army ROTC, that my grades slipped. I never got into UC Davis Vet program. So I went to grad school in Food science. Then Food service for half of my career.

I joke that instead of saving animals, I ended up serving them.

I always wanted to be a school teacher, but ended up being a designer. I love designing and building web pages and also doing design work for various marketing materials and books.

 

[calebgilk]

I always thought I'd become a teacher, but life took me in a different direction.
If you're still figuring out what you want to do or thinking about switching careers, plumbing is something to think about. It’s not just about fixing leaks. Plumbers do all sorts of things like working on construction sites, installing water systems, and making sure everything works right. I found a really helpful article about the demand for plumbers and what the job is like. Here it is: https://www.howtobecomeaplumber.org/are-plumbers-in-demand/. It gives a good look at what you can expect in this career.

 

[Marie2020]

As a little girl I must have been confused, because I always adored animals of any kind but wanted too be either a nun as I was deeply religious, or a ballot dancer.

At the start of my working life I became a sewing machinest but was at the same time applying to become a police lady. Sadly at that time the police wouldn't except anyone under 5ft 6 inches and I was only 5ft 4.

Later I moved away from my town and started working as a sales consultant before meeting someone who led me into sales and promotions, within department stores.
I really enjoyed working at that point. The basic wages was good and we could earn commission on what we sold.

If I had my time over I would aim to work within the animals rescue field. It would be great if there would be a way of bringing in children by involving the local schools, to educate them on different animals species both wild and domestic.
But the latter is still the child in me

 

[Alasgun]

I’ll be 74 in February and wondering what I wanna be when I grow up. In the mean time the good Lord gave me skill in my hands that served us admirably for many years; and still does!
There’s only one thing on my “bucket list” that I hope to just live till I die and skip the growing up part. most grown ups seem kinda grumpy!

Looking back this is basically the same answer I gave last year about this time so if this was a dementia test; I believe I’m pretty good.

 

[ducks4you]

Then I wanted to be a farrier, but my arms were so weak I couldn't even get one snip off of a hoof with the equipment! A professional equestrian? Don't have the balance for it. D:

I ended up a dog groomer, and it worked out pretty good.

Good for you!
Eldest DD and I joke--we have often been withOUT a farrier.
How many D......'s does it Take to trim a hoof?!?!?
Always at Least 2 of us!!
NONE of us if the horse isn't clean and thoroughly fly sprayed!
It also helps to have a brand new set of nippers!
Are you a horse owner?
I ask bc SWAT, infamously known for being the hot pink stuff that you put under their eyes and on their ears to keep the flies away--it's really for wound care--now comes in white which disappears.

SWAT Original Pink Fly Repellent Ointment

Swat Original Pink Fly Repellent Ointment from Farnam helps keep flies away from wounds, abrasions, and sensitive areas. This original pink formula makes your horse's wounds more visible and easily identified. SWAT’s long-lasting formula provides hours of protection and can resist water and sweat.

www.farmvet.com

My horses always looked like they were ready to play powder puff football.
I could have trained you. In the winter my students would often ride bareback. NOTHING teaches you balance like riding a very smooth gaited horse bareback, not as easy as it sounds, but you wouldn't keep falling off, either.

 

[ducks4you]

Dunno...always wanted horses, now 39 years in.
Otherwise DH and I have taken on hobbies and vacations that everybody else said we couldn't do, too long, too HARD, too expensive, but we made it work.
Now, I work as a Mobile Notary, which is really in the Legal field, like atty DH.
Notaries have been around for hundreds of years as the professional witnesses you HAVE to have to buy a home and sign for the title. We are supposed to help prevent fraud.
Guess we need more bc there is an awful LOT of fraud today.

 

[ducks4you]

I was kinda like @AMKuska . And also, I believed Dad.

He said that we had moved after a one year stay in town to this farm so as to have dairy cows. And, that DB & I had to learn to do chores so that we would inherit the farm and those cows from him. He set up a compressor and milking system but it didn't work well for some of the cows he bought. At first, we didn't have it and milked by hand. Later, DB was given a Jersey as a "gift" but he didn't want to milk cows and I was still stuck with her.

After several years, Dad bought a Hereford bull and it became obvious even to me as a teenager by then that Dad had no intention of expanding the dairy herd into a full-time dairy. We sold our milk wholesale at first but Mom was always into "natural foods" and had friends who wanted to buy our milk. That turned into a "delivery route" for her. (Not with a horse and wagon but with the 1948 Chevy and the 1950 Dodge sedans .) It's kinda funny that when when we moved off the farm when I was 14 that she sorta changed that into a part-time pie delivery job for a bakery. Dad continued working at his job "in town" through all those years.

I'll tell you what -- taking care of a garden was a bit of a step down from taking care of cows. We had 40 head of cows & calves after Dad went with the "dairy herd gone wild," as our veterinarian friend called it. The dairy cows produced plenty of milk for those calves but Dad & I were milking the mothers morning & night and feeding the calves. Then, there were the pastures and hay fields and irrigation and harvesting the hay. Chores. I thought that was what a "job" amounted to. But then, there was school! It was something like a vacation .

OMG, I have taken vacations and had somebody else feed the ponies for me. I even dropped off one of my horses with a riding student of mine, who owned several of her own, while we took 4 of our horses on a riding vacation. That horse's front legs had kindof gone, but he was so docile, and her kids could ride him while we were gone.
Dairy farming is probably the BIGGEST and most full time commitment of Any livestock owners.

 

[AMKuska]

Good for you!
Eldest DD and I joke--we have often been withOUT a farrier.
How many D......'s does it Take to trim a hoof?!?!?
Always at Least 2 of us!!
NONE of us if the horse isn't clean and thoroughly fly sprayed!
It also helps to have a brand new set of nippers!
Are you a horse owner?
I ask bc SWAT, infamously known for being the hot pink stuff that you put under their eyes and on their ears to keep the flies away--it's really for wound care--now comes in white which disappears.

SWAT Original Pink Fly Repellent Ointment

Swat Original Pink Fly Repellent Ointment from Farnam helps keep flies away from wounds, abrasions, and sensitive areas. This original pink formula makes your horse's wounds more visible and easily identified. SWAT’s long-lasting formula provides hours of protection and can resist water and sweat.

www.farmvet.com

My horses always looked like they were ready to play powder puff football.
I could have trained you. In the winter my students would often ride bareback. NOTHING teaches you balance like riding a very smooth gaited horse bareback, not as easy as it sounds, but you wouldn't keep falling off, either.

Not anymore. My parents purchased for me a greenbroke horse thinking we could "learn together" :3 Before this, I traded stall cleaning for riding lessons and they -always- put me bareback on some barely broken horse for these lessons. I'm very tired of spooking, bolting, rearing, bucking 'lessons' when you don't even know how to direct a horse yet.

That's what was available though, and I don't regret trying.

 

[SPedigrees]

I had no career plans either, but it was my dream from an early age to have a horse of my own, which came true when hubby and I moved here to Vermont and bought our house. As a kid, living in suburbia, my parents had provided me with riding lessons, so that came in handy later on. Vermont was very rural then with networks of unpaved roads and paths to ride on with my friends. That was being in the right place at the right time.

We lived in Boston before that for 3 years and I worked there at several clerical jobs. Over the years later in Vermont I was drawn to blue collar manufacturing jobs, when I worked off and on. There's something satisfying about seeing what you helped to make yourself with your own hands roll off the assembly line.

We lost the last little old pony at age 36 a dozen years ago, and most of my horse-owning friends along with DH are also dead now. But the memories live on.