<p>There are so many threads on this site about college dreams and dream colleges, particularly the Ivies and other super-competitive schools. At some Ivies, 25-50% of graduates end up working on Wall Street. That would NOT be a goal I have for my kids, and in fact I might be embarrassed if that is what my free-thinking, intellectually curious offspring decided to do. So what do others think? If you could imagine what your college-bound child (or current college student) could be doing in 10 years–based on their known interests and capabilities–what would you most like to see? How important is it to you that they have high earning potential rather than more modest prospects?</p>
<p>I’ll start: I would be happy (and not at all surprised) if my son ended up working for some kind of international aid or service organization helping improve life for people in the Third World. And I would like to see my daughter use her interest in dance and her curiosity about the human body to do something in occupational/physical therapy or sports medicine. My son doesn’t care about money; my daughter does. So perhaps both of them will find their niche.</p>
<p>My dream for our kids is that they find their niche and are happy. I honestly don’t care what career they choose…that should be their dream, not mine.</p>
<p>I would hope that my daughter follow through on her God-give empathy and ability to form relationships with people and enter one of the healing professions. I could care less how much money she makes, over and above what it takes to support herself.’</p>
<p>I’ll play. D1 loved her internship at the State Department. She is starting a job in a different field in DC next week because of limited hiring in almost all areas of the federal goverment right now, but 10 years from now being a manager or director of some department at State would be perfect for her.</p>
<p>D2 is younger (sr. in high school) so harder to place… maybe some kind of engineering or bio-engineering or physics field… she will probably still be working on her PhD or be a post-doc in 10 years. Neither is especially motivated by money, although they live a pretty nice lifestyle right now (and might find it harder to give up than they anticipate). My aspiration financially for them and their partners would to be able to pay their bills, live in a safe neighborhood that does not have a horrid commute, fund their retirements, and pay for a good education for their kids.</p>
<p>As an aside, I saw the mom of a boy in D1’s hs class at the grocery lately. D is not a fan of this boy, thinks he is ethically challenged… he is headed to Goldman Sachs for a job. I have worked in the business world for my whole career, and am happy neither of my kids has much interest in it.</p>
<p>I have 3 kids and 7 nieces and nephews. Of those who have reached adulthood, most are doing what they played at as little kids. The sisters who were always playing “office” or “store” are both in marketing-one health nut at a fitness company, the chatterbox in a PR company. The one who was always teaching her dolls is a teacher of foreign languages (2nd in HS class of 500+ and turned down several offers to go into international relations program). She’s been voted best teacher two years running. HER sister fixes cars. She lives breathes and sleeps cars and as a kid always wanted to do whatever dad was doing. She has an AA degree.</p>
<p>My oldest loved taking things apart and putting them together. He chose the Navy and CC for construction/welding and is the only non-degreed person at his job where he gets to play Mythbusters for pay. My ex and I once fought over who would pay if he got into Harvard. Silly us-that was OUR dream. He never had an interest in doing anything put working with his hands.</p>
<p>My middle one just finished a year at a 4-year college and is about to transfer to a CC for culinary arts, with or without our help (the story that brought me to this board). The thing about her isn’t that she always liked to cook-she always wanted to play restaurant, got a job in one during her gaps years and here we are. </p>
<p>My youngest wants to teach. At 12, she is an assistant at a church summer camp where she’s so far done everything from hand out supplies to monitoring kids on the playground. She’s thrilled. People look down their noses and say why would a bright kid want to be “just” a teacher and my reply is that it’s a job where she can positively influence thousands of kids over the years-and her target student population is low-income minority because she saw first-hand the difference a good teacher can make there. </p>
<p>As the last of my kids, my dream for her is that HER dreams are realized. That she find a way to do what drives her-help others. I’d hate to see her as a banker or trader or a business post-grad. BTW, what she used to play at a kid? I have pictures of her teaching her stuffed animals to “read”. I don’t think she was older than 2.</p>
<p>sseamom–what great stories. I love this statement: “Of those who have reached adulthood, most are doing what they played at as little kids.”</p>
<p>That would be true with mine, too. My son has always been the kind, helpful friend to other kids and animals…he is the most empathetic person I have ever met. My daughter has always liked order and control. She sees “right” and “wrong” ways to do things, has a remarkable sense of direction, and always liked to boss her dolls and rodent pets around when she was young. Her dad and I joke that she is like the subject of the song “Short Skirt, Long Jacket.” If you need someone capable of “touring the facilities and picking up slack,” she’s your girl. :)</p>
<p>One child is starting a PhD in history and one in Art History. Good thing PhD’s are funded. Since I am an academic, I can’t be too surprised. I have always been happy in my work, I teach many disadvantaged kids to read Shakespeare and Donne among many other things and teach them to write, so a social function is served. I have always been able to support myself in academics.</p>
<p>Even thirty-five years ago family was discouraging.</p>
<p>The quote my D put beside her senior picture in her high school yearbook was “Choose a job that you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” That’s her attitude, and I think it’s a good one. I really have no vision of a particular job for her - I just want her to choose something she enjoys. I don’t think even she knows what that is yet.</p>
<p>I don’t have any specific career dreams for my kids. I want them to be able to get jobs they enjoy, that pay enough to support them. Oldest is starting her first real job. I think she will work a few years and then head to grad school - either MBA or PhD in Economics. Can’t predict which at this point. Son wants to make video games. Hope he succeeds in finding a job in that field after college. While I have at times been concerned about his choice, I would never say I was embarrassed by it.</p>
<p>^^Sorry if my word choice offended you. The point of this thread was to encourage speculation on our kids’ career prospects in the same way we speculate on their college options. To me the college years are a wonderful time for transformation and growth, but also a means to an end. Clearly, a lot of people would not be embarrassed/disappointed/concerned about their kids ending up working on Wall Street–they have to know there’s a good chance that that’s where their “Ivy dreams” will lead them. It’s just not something I would be all that excited about, although of course I would support my kids in whatever they wanted to do.</p>
<p>I get it. In the spirit of fun, I will play along. My DS thinks he wants to be an optometrist right now-using science, people person and still able to have some sort of life. I would love to see college unleash more of his sense of creativity and see him move to straight research or switch to math. Of course, his love of money might mean that he would put his math skills to create some new financial derivative. </p>
<p>As a parent I want him to be challenged and not just skate through life. I think I have raised him to be socially responsible and politically aware. Time will tell how college and beyond changes that.</p>
<p>Maybe it’s their life but at the same time it’s the parents’ responsibility to at least present some resemblance of reality… </p>
<p>DD1 was a no brainer. Inherited the creative / visual / I-hate-math gene from me and from 9th grade on it was obvious that her calling was design / art / architecture. She completed her 1st year with a scholarship at a respected flagship state. Took a bunch of art / design / drafting / industrial tech classes and is as comfortable with a band saw or Dremel as she is with AutoCAD, Photoshop, or her signature Staedtler drawing pencils. </p>
<p>DD2 inherited her good student gene from her Tiger mom and is starting HS next month. She’s interested in International Relationships, Law, or, due to parents’ blackmailing schemes, biology / science. </p>
<p>It’s not difficult to explain to her that IR is not the glamorous diplomatic type career of times past, nor is it difficult to point out that unless one finishes a top-12 law school, law is an iffy proposition. Just like Tiger mom, she’s not the type to go with her instinct (otherwise she’d be going to journalism school). So HS will be a bit of exploration of what STEM and business / law is all about (from a certain level of course). </p>
<p>The key is to discover (together) what they’re good at and has career potential, what they’re good at but is hopeless career wise, and what they’re simply not interested in for all the money in the world, and form expectations and paths from there.</p>
Neither is especially motivated by money, although they live a pretty nice lifestyle right now (and might find it harder to give up than they anticipate). My aspiration financially for them and their partners would to be able to pay their bills, live in a safe neighborhood that does not have a horrid commute, fund their retirements, and pay for a good education for their kids.</p>