SINGAPORE: After an online user shared two of her childhood dream jobs, many Singaporeans were inspired to reflect on their own childhood aspirations. In a lighthearted twist, the post sparked a flood of responses, with people sharing their most imaginative childhood career dreams. From astronauts to cashiers, the children’s dream jobs covered a wide range —many far removed from the conventional roles today’s society often associates with success.
“When you were young, what was your dream job?” a woman wrote in a forum on Friday (Feb 28), reminiscing how she used to accompany her mother to the market every Sunday as a kindergartener. “My earliest memories of what I wanted to be when I grew up were either:
- Yew char kway seller (looks so fun when I see the uncle knead the dough and cut it into strips and then put one strip on top of the other and then press it down with the long stick and then stretch the dough out and slide it into the hot oil in the wok and then flip it around and pick it out with the long chopsticks)
- Butcher (holy smokes the uncle with the big mean nasty chopper keeps sharpening his knife and slicing the meat up and cutting stuff up, it must be awesome getting to wave that chopper around all day )
“I don’t think I ever told my mum though.”
The post quickly struck a chord with many Singaporeans, prompting them to share their own childhood dream jobs. From the whimsical to the unexpected, the responses poured in, revealing a fascinating mix of aspirations–a cashier, a petrol pump attendant, a detective, and even a dolphin trainer.
“I used to be amazed by the people in Changi Airport who got to drive buggies around,” said one. “To me, that was so cool, being able to drive a vehicle inside a building!”
“My dream job then was to be the person that feeds the manatees at River Safari (I think it’s called River Wonders),” said another, who sarcastically contrasted it to his dream job now as an adult. “My dream job now is to break into high finance and work 100 hours a week.”
According to a blog article on Medium, childhood dreams lay the foundation for the hopes and aspirations people carry into adulthood. While they may seem whimsical in hindsight, these early ambitions can play a significant role in shaping who we become.