Tell Us About Your Childhood Dream Job and We'll Tell You What Job is Perfect For You as an Adult!

Zoe Samuel

5 Min Quiz

Image: Shutterstock

About This Quiz

As kids, some of us dream of changing the world, others of working with people, and yet others of avoiding people in favor of numbers. Some want to be creative, others prefer things more predictable. Tell us your dream, and we'll tell you what adult job might make it come the most true!

Did you dream of ordering others around?

Yes, I wanted to be an Air Force pilot.

No, I wanted to be a lumberjack.
No, I wanted to be a painter.

Yes, I wanted to be a theater director.

Advertisement

Did you want to be creative?

No, I wanted to be a general.

Yes, I wanted to make video games like King's Quest.
Yes, I wanted to make movies.

Yes, I wanted to be a con artist.

Advertisement

Did you want to change the world?

No, I wanted to perfect it.

I wanted to change the way we interact with it.
I wanted to change the way it looks.

I wanted to change the way we think about it.

Advertisement

Did you want to work with people?

I wanted to tell people what to do all day.

I wanted to be away from people.
People, but also heavy equipment

I want to work with new people every day.

Advertisement

How about numbers?

I'll use numbers to work with people.

All I care about are numbers.
Numbers are important to many jobs, but they aren't the point.

I don't care about numbers.

Advertisement

Did you want to make a lot of money?

Money was all I cared about.

I would like a steady living.
I don't mind as long as I'm in the union.

I don't mind being poor.

Advertisement

Did you want to disappoint your parents?

I wanted to impress my father.

I wanted to impress my mother.
I wanted to disappoint my mother.

I wanted to disappoint both of my parents.

Advertisement

Did you want to outdo your siblings?

Yes, I must crush them!

No, I will never measure up to them.
I would like to, because we were competitive.

I was an only child.

Advertisement

Did you want to get out of the office?

No, I wanted to get in.

I wanted to work in a warehouse.
I wanted to work out in the world.

I want to work anywhere and everywhere.

Advertisement

Who was a hero of yours?

Ivan Boesky

Bill Gates
Martin Scorsese

David Copperfield

Advertisement

Did you want to travel for work?

Yes, I did.

No, I did not.
I would travel sometimes, sure.

I would go anywhere to achieve my dreams of being an Astronaut-God.

Advertisement

Did you want to be a freelancer (if you knew what that was)?

Yes, it affords freedom.

No, I wanted to be a cog in a big machine.
I'm not sure if "want" is the right word.

No, I wanted to be a prophet.

Advertisement

Did you want a steady job or one with lots of variation?

I wanted both.

I wanted steadiness.
I wanted variation.

I wanted cyclical variation.

Advertisement

Did you like computers?

They were useful for getting term papers I could copy off the internet.

I loved them.
They were okay, but I liked to be hands on.

They were cool, but not cool enough for me.

Advertisement

How about building things with your hands?

Not really

I liked building computers! Does that count?
I liked building things with wood and metal.

I liked building little things.

Advertisement

How innovative were you?

I think I was very innovative.

I was very creative in the areas where I applied myself.
I stick to the script.

I break all the rules, every rule, all the time.

Advertisement

Did you mind being uncool?

I mind.

I don't mind.
I care a bit, but not much.

Cool has no meaning to me.

Advertisement

Did you mind not having a lot of friends?

No, because my friends are quality over quantity.

No, because it has always been that way.
I like to have a lot of close friends.

I like to have a lot of friends who barely know me.

Advertisement

Were you smarter than the other kids?

I sure thought I was.

I was.
I thought I wasn't, but I was.

I was smarter than the adults.

Advertisement

Did you use humor as a defense mechanism?

No

Yes
I tell one particular kind of joke when I feel stressed out.

I use humor as an offensive weapon.

Advertisement

Did you watch a lot of movies?

No

Only anime
Only the big Hollywood movies

Loads

Advertisement

Did you ever put on Mommy or Daddy's suit?

At every opportunity

No
Just their work boots

I put on their hats.

Advertisement

Did you want to be a hero?

I did.

I just wanted to be Bill Gates.
Tesla was my hero.

No

Advertisement

Did you play on any sports teams?

Football

No
Volleyball

Wrestling

Advertisement

What about other teams like debate or chess?

Debate

Chess
Robots

Comic books

Advertisement

Did you play an instrument?

The guitar

The piano
No

A woodwind

Advertisement

Did you dream of stardom?

No, just wealth

No, just satisfaction
No, nothing of the sort

Yes

Advertisement

Did you feel sorry for all the corporate people in their matching suits and cars?

Nope

A little
Very sorry

I thought they were all fools!

Advertisement

Did you want to be president?

Of a major corporation

Never
When I was three years old

Only in high school

Advertisement

What sort of place did you want to live?

I wanted to travel the world.

San Francisco
LA

New York

Advertisement

About HowStuffWorks Play

How much do you know about dinosaurs? What is an octane rating? And how do you use a proper noun? Lucky for you, HowStuffWorks Play is here to help. Our award-winning website offers reliable, easy-to-understand explanations about how the world works. From fun quizzes that bring joy to your day, to compelling photography and fascinating lists, HowStuffWorks Play offers something for everyone. Sometimes we explain how stuff works, other times, we ask you, but we’re always exploring in the name of fun! Because learning is fun, so stick with us!

Explore More Quizzes

PERSONALITY

Tell Us About Your Morning Routine and We'll Guess Which Unusual Job Would Be Perfect for You!

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min

PERSONALITY

Can We Guess the Job of Your Dreams?

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min

PERSONALITY

Is Your Personality More Suited for a Creative or Analytical Job?

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min

PERSONALITY

Answer These True/False Questions and We'll Guess What Your Job Is

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min

PERSONALITY

What Three Jobs Match Your Personality?

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min

PERSONALITY

What’s Your Millennial Job?

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min

PERSONALITY

Answer These Yes or No Questions and We'll Guess Which Unusual Job You'd Be Perfect For

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min

PERSONALITY

Answer These Questions and We'll Match You to the STEM Job That Fits Your Personality

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min

PERSONALITY

Play a Game of “Would You Rather” and We’ll Guess What Your Job Is

6 Minute Quiz 6 Min

PERSONALITY

What Dangerous Job Would You Be Good At?

5 Minute Quiz 5 Min