Hola! Guten tag! Salut! [insert greeting of your choice!]
I'm one of the girls in life that never really wanted a job that was a) practical b) easy to get into c) easy to make a living off. I've gone through phases of wanting to be an author, a formula one driver, an actor, a set designer, an artistic photographer, a singer and currently a comic book artist. The only one that looks feasible at the moment is my brief seven year old dreams of being a firefighter (and then I remember that I am five foot two and a bit, female and relatively weak. We're not doing well here.)
The sad fact of the matter is that chances are, I will never achieve any one of these things. Or I might get part of the way and then settle. Who knows. But for all of you out there with dreams as unfeasible as mine, a quite streak of consolation for all of the cool people jobs that I'm pretty sure most people out there have dreamed about at least once.
Formula 1 Driver: My dad is a little bit of a fanatic, so it stood to reason that I really wanted to learn, until I realised that it would be incredibly expensive and also pretty unfeasible for me to do even if I could afford it. And the fact that there are currently no women racing (and there have only been five women entered ever, only two of which have ever raced - because the more you know!) doesn't bode well for me vis-a-vis my gender. But I rest assured knowing that there would have been horrific downsides. For one, sure the races take you all the way across the globe...but with that you get near permanent jet lag. And then there are the excruciating sponsor stunts - Lewis Hamilton in particular has been involved in some pretty weird stuff with Santander. Press assassination that comes with any kind of celebrity is a given. With the long training hours and the probability of being involved in crashes sky high - be them deadly or not - it's safe to say that I can sometimes console myself over these dreams. Occasionally.
Astronaut: I spent about a day wanting to be an astronaut (read: visit the moon) before realising how difficult it would be and writing off that idea pretty damn quick. But apparently it was voted the most popular dream job of kids, and I thought I would debunk the possible glory. For a start, there is lots of maths involved. Ick. The work is not only hard but potentially incredibly dangerous (has any seen Apollo 13?), the hours are long, you are separated from family, friends and other people you love nearly all the time. And they do highly scary and invasive tests.
Musician: I'm not going to lie when I say that being in a band is quite easily the biggest dream of my life. I would love to get any kind of job in the music industry, even if not in performance (I'm pretty damn good at lighting equipment) but it seems that the revered musicianhood is not all it is cut out to be. It can be a very long time before you make any money - just as you get to have a hand in every part of a release, you often have to pay for most of those part, so juggling cashflow is a challenge - you have to remain self motivated and organised. You will be rejected near constantly. So perhaps, it would be different in orchestral music? Not so. Whilst it is more reliable as job if you end up in a reputable orchestra, many musicians in orchestras or choirs become cynical as you will seldom if ever be recognised individually for your considerable talent. Either type of music, you will have to spend hours daily practising and warming up for concerts and gigs.
Actor: This one hits particularly close to home. I've wanted to be in theatre for most of my life, and I've only just re-convinced that that one will probably not happen. But I still dream of a career in film or theatre or television...There is obviously the financial instability in between parts, but there is also the constant competition and stress. Hark! The next audition! The next callback! The next screening! The hours are weird and long; with sudden-death auditions and callbacks on surprise weekends. If you land a theatre part might not be free on any evening for months or even years. Film shoots can happen at any strange time of day, and if you have to film on location then you will be uprooted from your home for large periods of time. The constant rejection and public scrutiny is liable to lead to insecurity and lack of self-worth. And most actors have a "sell-by" date - it become far more difficult to land parts of any sort after a sort of age.
Firefighter: This appealed to me, but it also seems to be the go-to "I wanna be" for little boys in primary school. However, there are also some of the most major cons to being a firefighter that might console you when you realise that dream might not be realised. There is constant stress on your job - once you have the chance to save lives you also have to potential to inadvertently let people die. In the place of a fireman, seconds can make that difference. There is also that your personal safety is nearly permanently at risk. Smoke inhalation, burns, falls from ladders or floors, as well as falling parts from above can all injure and kill firefighters. It's not a nine till five job - instead it is eclectic, with some firemen working for 24 hour shifts - making it nearly impossible to interact with friends and family regularly. Even if the thrill draws you to the flames, be warned that the majority of firefighting is spent cooking, keeping the station clean, and organising equipment.
Authors: There is no way to learn how to be a writer, and just like our individual singing voice, your style will either be popular or not - although you can learn. But there is no rule book, you will have very few resources, and NO rules. If you don't or can't work on a day because you are lazy, stressed, sick or busy, nobody can cover your work. The work simply remains undone. Because of the sporadic nature of the job, you have to have incredible self discipline. If you have a family or friends, you are often routinely interrupted, especially if you work at home, simply because it is frequently difficult for people who are not authors to grasp the fact that writing actually is work, that you actually do have a real job - and contractual deadlines to meet. The industry is nearly impossible to break into. And although your work is your own, you lose most control over it once you have finished editing it and have sent it away, if it is accepted by a publishing company.
Pilot: As a girl who's considering joining the air cadets, this is pretty high on my list of things I want to do. You have to be of a certain build (not weigh too much, between 5"2 and 6"3), and you also have to be physically fit, English speaking, with a clear and mostly unaccented voice. You will spend a lot of time at home, so whilst you'll see the world it will be difficult to maintain contact with people. Because of this, there is a majorly high divorce rate. There are very few employers for pilot work, so if you burn a bridge you may never find another one. In terms of being a fighter pilot, there are obviously the added concerns of a higher crash rate.
Veterinarian: Apparently one of the highest choices children make for their ultimate jobs. After secondary school, you will need to take another eight years of schooling to become a vet, at the very least. You have to deal with aggressive and agitated animals, running high risks for injuries such as bites and scratches. The pet owners you are likely to encounter will be upset, scared and may lash out and be unfriendly. The hours are sporadic, you may have to work weekends and constantly be on call.
I know that none of these make it any better that these dreams are largely unattainable, but they may provide some consolation. On the flipside, remember that you can totally achieve anything with a bit of luck and a lot of perseverance.
Bella
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