When you were a child...

[susan silva]

When you were a child, did you want to be a secretary/admin/PA when you grew up?

[msmarieh]

Nope, and I'm not sure I want to be one when I grow up now either.

[gee4]

Lol Marie 

No I didn't want to be one either.  At the time, I actually couldn't have thought of anything more boring.....and boy have I been bored!!

[eturtle]

Neither did I!  I am glad in the end that I did get into the field.  It is what I do well, and enjoy my job.   I still look through job ads and see if there is anything I would like to move into.  If anything it would be a event planner, but why move? I think they make less pay and I plan fun events in this job with more variety in between events.  I have to admit I wouldn't mind hosting one of those travel show and getting paid to see the world.   But since that opportunity hasn't crossed my path, this is the job for me! 

[gee4]

Turtle,

I too thought about getting into event management but only in latter years.  Having not started my career in that field, I discovered that to change now would only mean a drop in salary and that is neither feasable or advantageous.

I have organised some interesting events over the years in previous jobs but sadly my current employer already has a division in that field and it's not one they plan to add to.

Fortunately I have a job but it's not exactly where I thought I would be.

[officepa]

Don't think I even knew such jobs existed when I was a child.

I do remember saying I wanted to be a hairdresser when I grew up but obviously that never happened. 

I also quite liked the idea of working at a checkout, well, when you are 4 years old and standing at the checkout with your mum, it seemed quite a nice job to be doing all day  or perhaps it was because I thought I would be able to help myself to the sweets at the checkout all day....... 

Sort of fell into this type of roll when I left school and stuck with it - not so bad really when you look back. 

[JessW]

I grew up with 'Aunty Susan' and the rest of her colleagues looking after me, babysitting and taking me out to lunch at the University where my dad worked (and still does aged 705+) so, no, I didn't grow up wanting to be an secretary etc.  I thought they were all my family! (mind you, I did literally grow up from aged 1 day at the University surrounded by lecturers, undergrads, research students etc).

[Katie G]

I wanted to be a scientist, preferably a physicist.  Physics was one of my favorite subjects in school.  I found the theories fascinating and loved doing the experiments.

Unfortunately, when it came to doing the actual mathematics however, it was painfully clear that this was not going to be my field.  I swear when it comes to numbers, I must have some kind of mathematical version of dyslexia. 

I still squeal with delight however, when NOVA or some other show on PBS is doing something related to space or new theories and stuff like that. 

[movinonup]

Oh, yes....when I was quite young, I would sit at the kitchen table and pretend to organize paperwork, just like my mom was doing in her office (in the house).  She was a bookkeeper for my father's business, and she would type and stuff payroll envelopes and do all kinds of secretarial work.  I think that's why I was drawn to this work.  I really do enjoy it, still, after all these years. 

[Alicia M]

Movin that is cute!  I wanted to be a park ranger for a national park like Yellowstone.

[Dusty *]

I too wanted to be a secretary when I was a child.  I was given an old manual Remmington typewriter, and I used to play "offices". I loved bits of paper, making carbon copies, and stamp pads. I also had a "post office set". 

[rose.winter1980]

No.  I wanted to drive trains, but my Father told me that ladies didn't do that, which of course they didn't in those days. 

I couldn't work in my chosen field after taking my first degree simply through ill health.  Then marriage and children took up a good slice of my time.  I finally went to business college because I discovered I quite like admin and think that a professional qualification is a good thing.  I have had very few jobs, but they have been absolutely fabulous.  I have worked with some truly high-fliers and have learned a great deal about business.  More recently I have returned to study and completed law school, so I'm starting on the next segment of my career.

So, did I want to be an admin?  No, but it sure got me places I wouldn't have gone otherwise.