Dream Job

[MalReynolds]

When I was a little kid, I didn't want to do anything other than act. For the longest time, that's all I would do, since I was 7. I would choreograph intense fight scenes with my brother, and stage plays on our front deck. For a 7 year old, I would handle intense plays -Greater Tuna, MacBeth, GlenGary GlenRoss (although HIGHLY sanitized). I would also write plays and scenarios and sketches - and this has turned into my most recent hobby, writing.

But there was never for 1 second a doubt in my mind that I would act when I got older. But as luck would have it, as I did get older, I started auditioning for plays. I was an extra in "The Jackal", starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere, and the way non-SAG extras were treated kind of disillusioned me away from the screen. I turned to the stage more than doing extra work on films that were shooting in Richmond - I was so close to being a background character in Hannibal, but my face was too round for the fish market shootout.

I started auditioning for plays in high school, and found out very quickly that no matter how much I practiced at home, I wasn't as good as I thought I was. There were - GASP - people out there that were better than I was. And something else dawned on me. There were politics at work. Seniors were more likely to be cast, non-talented people tended to get smaller roles if they could bring in crowds - and this too was a rude awakening.

I did get cast in my fair share of shows (Richard III - I played Richard, and damn well, thank you very much, Big River where I played the Young Fool, although I was considered for Pap Finn, Dogberry in Much Ado About Nothing - a comic turn for Shakespeare. This part was damn hard compared to Richard) so I couldn't really complain too much.

After I graduated, though, shows became harder and harder to come by. I did a youth play, The 12 Dancing Princesses, when I was 18 - I was the oldest cast member, and my physique and allergic shiners lent me well to being a villainous type. I did very well. The children who would come to see the show would not talk to me when it was over, because they were afraid.

And that was 2 1/2 years ago. I've auditioned for exactly 1 play since then - The Wizard of Oz, but I didn't make it because my dancing audition blew.

I think it's odd how my priorities changed. I still get e-mails about auditions, and I tell myself I'll go, but I never do. I don't want to put myself out there, knowing that there are people out there that could be better than me - better than me, forever and ever until I die homeless and penniless.

Everyone tells me the job I have right now is a great job for a 20 year old who never went to college, and that I should focus on that, not do plays, because they would sap so much energy, and I should spend my time writing, because it doesn't take a lot out of me and I'm always thinking.

And I am always thinking. What if I'm wrong? I don't have job security here.

When I was 7, I knew I was going to be an actor. Hitting the stage - there's no better feeling. Getting a standing ovation when your character is a villain and he ****ing gets stabbed, but the audience loves you anyway - that's a feeling.

That's my dream job.

What about you, FFR users? What is your dream job? Have you had it wrenched away from you by the cold, unflattering reality that is reality? Are you taking any steps to realizing your dream job?

Spill it. Here is the place, now is the time.

Mal.

[Crashfan3]

Well, I'm only 16, but my current career goal is to become a video game designer. Common choice, I know, but I'm already somewhat fluent in VB, C++, and HTML. Hoping to learn Flash soon.
I like the idea of being able to create your own world from your own ideas, and allowing millions of other people experience it as well.

[stretchypanda]

I wanted to act, too. Until I got to college and realized most of the people around me were jerks and I'd have to give up everything to make it in that stupid business.

=) Now I want to be a teacher.

[Emo_Saur_]

I want to act and still do.
Or if not that I would love to work in musical arts.
Or become and wildlife officer.

[MalReynolds]

The problem with acting is that... Well, to put it simply, the demands of playing so many people and the demands made to even get parts eventually begins to melt you identity away until you're nothing but bits of people you've played and the trials you've overcome - or succumbed to - to secure the role.

le sigh

[All_That_Chaz]

For the longest time I wanted to act as well. Had a fair amount of experience too.

Major roles I played:
Oliver (understudy) in "Oliver!" - 1996-97
Man in "Machinal" - 1998
Lysander in "Midsummer Night's Dream" - 1999
Freddy in "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" - 2000
Leonardo in "Blood Wedding" - 2001
Littlechap in "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off!" - 2002
Bugsy in "Bugsy Malone" - 2002
Jack in "Brighton Beach Memoirs" - 2003

There were also a lot of smaller parts I did in skit shows and I also played in the pit orchestra for at least 7 shows (I'm a violinist).

But if you notice, my acting stopped quite abruptly at 2003. Not so coincidently, that's when I started college. If you asked my friends from that time in my life what they think I would have been studying, they'd probably say theater. Many of my friends back then thought I was destined for the stage, but something I learned near the end of my childhood was that if I were to study theater, it would have ruined it as a hobby, and probably make me think less of the shows I enjoyed when I was younger.

I instead studied Economics, and I loved it. My dream job is actually to teach Econ at a university level. Shame that it's almost within my reach but not quite. I'm not exactly PhD material. Silly me, I took a ton of lit courses in college instead of math because, heh, I wanted to take the classes I wanted to. Stupid. Now since I haven't taken math since high school, I can't imagine I could get into a PhD program. Meh, I may give it a shot anyway. Maybe some programs will look favorably at my 3.2 Econ GPA in arguably the best and most competetive econ program in the country.

Originally Posted by MalReynolds

The problem with acting is that... Well, to put it simply, the demands of playing so many people and the demands made to even get parts eventually begins to melt you identity away until you're nothing but bits of people you've played and the trials you've overcome - or succumbed to - to secure the role.

le sigh

They call that Phil Hartman syndrome.

[sumzup]

I always thought that theater was more of a career where only a few people were able to really succeed, leaving the rest all aspiring to be one of those few.

Personally, I'm going for Biomedical Engineering/Doctor, because I like science enough to do it as a career, but academia would suck. I'm thinking becoming a research doctor would be good...I may save your life one day . I also want to get an MBA, but that's just random; I've no idea what I would do with it.

But that's pretty far away; I still have to go through the whole college application process.

[wwwJ4mmYcouk]

My dream job is what i do now. I don't wake up in the morning and dread going to work - I actually enjoy it! I am a media sales executive and i sell advertising in to magazines that my director publishes. I have been in sales for 3 years and i still love it!

I have an office with just one other person who is my friend at the same time, and the salary is good to!

EDIT: Its Friday - and I'm allowed to go at 5pm instead of 5.30pm. Even better!

[botchi246]

well, my dream job is the one i am studyin for right now. I am going to be an ocean engineer when i graduate and i will build subs and oil things out in the water. Lotta math and science but those are my two best subjects,so......... YAY!!!

[Emo_Saur_]

I enjoy improvs.
Commedia del arte is my favorite type.
With the classical boy meets girl plot.
But I like commedia style plays like " A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Forum."
It's sucha great play and they have a great movie version of it.
Musicals are okay, "Bye Bye Brdie" is probably my favorite to watch.

[charless]

What I do now.

I'm self-employed running several online business entities producing informational-based products or related services and I use a certain product launch formula I've developed.

I'm also a semi-professional poker player.

Live life and love.

[bluguerrilla]

I don't remember what I thought I wanted to be when I grew up.

I know in high school, after taking physics, I wanted to be a scientist (I don't know, beakers, whatever).

While in college I decided that graduate school was a good idea for three reasons:

1) To make good money and achieve career advancement in the sciences you can't have just a bachelor's.

2) In physics they pay you to go to grad school.

3) The life of the professor appealed to me.

So, I wanted to be a professor.

Now that I'm in graduate school I'm not so sure that I want to be a professor, although I don't want to close that door. I might go into industry for lens design (took a couple classes and that was seriously fun) but then I'd be an engineer in a cubicle. I could work for the government but feh.


I guess what I'm saying is that I've never been able to say "I want to do this."
Only "I don't want to hate what I do." Is that wrong?

[jujo07]

My dream job is to be a Registered Nurse. It's been my dream for many many years now and I can't imagine what I'd do if I don't succeed in nursing. I job shadowed in 10th grade at a hospital and any minuscule doubts I had in my mind were swept away. I later obtained a job at a nursing home and that is currently where I reside. It's nothing like what the hospital does but it is the medical field and has me interacting with the elderly daily. I also love going to work everyday, it's kind of like a dream job for someone my age.

There are 2 possible things that could stop me from my dream goal for a short time. One of which is actually not getting accepted into the program because they are relatively competitive around here and since there is a shortage of nursing professors there are limited spots. The second is not getting passing marks in the program I wish to get into. Anything below an 80% fails you out of the program and you get one last chance and after that you're not allowed to return to the program. I truly believe, however, that if nursing is what I want to do then the grades shouldn't be that big of a problem, but apparently that is what holds most people back. So right now I'm just taking my prereqs. and a few of the classes in the program they are allowing me to take because my GPA in the liberal arts classes is so high.

[All_That_Chaz]

Originally Posted by bluguerrilla

I guess what I'm saying is that I've never been able to say "I want to do this."
Only "I don't want to hate what I do." Is that wrong?

A pragmatic and realistic view on life? Nah, I think you're fine.

[MCxLOVE]

superstar :]

[Xx{Midnight}xX]

Always wanted to be a Video expert... I'm still wanting to be one.

[Psycho8137]

Video game programmer. Working on my computer science degree right now. Going to specialize in the programming aspect of it. In 2009 I'll have enough experience to start applying for internships. From there, a corporate business, and ideally, eventually Insomniac Games. I miss Mr. Sunshine. (Tony Garcia) He's my mentor. And the reason for me picking this. Maybe I could assist FFR in the future. Imagine, me, an admin or mod. LOL. Apocalypse.

[Nyokou]

Well, let's see...

When I was about six years old, living in Utah, I first watched a Sailor Moon marathon on what I'm guessing was... Toonami? Or it could have been something else. Anyway, after watching that show, I started drawing. I started drawing a lot. Then I discovered Pokemon when I was eight years old, and just got obsessed. I remember wanting to be a famous artist...

And that dream is still true to this day. I took art in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade (middle school) and applied at the Center for the Arts here in Henrico County - I got in. We basically study art history and improve our artistic abilities using different media and focusing on different art movements. It's really helping me to understand on what I can do to improve my artwork and how to place things together so that they unify nicely and all, use of colors... It's all so wonderful.

The only problem right now is that I'm not sure about which career to go after.

I've been thinking of graphic design... or becoming an art teacher at a college/university level. Although, being a high school art teacher wouldn't be so bad either. That way, I could have free time over the summer and all to work on art that I want to have displayed in galleries... or do commissions for whoever or whatever.

That would be fun, I think. I've also had a procrastinating problem since I was in middle school, but I think it's slowly starting to get better.

That's my dream. <3

[SnS]

I want to be a MYTHBUSTER!!! D:

[Tibs]

i want to be a unicorn

im currently studying for a degree in woodland frollicking