When we were younger, being asked what we wanted to be when we grew up felt distant and exciting. I would list all sorts of aspirations, from astronaut to princess to footballer, and look forward not only to the seemingly endless things I could do for work, but also just the concept of being an adult. Our younger selves were not plagued by the pressures of the real world. This question was very much a hypothetical, and something we’d explore in make-believe.

“Our younger selves were not plagued by the pressures of the real world”

There is most definitely nothing make-believe about that question anymore. Over time, it has become increasingly less fantastical and ever more pressing. As has being an adult, which is unfortunately no longer some far-off dream. So now when the question is posed, a genuine, considered answer is expected. What’s more, people assume you will have started to make things happen; a top internship, a whole lot of independent work, or even just a million LinkedIn connections.

Even if I had a response to this fated question, which I most definitely don’t (apologies to my parents and my supervisors!), just venturing an answer is scary. It seems like much too big a commitment, makes it too real, and subsequently creates a level of expectation from others for you to see it to fruition.

Not only is it so much harder to come up with an answer nowadays, but the sorts of things people our age come out with are notably less exhilarating than the career paths our younger selves were imagining. They mostly involve spending long hours in an office at a computer, which is certainly safe and practical, but lacking in the passion and curiosity that our younger selves would strive for.

This uncertainty and anxiety is the case for so many people. Being at such a competitive and academic university makes it easier to feel behind career-wise, even though our careers haven’t even begun. We are constantly conditioned to think that we’ve got to have it all figured out, and that if we’re not going to be some business tycoon or curing cancer or making millions as a top lawyer, then it isn’t a worthwhile path.

“Being at such a competitive and academic university makes it easier to feel behind career-wise”

But as we all know, this is certainly not the case. In fact, perhaps the question itself is flawed. Asking what someone wants to be when they grow up unintentionally fixes their worth to their career. It implies that everyone ought to have a single definitive answer, one that they will always stick to. In reality, there is ample opportunity to try things out and change your mind, and this is becoming an increasing trend in the UK job market: one in 10 UK workers have made a career change over the past 10 years. Statistics also suggest that this number would be higher if it weren’t for the fear and stigma that surround making a career swap, with one in five Brits saying they lack the confidence to do so.

Perhaps it would do us all some good to ponder this question through the eyes of our younger selves once more. Maybe we need not condemn children for being naive. Instead, we should envy their ability to see the world of jobs with the much-needed optimism and confidence that we have come to lack. It’s totally fine to not have an answer right now, or to never have one set path to pursue.

So next time someone is interrogating you about your pending career path, feel no shame in sharing the reality of the situation, whether that is a clearly devised plan or that really, you have absolutely no idea at all!