Only 17% of Croatians work in the profession they dreamed of as children. The most frequently mentioned professions are education, social care and IT, according to a survey published on Tuesday by the job search portal MojPosao.

The survey, entitled “Are you doing the job you dreamed of as a child?”, was conducted by Alma Career Croatia, which manages the MojPosao portal, and involved more than 750 respondents.

The results of the survey show that only 17% of respondents work in the profession they imagined in their childhood. The most popular professions include jobs in education, social services and IT, such as occupational therapists, teachers, physiotherapists and programmers.

On the other hand, more than half of respondents, 51%, admitted that they were unable to realise their childhood dreams and regret this.

Childhood dreams: astronaut, tram driver, musician…

Some respondents reported that their parents steered their career in a direction they neither wanted nor had the skills for, while others gave up on their dreams over time, citing unfavourable circumstances and environment as obstacles.

Some 23% of respondents emphasised that they are not working in the career they wanted as children, but they see this as a positive outcome.

As they explained, they realised over time that they wanted a career in a completely different field. Their childhood dreams included professions such as astronaut, tram driver, policeman, soldier, professional musician and dancer.

According to the survey, 9% of respondents said that their current profession is their true passion and that they would not change it.