QotD: My Dream Job

What's that secret dream job you've always believed you'd be good at, but never gone for? 
Submitted by wedgeh.

Acting. I studied theatre acting for two years and did a film and tv course before that. I loved it and I wasn't too bad at it (... at least I think I wasn't too bad at it - I may be horribly self-deluded on that one). I desperately wanted to become an actor. I was even realistic about my goals (as much as you can be while wanting to be an actor) - I definitely did not want to be a film 'star' (not beautiful enough to be a leading lady, not 'unique looking' enough to be a character actor), not a TV actor (same reason as for film), and not in TV ads (after a while you become too known and the work dries up). I really wanted to be a theatre actor. There's bugger all money in it, but if you get into a repertory theatre company at least there's regular work. You know my dream? To do Shakespeare. Shakespeare for school groups. Yep. One of those theatre troups you were forced to watch in high school that barely kept you awake and turned you off The Bard for life. I would have loved it.

Then reality hit. I hate unemployment. The idea of being without work gives me an anxiety attack. So I went to TAFE (college) to study multimedia, thinking that I could build websites between acting gigs to support myself. When I finished my Cert IV I realised that getting freelance multimedia jobs at my level of training was only marginally easier than getting acting jobs. So I continued studying to diploma level. Then, just in case I still couldn't find work, I went on to do my bachelor's degree and stayed for honours (again, to make sure I was as employable as possible). Now I'm doing my PhD just to be on the safe side.

After six years of study in a non-acting field I've realised that acting and a deep-seated fear of unemployment don't really go well together. On the upside when I finish my post-grad degree I'll be the most tangentially educated non-working actor that has ever existed.