What did you want to be when you grew up? Time changes, so do career trends. There are good chances that what Millennials wanted to be as a child is different from what today’s children want to be in the future. Gen Alpha, those born since the year 2010 and until the year 2025, are the first generation shaped in the 21st century. No wonder, they are highly engaged through social media and known as ‘digital natives’.
What jobs are popular among this youngest generation?
Adecco, a Japanese company that provides human resource services, conducted a nationwide survey asking 900 elementary and junior high school boys and girls what job they wanted to do in the future. Overall, girls at both elementary and junior high school level chose pâtissier (confectioner) as their top job. Boys in elementary school picked YouTubers or similar kinds of video contributors, while boys at junior high said a company worker, Nippon.com reports.
Although very few elementary school children said they wanted to be a company worker or a public servant, in junior high those were the top two jobs for boys and second and third highest choices for girls, indicating that the higher the grade, the more realistic children become and more stability they prefer.
YouTuber, engineer/programmer, and game creator were all listed in the top ten jobs for boys at both elementary and junior high school. Having been surrounded by smartphones and other digital devices since birth, they show a natural interest in jobs with a high affinity with digital technology.
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| Pâtissier | 22.0% |
| Teacher (kindergarten to university) | 10.0% |
| Doctor | 7.3% |
| Nurse | 6.7% |
| YouTuber or similar video contributor | 2.7% |
| Manga artist | 2.7% |
| Teacher (piano/other private lessons) | 2.0% |
| Academic/researcher | 1.7% |
| Fashion designer | 1.7% |
| Singer | 1.7% |
| Company worker | 1.7% |
Compiled by Nippon.com based on data from Adecco.
| Pâtissier | 18.7% |
| Public servant | 15.3% |
| Company worker | 12.0% |
| Nurse | 10.0% |
| Teacher | 9.3% |
| Doctor | 4.7% |
| Fashion designer | 4.7% |
| Flight attendant | 4.0% |
| Singer | 4.0% |
| Housewife | 4.0% |
Compiled by Nippon.com based on data from Adecco.
| YouTuber or similar video contributor | 8.7% |
| Soccer player | 7.3% |
| Police officer/detective | 6.7% |
| Driver (bus, taxi, train) | 6.7% |
| Baseball player | 6.0% |
| Engineer/programmer | 4.7% |
| Game creator | 4.7% |
| Academic/researcher | 4.0% |
| Doctor | 3.3% |
| Public servant | 3.3% |
Compiled by Nippon.com based on data from Adecco.
| Company worker | 17.3% |
| Public servant | 17.3% |
| Game creator | 15.3% |
| Engineer/programmer | 14.0% |
| Academic/researcher | 10.0% |
| YouTuber or similar video contributor | 9.3% |
| Programmer | 8.7% |
| Doctor | 8.0% |
| Soccer player | 7.3% |
| Company manager | 7.3% |
Compiled by Nippon.com based on data from Adecco.
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