Expected/unexpected legacy jobs (owner, insurance, paid, interest)

[jobaba]

Often times, when a parent has a respectable or well paying job, the child will want to follow in their footsteps. Sometimes the parent encourages it, sometimes the child does it by their own initiative.

An obvious one is doctor, well paid and respected. Police officer and firefighter are also obvious ones ... well respected and (at least seemingly) exciting.

A less obvious one I have run into is civil engineer. I have met a number of people who have entered the profession because their fathers were civil engineers. Which is interesting to me because the profession is not especially well paid, respected in 'that' sense, or seem exciting.

What are some other expected and non-expected ones you have encountered?

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by jobaba

Often times, when a parent has a respectable or well paying job, the child will want to follow in their footsteps. Sometimes the parent encourages it, sometimes the child does it by their own initiative.

An obvious one is doctor, well paid and respected. Police officer and firefighter are also obvious ones ... well respected and (at least seemingly) exciting.

A less obvious one I have run into is civil engineer. I have met a number of people who have entered the profession because their fathers were civil engineers. Which is interesting to me because the profession is not especially well paid, respected in 'that' sense, or seem exciting.

What are some other expected and non-expected ones you have encountered?

I have to disagree. Civil engineers may not be paid as much as doctors, but then they don't have the same education and malpractice insurance expenses either. Engineers make more than police and firefighters, even those working for public agencies are starting at $80,000 in our area. Far more typical is the business owner hiring their kid and eventually passing it on to them, especially restaurants and car dealerships. Following in the parent's footsteps is less common now than in the past, as kids seem to be more inclined to go their own way, even avoid what the parents did.

[eotellini]

Politics--I have noticed that if one parent is an elected official their children somehow end up in that field.

[AGG1659]

Farmers and Ranchers, but then again, I suppose they also inherited the farms.

[wanderlust76]

A lot of the blue collar trades are like that because most of them are union so they control who they let in.

[iliza]

Entertainment (how many singers/actors children are conveniently singers/actors too?)

It's easy to follow in your parents' footsteps for many reasons. They can offer you great insight into their field that you might not otherwise get, and they can share their contacts and let you have an "in."