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The 6th Adecco Thailand Children’s Career Survey finds that a Doctor is still the number one job choice for Thai children. The best/coolest job they can think of is soldier. More than half of the children replied that Thailand is their number one dream country where they want to live.The result of Adecco Thailand Children’s Survey 2015 shows that a Doctor is the number one job choice for our kids for the sixth year in a row. The main reason being that they want to help people, and to look after their family and to make good income. Other top 5 career choices are Soldier, Policeman, Teacher, and Engineer.
The highly popular careers that have become a trend this year are Businessperson, Football Player, Chef and jobs in the entertainment industry - such as a singer, musician, TV/movie star, model or presenter, because those careers can bring happiness to others. Besides the careers mentioned, other professions that interest children are Agriculturist, Programmer, Designer, Stylist, Architect, Professional Gamer, Cartoonist, Hairdresser, Make-up Artist, Detective and News Reporter.
Some children have their specific reasons to choose their dream careers. For example, one boy wants to be a car mechanic because he doesn’t like going to garages with loud noises, so he thinks it would be better to have his own quiet garage. One girl wants to be a novelist because she wants to be as famous as Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes’s author. One wants to be an astronaut because he wants to have a chance to walk on the moon. One wants to be a scientist because he wants to know things that he doesn’t know now. One wants to be a football player because he wants to be famous as Lionel Messi, a popular Argentine professional football player. And one boy wants to be a pilot because he thinks that this is a career that can grab women’s attention.
The answers to the question of what is the best/coolest job that they can think of can be divided into two groups. The first group has similar answers to their dream career responses. For example, one child dreams to be a soldier and this is the career he thinks is the coolest. Another child dreams to be an engineer and thinks that engineer is the coolest career. The second group has different answers from their dream career. For example, one child dreams to be a football player but he thinks that being a pilot is the coolest. Another child dreams to be a dentist, but thinks that being a TV/movie star is the coolest.
When they are asked if they were to become Prime Minister of Thailand, the first five things they would do are – developing the country, helping the poor, improving the education system, bringing peace to the country, making sure everyone in the country has a job, and some of the children have different answers such as reducing conflict among Thai people, driving the economy, supporting farmers, reducing the threats of flooding, and developing local infrastructure. The responses show that children are now interested in politics and the country’s issues more than ever. This may be because they have a chance to be involved in and learn from the past year’s political crisis in Thailand.
More than 97% of the responders prefer to spend time with their family than take the time to make more money. The main reason is that they think that family is the most important and money can be earned ‘any time’. For those who chose making money, their main reason is to earn income for taking care of their family or for a better education.
During weekends, most children spend their time going to tutorial school, playing VDO games, watching television, relaxing, doing family activities and helping their parents with chores. There are some differences between city and suburban children. Suburban children mostly stay with their family or help their parents during weekends, while city children spend their time taking extra classes. However, how most children want to spend their leisure time is staying or travelling with their family, and playing VDO games or sports. This shows that even though going to the tutorial school is how most children spend their time during weekends, it is not one of the top 10 of the happiest activity they want to do.
The survey result shows that more than half of the children state that education is important and they are looking forward to studying harder next year - whilst travelling is their second choice.To the question of what is the dream country that they want to live in, the top 3 answers are Thailand, Japan and the United States. This shows that even though Thailand has had many issues in the past few years, the children still want to live in their home country.
“The survey result shows that Thai Children have a variety dream careers more than ever. Some careers that only a few children dream to be in the past have become popular now, such as a TV/movie star, singer, make-up artist, hairdresser, or professional gamer. This may be because the children are influenced by TV media so they can look at things in a bigger picture. The ‘TV talent shows’, contests with awarding prizes or commercials also affect their thoughts of their dream careers because they provide opportunities to make money and associate with wealth and fame. Also, the political situation in Thailand in 2013 has influenced what they want to do if they can be a Prime Minister of Thailand. The answers show that they have a broad and deep knowledge of the country’s politics and they want to participate in developing country more than ever.” Adecco Group Thailand Regional Director – Thailand and Vietnam Khun Tidarat Kanchanawat says.
