​MAKING DREAM JOBS COME TRUE​​

Presentation

Current “dream jobs” among the most recent generations are not only about prestigious activities ratified by higher education, such as physician, lawyer, engineer or architect, for example.

New “dream jobs”, like to be a model, a DJ, a football player or a chef, are now part of the expectations and choices of a growing number of young people. Media visibility of such professions nourishes young people’s dreams to have a career in these areas, often constructing illusions of fame, fortune and easy success. Accessing backstage, however, young people find a reality that goes far beyond the appearances built upon media accounts.

Considering this scenario, the main objective of the research project Making dream jobs come true: transitions to new attractive professional worlds to young people, was to understand how and why these areas have become so attractive among the youngest generations, giving account of how Portuguese young people build their aspirations, projects and trajectories, and how they are coping with the realities of training and transition to labor market within the scope of those activities.

The research project Making dream jobs come true: transitions to new attractive professional worlds to young people was funded by Foundation for Science and Technology (PTDC/CS-SOC/122727/2010), and developed between March 2012 and October 2015 at the Institute of Social Sciences - University of Lisbon, under the scientific coordination of Vitor Sérgio Ferreira, PhD.