What Did You Want to Be When You Grew Up?

Written By : Hannah Corbett

This morning I was looking over my schedule for the day—content planning, filming, brand meetings—the usual rhythm of my full-time job as a social media manager. And I had this moment where I thought, wow, this is kind of crazy.

Because this is not a job I ever imagined having when I was a kid.

I remember very clearly what I wrote in my sixth grade yearbook when they asked the question every kid gets asked: What do you want to be when you grow up? My answer was simple. Actress or teacher. Two entirely different paths, but they both felt like real possibilities back then.

And now, needless to say, I am neither.

But what’s funny is that “social media manager” wasn’t even an option. It wasn’t something anyone talked about because it didn’t exist yet. My dad was a manager. My mom was a physical therapist. Those were the kinds of jobs you understood as a kid—jobs with titles you could easily explain.

Yet somehow, even without knowing it, I think many of us were already being introduced to the world we would eventually step into.

If you grew up when I did, you probably watched the same shows: Hannah Montana, iCarly, Victorious, Sonny With a Chance, So Random!, even Drake & Josh. I’m probably forgetting a few, but those shows shaped an entire generation.

They didn’t just entertain us—they showed us what it looked like to be creative for a living. They showed us girls our age becoming singers, actors, performers, and creators. They showed us YouTubers before “YouTuber” was even a real career path. And they didn’t just show the glamorous moments on stage or on camera—they showed the behind-the-scenes parts too. The everyday life, the friendships, the chaos, the dream of it all.

Looking back now, it’s hard to think of something that could have influenced us more. Because those shows told us something very specific: that your dream job might not look traditional.

When I went to school, I thought I was going to be a dancer. Then I realized I didn’t actually want to be a dancer—and I didn’t get into the program anyway. So I pivoted into fashion marketing. Then fashion journalism. Then just journalism.

And one day I saw a flyer on the wall at school. It said they were looking for a social media manager for the Fashion Marketing Association.

I applied. I got it.

And I remember thinking, this is so fun. I was basically posting on Instagram, something I already did for fun anyway. It felt like a hobby more than a job.

After graduation, I tried to find work as a writer, but it was hard to break into. So I started applying to social media manager jobs instead. Eventually, I got one.

And now, years later, I’m working in-house with brands managing their social media. I run my own magazine. My days revolve around content, storytelling, and building communities online.

Sometimes I stop and wonder how exactly I got here.

But what I wonder even more is where I would be if the shows we grew up watching had been different. If they leaned more traditional. If the stories we absorbed as kids were about becoming accountants, doctors, or lawyers instead of performers and creators chasing big dreams.

Because almost everyone I know who works in social media—or who has become an influencer—shares something in common. They have big dreams. The kind that feel slightly unrealistic when you say them out loud. And yet, I watch those dreams come true for them all the time. So I don’t think it’s a coincidence that so many of us ended up in careers that didn’t exist when we were kids.

But I do think it’s pretty crazy.