If you grew up Asian-American like me, you’ve probably been steered towards three career choices: doctor, engineer, and attorney. And maybe C.P.A. I can understand why my parents wanted “safe” jobs that were rooted in education in the face of systemic racism.
But I’ve been immersed in the world of work as co-founder of Aquent, a marketing and creative staffing global solutions provider, and I’ve watched as new jobs have emerged in my own field of creative staffing that didn’t exist when graduated from college like UX/UI (User Experience and User Interface), front end web developer, and AR/VR software engineers (Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality). And the Metaverse is just getting started! There will be a whole world of new career opportunities in the Metaverse!
There are other non-high-tech jobs that are equally interesting that kids should know about before they head out into the real world. I remember graduating from college and thinking that my classmates were all being recruited as Investment Bankers, Management Consultants, and Marketing Brand Managers, none of which appealed to me. And, in business school, the same career paths were the front and center.
It’s easy to take the path of least resistance when it comes to finding a job but that may not be where your heart is. For inspiration on incredible jobs you’ve probably never heard of, check out this list of children’s books about jobs and careers. They make a nice gift for a new graduate!
I ended up being a dorm room entrepreneur, blogger, nonprofit creator, and children’s book author.
How about you? What children’s books about careers and jobs do you recommend? Thanks for sharing!
Children’s Books About Jobs and Careers
Incredible Jobs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of by Natalie Labarre
This is an oversized extra-tall book and that makes it more fun to explore. What kinds of jobs are incredible that you’ve heard of? I’m glad you asked. Cow massager. Topiary Artist. Dinosaur Duster. And that’s just the first spread! Foley Artist. Cryptozoologist. Trend Spotter. Snake Milker. Train People Pusher. Nail Polish Namer. Like theme parks? Water Slide Tester. Like aliens? Astrobiologist. Sensitive nose? Chief Sniffer, Odor Tester, Perfume Maker. Like to break things? Clothing Distresser, Mattress Tester, Quality Control Software Tester. This book also makes a great point that “if the job that you want doesn’t exist yet, you could be the one to make it happen” [nonfiction picture book, ages 10 and up]
Jobs of the Future: Imaginative Careers for Forward-Thinking Kids by Sofia E. Rossi & Canepa, illustrated by Luca Poli
Incredible Jobs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of is a playful exploration of jobs all over the world and is a great way to think outside the box about careers, especially for kids who don’t know what they want to do. Jobs of the Future is a more serious deep dive into STEM careers in fields that are emerging due to environmental factors such as climate change. This is the book to explore jobs that don’t exist yet but will soon such as Plastics Fisherman, Polar Ice Maker, Virus Detective, and more. I like how this book also goes into the science behind each field in order to explain what exactly the job entails. This is the kind of book that will get kids, both boys and girls, interested in STEM! [nonfiction picture book, for ages 8 and up]
Who Works At Night?: Jobs People Do While You Sleep by Peter Arrhenius, illustrated by Ingela P. Arrhenius
Young children will enjoy the interactivity of lifting the flaps in this exploration of jobs that people do at night. From bakers to hospital workers to night guards and train drivers there are all kinds of jobs that are 24/7. [Lift-the-Flap picture book, ages 3 and up]
100 Things to Be When You Grow Up by Lisa M. Gerry
Take a deep dive into careers you may or may not have heard of by meeting actual people working in these fields and learning what they do and how they ended up where they are. I found one of my jobs here, Director of a Nonprofit. But I also found a bunch of interesting jobs that I’ve never heard of: Ice Cream Flavor Developer, Emoji Artist, Conservation Biologist, Snail Patrol, Competitive Eater, and Sign Spinner! I may have missed my calling!
This is a fun way to explore career choices. The brightly colored page design and photographs make this an easy book to flip through to find page spreads that catch your eye! [nonfiction picture book, ages 8 and up]
When I Grow Up by (weird) Al Yankovic, illustrated by Wes Hargis
And finally I said, “My great-grandfather Bob’s
Been a whole lot of things, had a whole bunch of jobs:
A butcher, a barber, a bellman, a bouncer,
A telephone psychic and bingo announcer,
You know what? He just turned a hundred and three,
And he’s still not quite sure what he wants to be!
Wow! Comedian Weird Al Yankovic wrote this rhyming picture book about Billy’s wide-ranging choices of what he wants to be when he grows up. It’s wonderful and makes a great point about letting a child leave his or her options open! Also, I wonder how many of these books list “stand-up comedian” as a career choice. [picture book, ages 4 and up]
A is for Awesome: 23 Iconic Women Who Changed the World by Eva Chen, illustrated by Derek Desierto
This romp through the alphabet explores extraordinary women and their careers. You might not have heard of some of these women such as Iris Apfel (fashion icon), Emmeline Parkhurst (suffragist), or Wu Zeitian (first and only female emperor of China) but that’s the fun of this book! Use this board book to show your children how women have impacted the world! [board book, ages 1 and up]
Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry
I grew up reading Richard Scarry books and this was one of my favorites as a child. I like how Richard Scarry pieces the different jobs around an event such as building a house or learning how bread is made. This is still relevant as a book to learn about how things get made. It was first published in 1968 (before the internet!!), so it’s a good book to pair with Jobs of the Future for a discussion about how jobs have expanded. [picture book, ages 2 and up]
The Big Book of Jobs by Pavia Hanckova, Hana Mokrosova, Helena Harastova, and Elena Pokateva
Remember those career quizzes that matched your interests to possible careers? The jobs in this book are organized in the same way. While the jobs themselves are not unusual examples of jobs, there still is a good assortment of interesting possibilities per category. The happy illustrations also make perusing the jobs fun. There is just enough text to pique the interest of readers without overwhelming them. [nonfiction picture book, ages 6 and up]
p.s. Related posts:
Inspiring Children’s Books About Careers
Books for Kids about Entrepreneurship
My Dorm Room Start-Up Celebrates 35 Years & Entrepreneurship Children’s Books
How Do You Teach Innovation? My Entrepreneurial Story
Lemonade Stand Ideas for Young Entrepreneurs: 100 Days of Play
Entrepreneurship for Kids: Failure IS an Option (but that’s OK!)
Learning About Industrial Design
Top Tips to Help Your Teens Get Their Dream Jobs
Best Jobs for Stay-at-Home Parents Planning to Re-Enter the Workforce
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My books:
Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World
- Junior Library Guild Gold selection
- Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair
- Starred review from School Library Journal
- Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
- Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids
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Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me
Great books to lead to interesting discussions with kids! Thanks for sharing!