For many adolescents, the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” remains unanswered due to a lack of inspiration or early identification of their own skills. A study conducted by Nestlé Romania, involving 15,000 high school students from six counties, provides surprising insights into young people’s career preferences.
10th-grade students had access to online vocational tests through the program “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, launched by Nestlé in 2024. The goal was to assess adolescents’ professional skills and interests and create a practical guide to support their career orientation. Data were collected between December 2024 and July 2025 via the Great People Inside platform, with anonymous responses from the counties of Botoșani, Buzău, Hunedoara, Maramureș, Mureș, and Suceava.
Young people prefer careers in the social and educational fields
The results show that most young people prefer careers in the social and educational fields, such as teacher, social or medical assistant, clerk, or administrative roles. The entrepreneurial profile ranks second, indicating an interest in entrepreneurship and management. Technical trades and creative professions, however, attract fewer young people.
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The vocational profiles identified in the study are:
- Social: focused on interacting with people; potential careers include psychologist, teacher, social worker, or coach.
- Entrepreneurial: attracted to coordination, projects, and leadership; potential careers include manager, entrepreneur, or lawyer.
- Artistic: interested in creative and design activities, such as painting, music, acting, or architecture.
- Conventional: appreciate routine and clear instructions; suited for administrative and office roles.
- Realistic: passionate about working with objects or materials; potential careers include engineering, construction, mechanics, or agriculture.
- Investigative: analytical and independent, drawn to research and science; potential careers include doctor, biologist, or researcher.
A need to develop dual education and promote technical schools
“ Nestlé Romania’s approach aimed to align the aspirations and skills and abilities of adolescents with the requirements and expectations of modern organizations, offering young people a professional perspective firmly anchored in the realities of the labour market. Although the main occupational profile showed a predilection for professions anchored in the community such as teacher or doctor, in second place is a profile conducive to entrepreneurship. On the other hand, there is a reduced interest in trades, which may lead to the need to develop dual education and promote technical schools.” explained Irina Siminenco, Corporate Affairs Manager, Nestlé Romania.
The initiative is part of the global program Nestlé needs YOUth, which aims to provide career opportunities to 10 million young people worldwide by 2030. In Romania, the company acquired vocational tests for 10th-grade students to help them discover which career suits them best.
