Abstract: The article is devoted to the empirical research of the life path of modern managers of the low- and middle-levels and leading specialists. The research was carried out according to the quasi-experimental scheme of the ex-post-facto experiment. The research involved the questionnaires given to adult people  (managers and leading specialists) in order to study special features of their personal and academic activity at school and university. The results of the research show the following: there is no clear correlation between the kind of career (manager or professional) and academic success but there is a certain correlation between the choice of the fate of a leading specialist and their active community involvement at universities. However, the results are quite surprising. According to them, leading specialists were the most active and successful in community work while managers were not so active socially. The author also analyzes what respondents dreamt to become. Based on the results of research, both managers and leading specialists had rather similar professional dreams and desires. The author also offers her interpretation of the results.