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Stop Telling Everyone What You Do for a Living

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Re: Stop Telling Everyone What You Do for a Living

#91

Post by plaguepilled »

somewhereoutth wrote: post #79

In the UK we do this as part of status negotiation - the second question anyone asks (after whats your name?) is what do you do? Then we can decide whether we are above or below the other person in the status hierarchy, which is roughly as follows: - Architect - Artist/Designer/Creative - Lawyer/Doctor/Teacher - Executive/Manager - ... - ... - Bar staff - Engineer - Software Engineer - Waiter - Driver - Cleaner

Architects are above engineers?

I think this is a highly subjective list.

Re: Stop Telling Everyone What You Do for a Living

#92

Post by somewhereoutth »

plaguepilled wrote: post #91
somewhereoutth wrote: post #79

In the UK we do this as part of status negotiation - the second question anyone asks (after whats your name?) is what do you do? Then we can decide whether we are above or below the other person in the status hierarchy, which is roughly as follows: - Architect - Artist/Designer/Creative - Lawyer/Doctor/Teacher - Executive/Manager - ... - ... - Bar staff - Engineer - Software Engineer - Waiter - Driver - Cleaner

Architects are above engineers? I think this is a highly subjective list.

> Architects are above engineers?

Very much so! More than is possible to describe here. Of course I mean real architects - of buildings and so forth.

Re: Stop Telling Everyone What You Do for a Living

#93

Post by blitzar »

boredemployee wrote: post #89
blitzar wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most interesting of 'genuine interest to know what people do for a living' converstations I have had are with parents of late teen parents ... who want to guide their children towards careers or advice about careers (almost always includes - "there is good money in that" so the same rule applies all the same).

Haha yep. But if you have a business or plan to have one, it's good to know what people around you do, you never know.

Ahh question #3 steps up, and it is a sibling of #1 on the list: can I make money out of this person

Re: Stop Telling Everyone What You Do for a Living

#94

Post by Manjuuu »

blitzar wrote: post #69
JumpCrisscross wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> more than just telling them your job title I feel like it’s everything but the title. That always sounds so weird. Your job isn’t director or whatever, it’s doing things. And even if you’re signalling, there have to be better ways of getting across you’re a neophyte or a big shot.

I am a Founder / CEO / Serial Entrepreneur

Hard pass.

Re: Stop Telling Everyone What You Do for a Living

#96

Post by somewhereoutth »

morelikeborelax wrote: post #83
somewhereoutth wrote: post #79

In the UK we do this as part of status negotiation - the second question anyone asks (after whats your name?) is what do you do? Then we can decide whether we are above or below the other person in the status hierarchy, which is roughly as follows: - Architect - Artist/Designer/Creative - Lawyer/Doctor/Teacher - Executive/Manager - ... - ... - Bar staff - Engineer - Software Engineer - Waiter - Driver - Cleaner

You forgot brain surgeon. Of course it's not rocket science is it.

Probably with Doctor. An actual scientist might come above Lawyer/Doctor (and below Artist/Designer), but this is a rather recent upwards move, as it became cooler to be smart (note this does not apply to engineers, who are looked down upon by scientists anyway)

Re: Stop Telling Everyone What You Do for a Living

#97

Post by chakintosh »

version_five wrote: post #88

When I did my PhD I hated it when (most) people asked about my research. It's not because I wasn't interested, it's because I'm really interested and was (still am) bad at giving concise summaries, so I felt like people who really didn't care and wouldn't listen to the answer were asking me to embark on a long explanation that required a bunch of preamble etc, just in order to make conversation. Anyway, I feel largel…

I'm in the same boat. But I usually just say I draw rectangles on a screen.

Re: Stop Telling Everyone What You Do for a Living

#99

Post by johndunne »

chakintosh wrote: post #97
version_five wrote: post #88

When I did my PhD I hated it when (most) people asked about my research. It's not because I wasn't interested, it's because I'm really interested and was (still am) bad at giving concise summaries, so I felt like people who really didn't care and wouldn't listen to the answer were asking me to embark on a long explanation that required a bunch of preamble etc, just in order to make conversation. Anyway, I feel largel…

I'm in the same boat. But I usually just say I draw rectangles on a screen.

Tell me more…

Re: Stop Telling Everyone What You Do for a Living

#100

Post by Manjuuu »

blitzar wrote: post #64
strken wrote: post #56

Secret life hack: you don't have to answer "what do you do?" by talking about your job. You can talk about literally anything else that you do, preferably something that seems relevant to the person in front of you, and turn it into a more interesting two-sided conversation.

Most of the time people steer the conversation right back to the two big hitters - how much money do you make and who are you sleeping with. To those that dont - you are truly the people I actually want to have a conversation with.

> Most of the time people steer the conversation right back to the two big hitters - how much money do you make and who are you sleeping with.

This is probably the segue I hate the most and consider a deal breaker for any future interaction. A lot of people DO ask directly how much money do you make.

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