What’s one of the things we ask about a person we meet for the first time? More often than not, we want to know what their job is. It’s an automatic question and it sounds harmless. However, the easy use of the question can be misleading. It isn’t simply a question about how a person occupies their working hours.
The answer prompts us to consider, consciously or otherwise, details about the person’s level of income, education, social status, interests, future prospects. All this from a simple ‘I’m a…’ When it comes down to it, we haven’t come that far from the era of Jane Austen. Only the details differ, and sometimes even they are the same
So a lot is riding on how we choose to present ourselves in terms of what we do for a living. Way back when, terminology was more straightforward. Terms were mutually understood. Doctor, lawyer, accountant, machine operator, nurse, shop assistant, telephone operator, architect, teacher – the job title, rightly or wrongly, indicated the nature of the job and served as a social marker.
Nowadays, not so simple. Some job titles sound as if they’ve been designed to give very little away. They are a baffling combination of words that can be understood separately, but when put together create a word soup which gives little indication of what the job holder actually does. Words such as synergist and infrastructure and resonance and integrator create a general impression but little enlightenment.
The changing world of work
The nature of work has changed radically over the course of the last few decades, and new terminology has evolved. Another development is our awareness of social and cultural collateral, and the importance placed on the creation of an attractive self-image in a digital and media-directed age. People have always bigged themselves up a little (at least), particularly in situations when for example a self-promotion to ‘manager’ may oil the wheels to social acceptance.
In the same way, jobs that might be seen as humdrum can be re-created with a catchy, zingy title. Hence, the emergence of brand evangelists and task dynamos and experience ninjas and first impressions directors. Very zeitgeisty, very so-not-last-century.
Well, good for them. The job titles may sound a bit try-hard, but anything which focuses on individuals’ sense of self-worth is a positive step. (Incidentally, isn’t it time to get rid of ‘a hire’ used as a definition of a job-holder or applicant? There were objections to the old phrase ‘factory hand’ on the grounds that it reduced a person to the part of their body which did the work. We need more humanity, not less.)
No matter what your official job role or title is, you can choose how to answer the inevitable question. Also, you can vary your answer to suit the circumstances. It’s good to strike a balance between your own personal self-image and self-esteem needs, and the need to communicate clearly in a way that doesn’t baffle or confuse the other person.
How to present your role
Here are some guidelines:
In some circumstances, presenting your role as it appears on your work profile is the obvious and most helpful choice to make. For instance, when you’re talking to someone you know is in the same field such a reply actually encourages further conversation.
- If your job title is opaque or very general you could give your formal title and follow it up immediately with some explanatory or colourful detail:
- I’m a such-and-such, which means I spend most of my working hours dealing with angry customers/soothing my boss’s ego/ filling in forms/visiting building sites
- You could give a reply which doesn’t begin with ‘I’m a..’ Instead, you might lead with your job environment or context:
- I work in a hospital/laboratory/warehouse/restaurant (add what you do)
- I work mainly from home, dealing with…
- I’m on the road most of the day (add what you do)
Another way of replying might be to paint a picture:
- You know those road signs you see/forms you have to fill in/billboard displays? I’m involved in producing them.
Don’t use acronyms or abbreviations. They might be familiar to you, but they might well not be to other people. Even someone from the same field of work may not be familiar with the particular term you use. No harm in saying it in full.
Don’t under-present yourself. Your humblebrag will be exposed and your audience may well feel they have been made to look stupid. If you’re John Grisham, don’t say you dabble with words for a living. If you’re Olivia Colman, don’t say you do a bit of work in film and television. If you’re Gordon Ramsay, don’t say you work in a kitchen.
This underplaying often operates in romcoms, where it’s become so predictable that you know from the beginning that the cute barista will be revealed as the owner of a chain of well-known coffee shops…
Consider your response
When you are the one asking the question, be aware of the assumptions and biases which affect your response to the answer.
Judge from the way the person replies whether their job is something they want to talk about. Sometimes the question and answer are just a bridge to further conversation.
Respond with an open question or reflective statement. Avoid replies like How long have you been doing that? Instead, try something such as:
- You sound as if you enjoy what you do
- What’s the best part of your job?
- Is that as interesting/boring/stressful as it sounds?
If you don’t quite understand someone’s description of their job, you can either nod and move the conversation on, or you could ask for clarification. If you’re opting for the latter, be aware of the feelings that come into play. You might feel annoyed with yourself for not really getting it, or annoyed with the person who hasn’t made it clear for you. Keep a lid on such negative reactions, or you might ask in an over-abrupt or aggressive way. Avoid replies like, What on earth does that mean? Instead, try something such as
- I’m not sure what that means. Tell me a bit about it
- That sounds fascinating. Tell me a bit more
In the brave new world of brave new ways of earning a crust, be prepared to question and engage. So enjoy exploring the working life of that Influencer or that Vlogger or that TikTok Growth Architect…
