What do you do for a living?

[Holdfast]

Anyway, my future plans involve undertaking a position as a professional faker of my own death.

I investigate welfare fraud. I'm basically a stereotypical drunken PI, only I'm employed by the govt.

You two will meet each other in the future. It'll make a wonderful movie of the week.

Protip: Don't dump your significant other if you're committing welfare fraud.

You will always have the possibility of someone trying to show you their interesting skin condition in the pub.

I get more worried when they start telling me their skin condition talks to them and tells them what to do...

 

[SmoothieX]

I dislike this question as well, it is usually asked by that most annoying of folk, the middle-classes, who are too concerned with social status. It is usually followed by where do you live? And what did your parents do? With that, they can have you pegged within minutes. Very limited thinking in my opinion. How I make my living is no reflection on how worthwhile a human being I am. A brick layer or a public toiler cleaner are just as necessary in society as a doctor or lawyer. As long as you are a useful contributing individual, I do not care in which manner you do it.

I can usually tell which type of person an individual is by whether they drop these types of questions in the first five minutes. What's wrong with that old reliable, the weather? Or any number of polite non intrusive questions? Small minds occupy themselves with small matters. I'd much rather hang out with a laid back working class person or the upper class. Far less competitive. I cannot believe people have been raised to think these are polite questions, their origin is nothing to do with politeness. Although there are of course those who use them innocently enough.

And the people that balk at these questions are typically a bunch of underachieving mouthbreathers that live in their parents' basements wondering why they never got anywhere.

What's wrong with the question of 'what do you do for a living?' It's small talk (call me Hutch) like the weather and sports.

Some of us went to college several times and kinda made something of ourselves, others never touched a book and make millions.

I'm a licensed civil engineer in 4 states with a masters degree in engineering and currently working on and MBA. Sometimes the guys I see digging ditches at a site make more than me. Oh well, good for them. Who cares?

 

[Timby]

No. (And, I'm sorry, but there's something kind of funny about you starting a thread to complain about the deterioration of the English language, and then you use "your" instead of "you're." )

The design of the website was handled by the firm which provided our CRM and CMS platforms, assisted by our staff graphic designer, who created the brand standards manual. This happened before I joined the staff of my current employer. We are planning a website redesign for 2012, but my primary role in that will be with regards to structure and functionality, what modules / features to implement, etc. Design will be handled by committee, led by the graphic designer.

My work involves the planning and execution of Web development initiatives (such as a new event search / calendar of events display module, implemented two weeks ago), the planning and execution of social media campaigns, and oversight of all email marketing initiatives and campaigns (which is my favorite part of the work, though also the most frustrating, due to interference from other departments). I also develop content, add and remove pages / content from the website, and am responsible for strategic planning for the DMO's future online initiatives.

You're still sounding like a website designer to me. Now the reason could be that my father does all of that and the graphics when he does websites. I wasn't just talking about the pictures.

Sounds absolutely nothing like a web designer to me, sure Timby clicks a few buttons on a CMS but that's not web design.

Right.

I've done a substantial amount of Web design in my former life, both at my former office and freelancing when I was unemployed for seven months last year, but I wouldn't call what I do "Web design" by any stretch of the term., although I do a good deal of HTML coding in our CMS, since the software provider's WYSIWYG editor is fucking terrible and bloats code like there's no tomorrow. (And I certainly wouldn't call social media and email marketing management "Web design." )

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I dislike this question as well, it is usually asked by that most annoying of folk, the middle-classes, who are too concerned with social status. It is usually followed by where do you live? And what did your parents do? With that, they can have you pegged within minutes. Very limited thinking in my opinion. How I make my living is no reflection on how worthwhile a human being I am. A brick layer or a public toiler cleaner are just as necessary in society as a doctor or lawyer. As long as you are a useful contributing individual, I do not care in which manner you do it.

I can usually tell which type of person an individual is by whether they drop these types of questions in the first five minutes. What's wrong with that old reliable, the weather? Or any number of polite non intrusive questions? Small minds occupy themselves with small matters. I'd much rather hang out with a laid back working class person or the upper class. Far less competitive. I cannot believe people have been raised to think these are polite questions, their origin is nothing to do with politeness. Although there are of course those who use them innocently enough.

Wow, couldn't you have just said "none of your business," or maybe just not have posted in this thread at all, rather than going off on a rant about how rude and insensitive people are? Pardon the OP for being curious about what people do for a living.

I, myself, am a code monkey by day, and a jack of many trades by night.

 

[Timby]

I dislike this question as well, it is usually asked by that most annoying of folk, the middle-classes, who are too concerned with social status.

I just noticed this. The middle class is concerned with social status. Stereotype much?

 

[Kestra]

I dislike this question as well, it is usually asked by that most annoying of folk, the middle-classes, who are too concerned with social status. It is usually followed by where do you live? And what did your parents do? With that, they can have you pegged within minutes. Very limited thinking in my opinion. How I make my living is no reflection on how worthwhile a human being I am. A brick layer or a public toiler cleaner are just as necessary in society as a doctor or lawyer. As long as you are a useful contributing individual, I do not care in which manner you do it.

I can usually tell which type of person an individual is by whether they drop these types of questions in the first five minutes. What's wrong with that old reliable, the weather? Or any number of polite non intrusive questions? Small minds occupy themselves with small matters. I'd much rather hang out with a laid back working class person or the upper class. Far less competitive. I cannot believe people have been raised to think these are polite questions, their origin is nothing to do with politeness. Although there are of course those who use them innocently enough.

And the people that balk at these questions are typically a bunch of underachieving mouthbreathers that live in their parents' basements wondering why they never got anywhere.

What's wrong with the question of 'what do you do for a living?' It's small talk (call me Hutch) like the weather and sports.

Some of us went to college several times and kinda made something of ourselves, others never touched a book and make millions.

I'm a licensed civil engineer in 4 states with a masters degree in engineering and currently working on and MBA. Sometimes the guys I see digging ditches at a site make more than me. Oh well, good for them. Who cares?

Both generalizations are really being unfair. We've all probably encountered these questions under different circumstances. I know I'm around my fair share of people who do judge you by what you do, while others just genuinely are curious. Personally I prefer questions like this over things about the weather, but that's because I like getting to know people.

 

[Squiggy]

I dislike this question as well, it is usually asked by that most annoying of folk, the middle-classes, who are too concerned with social status.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOt62cT2teY[/yt]

 

[Amaris]

I think it's very interesting to find out what people do for a living. We're all (or mostly) Star Trek fans, and that is how we know one another. New avenues of familiarity are nice!

 

[Capn Flukie]

I'm a banker and I have your money...

Ha ha, I'm stone poor.

 

[thestrangequark]

My mind is being blown by how defensive some people come about this question! Some have commented that the it is perceived differently in the UK and the US, and I can see how that would be; I can also see how, under very specific circumstances, anyone, anywhere might feel they are being imposed upon or judged, however, I think most people ask simply for the sake of creating small talk, and have no hidden classist motives. Also, just because one recognizes that we can learn a lot about people by their response, doesn't mean one passes judgement about another's work or career.

 

[Timby]

Also, just because one recognizes that we can learn a lot about people by their response, doesn't mean one passes judgement about another's work or career.

Yeah, this is what I don't get.

Say a person goes to a bar after work. This person sits down, orders a drink and checks out what's on the TV. Then, because it's a busy bar, someone else sits down at the next stool, since it's open. And that person orders a drink. Some small talk might start, because it's a bar and that tends to happen. And then one person says, "So what do you do?"

How is that being nosy? Or being concerned about social status? It's just being social. Like Kestra, I like to get to know people. I'm not a social butterfly (I'm incredibly uncomfortable at social gatherings with large groups of people I don't know), but if I become engaged in conversation with someone, I like to get to know that person, and share myself with that person as well. Interaction is a two-way street, after all.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Personally, I have no problem about being judged by what I do, what I wear, what I smell like.

On the other hand, I'm awesome, so I guess that's kinda easy for me.

 

[KJbushway]

I don't see why people wouldn't ask this. Its like coming up through school and having your teachers say What do you want to be when you grow-up? Its just a way to get along better instead of getting into debates all the time. It could be that the person who hates the question is un-happy with his or her own job, and that aggression gets taken out on anything related to it. Just a guess I am no mind reader.

 

[thestrangequark]

Also, just because one recognizes that we can learn a lot about people by their response, doesn't mean one passes judgement about another's work or career.

Yeah, this is what I don't get.

Say a person goes to a bar after work. This person sits down, orders a drink and checks out what's on the TV. Then, because it's a busy bar, someone else sits down at the next stool, since it's open. And that person orders a drink. Some small talk might start, because it's a bar and that tends to happen. And then one person says, "So what do you do?"

How is that being nosy? Or being concerned about social status? It's just being social. Like Kestra, I like to get to know people. I'm not a social butterfly (I'm incredibly uncomfortable at social gatherings with large groups of people I don't know), but if I become engaged in conversation with someone, I like to get to know that person, and share myself with that person as well. Interaction is a two-way street, after all.

Um, I don't think you read my post very carefully -- we are making the same point.

 

[Kestra]

^^^ He was agreeing with you and further elaborating.

Personally, I have no problem about being judged by what I do, what I wear, what I smell like.

On the other hand, I'm awesome, so I guess that's kinda easy for me.

I get self-conscious sometimes, mostly because I hang out with doctors and lawyers for the most part. It's a bit awkward.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

I work in HR at a software company while putting myself through law school. I'm graduating next month, and I eventually hope to become a law professor.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I get self-conscious sometimes, mostly because I hang out with doctors and lawyers for the most part. It's a bit awkward.

You should tell 'em you have a full-time job as a celebrity and opinion-maker on the Internet. That's more or less the truth.

 

[KJbushway]

Congrats about law school. Hope you do wonderful in your soon coming career.

 

[Vulcan Princess]

Thanks!

 

[HoneyBLilly]

If people want to judge me for giving up a well paying job for my child(ren) feel free. I've been judged for far worse things.