When you meet someone new there are a few questions that always seem to come up.
Are you from this area? Do you have hobbies? Do you have kids? What do you think about this weather? Do you like any professional sports teams? And the big one is what do you do for a living?
This is probably the aspect of my job I like the least. There is no good answer that is descriptive as I want it to be. Here are some examples of how people in other jobs get to answer that question.
Person 1: What do you do for a living?
Person 2: Architect.
Person 1: Cool, so what have you designed?
Person 1: What do you do for a living?
Person 2: I deliver pizza for Little Caesar's.
Person 1: Pizza, Pizza!
Person 2: That's funny. I've never heard that before.
Person 1: What do you do for a living?
Person 2: I'm a doctor.
Person 1: What a coincidence. I have this disgusting growth on my back that I have been meaning to get checked out, and...
Person 1: What do you do for a living?
Person 2: Author.
Person 1: What have you written that I would have read?
Person 2: Nothing. I don't write material for the back of breakfast cereal boxes.
Notice how everyone hearing about the careers mentioned above understood what the person does? Now here is how the typical conversation goes when I am involved.
Person 1: What do you do for a living?
Me: I support developers and administrators who use the software that the company I work for creates.
Person 1: Huh?
Me: I work with computers.
Person 1: Oh, like the people at the PC shop on the corner?
Me: No, I help people with software problems.
Person 1: So you work for a helpdesk?
Me: Not really. I don't work with end users. I support advanced users.
Person 1: I'm an advanced user, and I call the helpdesk all the time.
Me: Do you like any professional sports teams?
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5 comments:
Hee hee! You probably make way more money than the folks who refuse to understand you. But they are looking for something they can talk about with you, and what can you say about software support?
I'm a disc jockey. Becoming more obsolete by the minute.
Don't worry dust, you are not alone. I never fully understood what Vernal did at sprint.
You are giving everyone else job way to much credit. Even as an architect, the questions are never that cut and dry. They can stop at architect or go on to find out what kind of buildings we design. Kind of like the conversation you were describing in you job definition.
Anyway, I dislike that question too. Because, men are usually trying to size each other up. And I hate making one job sound more important than another. I usually lie and say I work at walmart. To see if they really want to be my friend. (and usually they don't after they find out I am a Liar.) :)
For what it's worth, I understood exactly what you meant. Does that mean that I have an impossible to explain job too?
Today's Word Verification:
Slrnf /slirn-ef/ n. The sound made by a guy trying not to laugh at a 30 year old Wal-Mart employee that is way to into his ipod.
Here is how my mother remembers what Dust does for a living: She remembers an athletic supporter and laughs and then goes on to remember oh yeah, software supporter. : )
Another example of my family's humor. It is not only butt jokes.
I guess I'll stop talking about music and the ipod when you stop talking about your rangers. :)
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