What’s my occupation?

[SecretSarahBeeny]

Recently, for a number of reasons, people have begun asking me, “What do you do?”

Other school gate parents have jobs their children can easily describe. Electrician, teacher, doctor etc.

I haven’t helped myself by being vague about what I do. In the past I’ve told most people I was a SAHM, but now our children are older I can sense a certain disdain from other parents at the school gates. I’ve had a couple of occasions of being patronised by my very young GP recently, too. I think there’s an assumption that I must be poorly educated or just poor. I’m neither. I paid six figures in tax last year.

I would feel a massive knob calling myself Company Director, which is how my accountant describes me on my Companies House listing.

I have income from BTL. The capital came from a previous career, not an inheritance or marriage.
I have income from managing BTL for others.
I renovate a house (not the one we live in) every other year, rolling forward the capital but not drawing an income. The capital for this came from remortgaging my first BTL, and my mortgage broker described me as a professional residential landlord.

I’m ashamed of caring what other people think of me, but I really don’t want to say I’m a landlord. I’m not a big enough cheese to say I’m a property developer. I would quite like to have a nice easy response to this common question. Do you have any ideas?

I "dabble in property" might fit if you want to be self deprecating but not a full on SAHM!

I think there’s an assumption that I must be poorly educated or just poor. I’m neither. I paid six figures in tax last year.

Could you call yourself a Company Director? Or is this thread a stealth brag about your tax payments?

@berrygirlie CGT is not much of a boast . If I were really a property developer I would have found some way to avoid it.

@randomsabreuse I really like that. It’s all been quite accidental and “dabble” sounds about right.

What feels most accurate to you as a label, OP?

You could always just say you're an entrepreneur and leave it at that. Fill your life with interesting hobbies and just sidestep if work comes into the conversation!

@MiniTheMinx I’m just down as Company Director but the name and listing is all quite opaque too. I think most people would just guess it was a freehold shell company.

If I had a trade I’d really like to say that. I am not on the tools though, so again, imposter.

Tell people you profit from other people's inability to get on the property ladder?

Seriously, you're overthinking this. Just say you work in property. Believe me, people think it's so boring they won't ask further. They're not really interested, they're just making conversation.

As everyone 3lse has said, say you work in property management. It's what you do.

My occupation was company director for a while and I felt like a cock saying that!
If anyone asked I said I was the dogsbody who did everything.

In your shoes I'd just say you work in property.

That’s precisely why I don’t say landlord @Clymene. In fact all mine are corporate rentals.

You are WAAAAAAAY over thinking this OP I'm sure they actually don't give two hoots what you do for a living! I really don't understand the issue! Just say you work in property if someone asks outright and then move on...

Why not say you run your own business?

I don’t want to avoid conversations about work though. I want to be able to join in with other people’s conversations about work and have people ask about mine.

Well if you want them to know exactly what you do and talk about it, tell them.

Your not exactly doing anything beyond the understanding of the average person.

Er, if you're interested in having a longer conversation with people about your work then there's no need to have a quick fix label? You can describe what it is you do, and people will understand.

"Currently my main focus is on looking after my kids, but I have a few side hustles including being a Company Director and renovating houses". Simple enough, people can follow through with questions if they'd like to. Or alternatively become an electrician or teacher!

I think I have self-identified in the past as a SAHM and told people that’s what I am.

Why haven’t I told people about the properties before? I was doing this long before the DC came along.

I suppose now the DC are mostly off my hands I’m feeling self-conscious about the lack of definition about my personal and professional identity. Also resentful about the high profile working mums who have clearly categorised me as low-achieving.

I suppose now the DC are mostly off my hands I’m feeling self-conscious about the lack of definition about my personal and professional identity. Also resentful about the high profile working mums who have clearly categorised me as low-achieving.

Do you categorise yourself as low achieving because you're a SAHM?

Not at all, I have loved being a SAHM. Now the DC are older it’s hard to justify in other people’s eyes.

Do you feel like you need to justify it?

I do you know. I’ve no idea why.

The GP incident really brought it home. She was basically implying I was depressed because I was a SAHM to older children. It turned out to be an underactive thyroid FFS.

Rentier capitalist, just own it.

Self employed?

I’m not successful enough to be a rentier or a capitalist .

Self-employed is a good one actually.

Self employed jack of all trades, master of none .