To ask whether you judge someone based on their occupation?

[lushilaoshi]

I am sometimes judged (I think) a bit harshly based on my occupation. It can be a bit of a conversation killer, sometimes.

So without revealing yet what I actually do, if I were to say (for instance) that I am a City lawyer, what assumptions would you make about me? Would you take an instant dislike? Versus if I were to tell you that I am, for example, a languages teacher?

I think I can predict some answers, but I am curious about what characteristics are attributed to certain occupations, and whether justified. And in particular, whether gender makes any difference to your judgement?

This is a weird one and its something that REALLY puzzles me can anyone throw some light on it?

I have been a cleaning business owner for 17 plus years, I'm on my third cleaning business which i own with my husband, this is the weird 'thing':

As we grow bigger my job always transitions from cleaning myself and moves into staff management, administration, sales, customer service, accounts etc and it all becomes more difficult and more stressful with lots more people to consider. (I personally love it but it's not for everyone obviously).

When I am a cleaner, most people seem to really love me and I get so much respect from the clients and yet when I am in the management role, people are respectful and pleasant usually but without the same warmth towards me.

I had forgotten about this until, just recently we've been so short staffed I'm filling in for a full-time cleaner and when the clients see me cleaning their home with the team they are really, really happy to see me, I even got a hug the other day from a client I'd only met at the quote! It reminded me of my full-time cleaning days when clients were lovely to me and we got so much appreciation. I'm enjoying it but the downside is I'm having to scrabble about running the business into the night and at weekends.

When I resume my own job again during the daytime, I will miss this warmth and we will all go back to just 'polite' again. It's not just me, the cleaning staff tell me the find certain clients 'just lovely' when to me at the office they are fine and polite but a bit distant.

I am just the same person though? Are cleaners perceived as nicer people than cleaning business owners even when they are sometimes the same person?

I'm a writer at the BBC, I was very dyslexic at school and a lot of my old classmates are quite surprised when they find out.

I think I might start a thread with my post as it's got me really interested in this now!

ttwk that was chris martin's dad (him from Coldplay) It was on the south bank show done on the band. I love that and remember it well

Yes, I think you're right. I knew it was someone quite posh.

What do people think of an Insurance Underwriter?

I had a similar roll at one point, and in my experience, you are judged as somewhere between paedophile and Nazi in the popularity stakes, but slightly above estate agent.

Balls 'I am just the same person though? Are cleaners perceived as nicer people than cleaning business owners even when they are sometimes the same person?'

You are the same person, but with more money (supposedly). That will get peoples backs up immediately.

Just wondering why people get chippy when they know somebody earns more than them. Is it just human nature, or does it depend on their perception of how that person earned their money (or thinking they 'got it for free' in an inheritance perhaps?)

I, for instance, spent an awful lot of time and money getting my qualifications. I work extremely antisocial hours, and have a hell of a lot of responsibility. People must know that when they find out what I do, and I can sometimes almost see people try to calculate in their minds how much money I must earn, (I'm an airline pilot) - and yet I can't think of an example of anybody changing their tone to me once they know my occupation.

BTW, what really bugs me is when some women are really 'up' themselves and drive around in huge vehicles looking down on others (I do live in Surrey!) but it is their husbands who earn all the money! I once joined a playgroup and the woman in charge started pointing out other Mums and saying what their husbands did, as if that gave them some sort of status in the group. Needless to say, I didn't stay long!

Meant to say that also, of course, most high-earners spent years gaining qualifications, working their way up through the ranks, and often doing extremely unpleasant jobs in the interim, to get where they are. Why, then, when they earn more money, does it 'get people's backs up'?

people try to calculate in their minds how much money I must earn, I'm an airline pilot

I have zero idea of salary levels for airline pilots. Could be £20k, could be £120k for all I know (would be surprised if it's higher than the upper value specified, I guess).

Depends on rank and seniority - first officer £50 - £65k or so, Captain £100k - £150k
There are lots of pilots in our area, so most people either know or could work it out I guess, judging by what sort of houses they live in.

"Meant to say that also, of course, most high-earners spent years gaining qualifications, working their way up through the ranks, and often doing extremely unpleasant jobs in the interim, to get where they are. Why, then, when they earn more money, does it 'get people's backs up'?"

But a lot of high earners don't do all of that. Or don't realise that many people have done equally shitty jobs, expensive training and so on, yet don't get the same financial reward. It's the trying to justify that they are somehow worth more than other people that does my head in.

I'm an engineer from a top university. I have done post degree training and have qualifications that are more difficult (in terms of pass rate) than the equivalent in say accountancy or law. If I do something wrong then I have the potential to cause large financial losses and even injury or death. Yet I get paid less than people at a similar level in other professions. I am fine with that - I knew when I went into the industry that it wasn't as highly paid so I can't exactly complain now, and it's what I wanted to do.

But yes it does rankle when I hear people in high earning jobs making out they are God's gift just because they get paid a lot. No, you are not any better than a lot of people, you have simply chosen a career with big financial rewards.

Yes, I guess there is that aspect.

I respect people more if I know they are following the career they really wanted, as opposed to going into something with an eye on the final salary potential! (And as I guess people can imagine, you don't go into flying unless you love it.)

So if I find that somebody has just got a highly paid job in a firm because of knowing the 'right' people, or belonging to a certain association, that lowers my opinion of them.

And I respect engineers enormously!

If I told you I restore classic cars with my DP would you look down on me? I'm always dirty and usually smell of oil and grease. People in Waitrose glare in disgust at me when I pop in after a hard day to get a few bits

If I told you that I actually have a degree from a top US College would your opinion slightly change?

If I told you that I spent several years after college working in financial services, would you have more respect for me but think I was a flake for giving it all up?

How would you then feel if you came to my substantial property with new Land Rovers in the drive and a good few acres? (Not boasting, just proving a point) would you assume that years of working in the city had paid for it all?

Would you still be judgemental of my career choice if I told you that it was in fact the cars?

Its all about cold hard cash. I get a great amount of amusement from watching peoples attitude towards me change, depending on their initial assessments. It does however swing both ways. I have gained more and lost respect based on peoples initial assessments.

I wouldn't look down on you at all for restoring classic cars, as I adore them and think it would be incredibly interesting. And going into Waitrose after a hard day doing that must be quite fun actually - you can get incredible snobs in there.

I don't think I would be judgemental of your career choice anyway - I would think that, after chatting to you and getting to know you, you were a very interesting and determined person for doing at various stages in your life a) what you loved, b) having such a degree (I haven't got one), and c) in the meantime, acquiring the kind of property and things that you desire and make you happy.

I was talking more about people who follow a career in, perhaps, a low-paid caring sector because they are dedicated and love it, rather than doing something else just for the money. And as for my opinion lowering for those getting a highly paid job in a firm just by knowing the right people - I meant those pushy individuals who think they are 'entitled' just because they went to a public school, or know the 'funny handshake' brigade.

I wouldn't give your choice of restoring classic cars a second thought, beyond "that sounds interesting". I would, however, judge your brand new Land Rovers

I'd just want to know how much seed capital it took to start a classic car restoration business and what you did to get the skills needed, but then I may have leanings in that direction

That's pretty much what I thought people thought of insurance underwriters! I can summarise the responses, both IRL and here, as: Yawn

Lol at TTWK, I'd agree it ranks fairly low in popularity, but just above Estate Agents? Surely Tax Inspectors and car salesmen must be in there first!

There are certain jobs where I think it wouldn't matter the slightest to any one or anything (apart from obviously the person concerned) if their job didn't exist.

You might think that about mine (lawyer) especially as I'm in a niche private sector and I'm propping up capitalism.

There are certain jobs where I think it wouldn't matter the slightest to any one or anything (apart from obviously the person concerned) if their job didn't exist.

That's me. I'm a coronation programme seller. Business has been really slow for the last 6 decades.

Judging people based on stereotypes is just people's way of making sense of people in the easiest, and sometimes laziest, way possible. We all judge whether implicitly or overtly. I would not worry about it too much OP but yes it can be a shame sometimes when those judgements are unfair.

Well I probably wouldn't be too bothered if people assumed I was just boring or bookish or whatever the usual lawyer stereotypes are. But to say that I 'make money out of other peoples misery', when they know literally nothing about what I do (and respond to my explanations with the results of a cursory Google research), is going beyond straightforward laziness - it sounds more more like active resentment.

lushilaoshi don't take it personally.

I agree with you, I'm another who is perceived to make money out of people's misery, but I'd say the opposite. My work (construction underwriter) means that if people (companies) have a complete disaster, they are protected from the full consequences of that because the financial risk has been transferred to other parties. So it's a bit like your work; is aids development of necessary infrastructure that potentially wouldn't happen otherwise.

But on the other hand, the day-to-day involvement that the public have with insurance is not usually a pleasant experience, so it's not popular.

I'm sure Estate Agents would say the same!

Similar - if i told you i was a cleaner would you look down on me? If i told you i labour for my builder DP and get similar filthy looks from shop keepers, mums at the school gates when i turn up covered in brick dust/paint or whatever.

Would your opinion change if I told you i was a published scientist with a PhD in neurobiology?

It does change peoples opinions - i don't bother with them

tootired i think you have me and dp's dream job - i am big time.

I'm a nurse and some people think
A. I'm thick
B. I'm airhead
C. Really badly paid

Fortunately not all are so ignorant!