To find it awkward explaining my job?

[Bluebluesea321]

Does anyone else find it awkward/tiring trying to explain their job to people e.g. when being asked in a social setting? Unless you’re a vocation like doctor, teacher, accountant etc it just feels quite difficult without either sounding boring or show-offy! I work in a senior role in financial services and although it’s a very good job I have people asking what I do!

Seriously I want to have a dinner party and invite about 30 of you off here! I can imagine some really interesting conversations.

mrsed1987

I am a social worker. I tend to just say i work for the council. Otherwise i get stories of peoples children being taken away over nothing or more often 'ohh i couldnt do your job'

I came on to say exactly the same as you but I'm a foster carer. Most people say "oh I have always wanted to do this but I couldn't give them back" or very occasionally have stories of forced adoptions.

Seriously I want to have a dinner party and invite about 30 of you off here! I can imagine some really interesting conversations

Me too! No offence to OP (sorry OP ) but this thread is surprisingly interesting.

Partly cos I'm nosy and now I know what some of you do/did for a living

I get the head-tilt-kitty-eyes-awwwww when I say I work on a children’s ward. Disappointed look when people realise I’m “just” reception/admin not a nurse. And lots of “I couldn’t do that”, “so hard”, “think of the little kiddies” stuff. There are so many children going through each day, the majority are fine - bit of care and medication and on their way! Yes there are sad stories but far, far more happy endings. And if you want something to go “awww” about think about the many teenagers struggling with MH issues (self harm, eating disorders, psychosis) as there are more and more of those all the time. Not as cute to think about as a toddler bravely smiling hooked up to an IV drip.

I work for a well known jewellery company. My job is mainly ensuring we get the best costs for raw materials which often leads me into the futures market. I have spent over a million dollars in a single transaction. I love it. I don’t even physically touch the jewellery.

When I tell people who I work for I don’t even get to my job title before they do one or all of the following things:

1. Ask what my staff discount on the jewellery is
2. Ask to use my discount
3. Ask me to value jewellery they’re wearing
4. Ask if I “know” any of our celebrity clients/people who we sponsor

Sometimes I tell people my previous job, Data Analyst for the Local Government. Never any questions. EVER.

I teach relationships and sex education to young people and adults with learning disabilities. My job regularly involves me teaching where and sometimes how to masturbate. I don't tell people this until I know them quite well but it took me a while to work that out when I started this work (around 20 years ago). Funny how men think it's ok to ask really me personal questions when you teach others about sex. I never disclose any personal information in work so why would I when talking about my job? Quite often I say I'm a teacher and leave it at that.
I do get that it's a niche area of work though!!

I’m a police call taker. I either tell people I work in admin or a call centre until I know them well enough. People either slag off the police to me or assume I’m untrustworthy and will grass them up for smoking weed on a Saturday night

I’m a lawyer and people often then come across quite awkward.