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!

In a previous role I would say one of the following.

1. I work in a call centre
2. I handle customer emergencies for a water company.
3. I work in the control room of a water company.

It was all one and the same job. It just depended on whether I was trying to impress.

Yes completely get this I used to work in epidemiology in the end I used to just say I worked with data.
Now I do something completely different also quite usual so label myself charity worker which covers it but could mean anything!

It takes me ages every time. I'm in a strangely niche role in a strangely specific sector of software development, and for anyone to understand any of it (the business itself, not teaching my mum to write code!), I have to start at the beginning each time.

I usually prefer to leave it at "I'm in software" or even "boring computer nerd shit" but somebody always has to ask...

If I mention my job by its title people look really bemused as they have no idea what it means.

Often I'll just say " I work at (well known local place)" but that often leads people presuming that my job is something else altogether.

I watch a map of England waiting * for it to flash then send someone to fix it.

Yep, I also work in financial services in quite a niche role and I hate having to explain it.

None of my friends have even remotely similar jobs so they have no clue when I try to explain. The more I divulge, the more confused they get.

I hate it too, I get 'are you going to read my mind or their issues.
I also don't say the field I work in because it's a conversatin stopper as it is quiet controversial!

Mines not too bad even though its an unusual job. DH otoh, it is v difficult as he works in insurance claims and a) everyone hates insurers and b) people can't see why it can be a very complex and technical job

Well, I'm an accountant and it's not always easy explaining that.

Person: So, what do you do?
Me: I'm a chartered accountant.
Person: Ah, so you can help me with my tax then?
Me: Not to any great extent, no: I have limited expertise as far as tax goes.

So I agree: job specifics are not always easy to articulate.

I have to explain I don't work because of a long term Illness, that raises some eyebrows because I'm young, and don't look "disabled"

I’m a lawyer and I once had a great conversation with the guy doing my windows about which of us was more loathed - lawyers or double glazing salesman.

We did both agree, however, that estate agents trumped us both.

SimonJT DH describes being an actuary as "spreadsheets".

I'm a solicitor, so mine is easy.

I usually just say that I work in finance. Even my husband is a bit vague in what I actually do

I can relate to that OP.;
I have lost friends because of my work and have to lie to close family members as to the nature of my work. I find it sad.

Me too! I work in HR but I don't do a 'typical' HR job (no disciplinaries, sickness absence etc), so it does become annoying

We both have tricky-to-describe jobs which we both love. I work in business strategy and my husband works in financial services in IT. When someone asks me what I do I end up giving a long winded explanation because the job title is actually completely made up by me last time I got promoted.

I'm a forensic nurse examiner of rape and sexual assault victims. Total dinner party conversation killer! Or I get people who are outrageously interested beyond what feels comfortable. Trying to explain it to people in a way that is truthful, hopefully educates/dispels myths and stereotypes but doesn't give any one clues on how to commit crime without leaving DNA behind is a juggling act!

chatnickname That sounds fascinating.

A friend of mine is an Algorithm Architect for a hedge fund. He just says "I work for a hedge fund" because no one understand it even when he does explain it. Including me, although I have managed to grasp that basically he does maths to make his company more money. Still haven't really figured out what a hedge fund is though....

I'm a nurse who doesn't treat patients, but knows everything about their care. People find that all a bit confusing.

I met a friend of a friend once who told me that she worked at GCHQ. I asked her what she does there, to which she immediately replied "I can't tell you". Fair enough - but why tell me that she worked at GCHQ in the first place?!

I'm a self-employed landlord.

I generally say I work in the property sector, as people immediately think you're an arsehole.

I'm a nice landlord...and my rental houses are much nicer than mine!

I'm a crematorium manager...I usually get asked about ashes and whether we burn people together

Completely agree... and I’m a teacher! The downside of being a teacher is that people will either smile patronisingly and assume you just ‘play with the kids’, tell you everything that’s wrong with education, or start slagging off their kids teachers.
I’ve started making up random lies to cab drivers when they ask me. Recently I’ve been a nanny, a chef and shop assistant!

Another friend is a police officer and she says that social chit-chat invariably dries up once she reveals her occupation.

You're like Chandler Bing and his WENUS OP 🤣