To just give a generic job title when asked?

[PrueLeith]

Was at a child-related event recently with a friend. Another mum came over to chat to both of us, and the conversation turned to jobs.

I said I was a university lecturer. Friend said she was a senior HR advisor.

Other mum left and friend was like 'why didn't you say your actual job?'. I said I did, and she said 'you're not just a lecturer though, your job title is Head of Department'. I said I felt like lecturer was more descriptive of most of what I do, and most people wouldn't care about my actual title. And that I'd feel like a bit of a knob going 'oh, I'm head of department' as if I'm trying to impress people.

This made me wonder what others do. Do you just give a general/generic description, or would you be careful to say eg 'Higher Level Teaching Assistant' or consultant rather than doctor?

AIBU to just give the general title for what I do? Or is it a bit cringey to be really explicit about exactly what level you are?

I have an embarrassed pause and then say 'erm, I am an economist'. Then quickly say 'nothing to do with banks though. Mostly health and social care' as I feel bad about it. Then if they ask what that involves I say 'mostly looking at a computer all day'. Sometimes I say 'I am self employed so will do anything anyone pays me to do'.

I work in movie marketing but just say I work in media - anything else makes me feel like I'm coming across as smug - I don't know why, because I don't feel smug about it or in anyway entitled to my job.

@hja62
Saying you're an account but not a normal account is basically saying you do only fans to all users of tiktok

I do that too. I’m a particular type of academic that means nothing to people outside of academia so I just say lecturer. If I was talking to someone in the ‘business’ I’d tell them my job title.

I think what you did is quite common. My DH is a university professor and when people ask what he does he always modestly says "I work at the University" or "I'm an academic".

Did she really say SENIOR HR advisor? What a knob.

This^
The vast majority of people will say, HR, banking, nurse, teacher etc. No-ones interested whether the teacher is head of dept or the HR person is senior!!

Yep it’s extremely wanky to say your full job title unless it’s one word. I usually just say I work for a university or I say I work in customer service. If they work in a similar field it might spark more details.

I go with your approach too, I have a very senior role but just give a very generic description if people ask in a social context

I'm a lecturer too and would think anyone introducing themselves as HoD was a bit of a knob unless it was relevant to the discussion.

I don't know about your institution but it's always a serious problem getting anyone to take on the role of HoD. I don't think there has ever been more than one candidate and that generally involves a lot of persuasion from the dean.

I generally just say I'm a lecturer or I work in the university.

I don’t tell people what I do (ie develop algorithms). Instead I just say I work in IT.

I was a midwife. If I told people that I would often get full birth stories often with requests to critique/ explain/ justify their care. I started to tell people that I’m a sex worker. They tended to leave me alone after that

I Work in PMO but since nobody ever seems to have heard of it I just ay I work in project management, can't be bothered trying to explain it

I tell them I’m a financial services regulatory lawyer and watch their eyes glaze over.

Definitely just generic - anything more sounds either a bit braggy or extremely boring. If they’re interested they'll ask more!

I am exactly the same as you. I’m head of department but just say lecturer when asked.

I'm one, and often I groan inwardly meeting people when the conversation turns inevitably to work, wishing I had a job I could describe to people outside my field in a word or two.

There's no point fluffing it up; usually I try explaining it in as few syllables as I can without offending them, but occasionally if I'm in a subversive mood I have been known to say something like "trainee astronaut". Often there are no follow-up questions, strangely.

My current job title's a mouthful (I also work at a Uni) I just say I'm a techie.

I agree that it is a bit wanky to mention your seniority when meeting someone for the first time, University lecturer is a prestigious enough title by itself anyway.

I wonder why your friend cares? Does she introduce herself as Ms Super Important Senior job role and she's realised she sounds a bit daft when everyone else has simplified their titles or is she trying to impress other Mums by association? Xx

@JustAMinutePleass

“I do big hard sums for a living”?

Scientist or journal editor.
True but vague.

My default position is that most people don't really care what I do, they are just making conversation. So I keep it brief and vague when they ask. (I design training for salespeople- see? 😆)

See, this is along the lines of what my friend was saying, she was saying that she was proud of having got a more senior role and that it's doing yourself a disservice to keep it quiet out of a sense of modesty, and that is a specifically female thing. Part of me thinks she's got a point, and I do think good on her for being happy to big up herself a bit. But I can't get away from the cringe of doing it myself.

Loads of the jobs on here sound fascinating. I would definitely have lots of questions for the Tube person, for example.

And yes HoD is definitely a thankless task! The dealing with colleagues etc bit isn't what I enjoy and I much prefer teaching and research to the admin/trying to get others to implement the latest management ideas.

I'm a registrar and so I have to record the occupations (different to job titles!) of parents when they register a baby or give notice to be married.

In my experience, there are a lot of people who try and make more of what they do. They say they are an "entrepreneur" when they own a Facebook group, or they want to go down as "business owner" when frankly they really aren't doing much. And the consultants, surgeons, lawyers, academics, etc on the whole tend to downplay what they do 🤷🏻‍♀️

It may be a generalisation, and possibly area and economic variable, but I do see it day in day out 🤷🏻‍♀️

I just say doctor. Because if I tell people my actual specialty they act really really weird so it's much easier to just avoid it.

I just saying 'banking' then give a title if people push. Most people don't really care.

Now I want to know @AnnaMagnani ’s specialty… go on!