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?

Yeah, it’s a dick move to state ‘I’m a Senior Strategic Lead for the Future Development Programme’. Outside of your organisation no one knows what it means and no one gives a shite either.

@WillowCraft "Plus lecturers at red brick unis often spend 80% of their time doing research anyway".
I've never heard that term before ~ though I am in NZ so what would I know anyway. Is a red brick uni one with an elite reputation, similar to Ivy League ones in the US?

I'm a social worker - I say I work in childcare .... as I KNOW people assume I'm a child snatcher (which I am not)

😆
Yes, I have days when I don't understand the words I'm reading (unpublished scientific research).

This, exactly. I’m cringing for your friend saying “Senior HR adviser”. I just say I’m a solicitor, sometimes I give my specialist area if pressed. If the conversation around work continues there are plenty of ways you can make it clear in conversation that you work in a senior position (if this is important to you) without having to be so crass as to say your official job title. For example talking about “your” team, telling a an anecdote about working “with a junior colleague”, dropping in that you have been with the same employer for 10 years or more etc.

i don’t actually agree that men are more likely to trumpet their full job titles at social events. I was recently at a University reunion and people were falling over themselves to play down their success. It was quite funny checking them out on Linked In later and finding out that they were CEOs and KCs. One “civil servant working for the Foreign office” (male) turned out to be the British Ambassador to XXX. Experienced professionals know when job titles are important and it is not at drinks parties.

that does sound fairly generic

Not elite, no.
https://www.theuniguide.co.uk/advice/choosing-a-course/what-is-a-red-brick-university-list-of-red-brick-universities

How frustrating! If I were you I'd say something like I work with families to support them to be happy and healthy and keep children safe

Thanks @WhatapityWapiti . Interesting read.

I usually just say I work for X charity. I only say I’m the CEO if someone asks what I do there - charity name makes it obvious there’s a very varied range of roles.

I say I'm a civil servant, my actual job title was made up by me and my boss as a bit of a piss take when creating a new team but the big boss liked it and it stuck, sounds more impressive than it is.

Interesting, I’d say almost the opposite. I tend to describe myself as a junior doctor - just ‘doctor’ can feel a bit showy in some settings/brings a lot of assumptions about age, background etc

My job title doesn't describe what I do very well and is meaningless to most people so I just say that I work for a Multi Academy Trust.

Calling yourself a SENIOR HR adviser at a school do is daft, a generic title is fine.

If you are at an industry event then of course give yourself all the bells and whistles, but why would anyone outside your industry give a fuck? Life outside your career is about you as a person, not your career.

People with interesting jobs usually downplay them as they don't want to spark off the same old conversation they've had a million times before. 'Ooh, you must meet such interesting people ...'

I do the same as you. My title sounds very important (it isn’t) and I feel ridiculous when I say it out loud to someone that doesn’t know.

My current job title (if I've even remembered it properly) doesn't describe at all what I do, it's both generic and inaccurate. I've had a whole variety of different titles for the same job but mergers and acquisitions of the company lead to different emphases from HR or whoever. I'd say that I write scientific software.

Yanbu, sounds like your friend is a bit status focused and wanted to bask in reflected glory. 🙄

I'm a horticulturist but say I'm a gardener otherwise I'd sound like a bit of a prick.

I don’t even usually say dr I just say I work at the hospital. It’s not usually relevant to the convo. I certainly wouldn’t say consultant or unit director or anything like that and I’d laugh (internally) at ‘senior HR advisor’

At the university reunion I heard my mate tell someone he was “a gas man”.
He’s a consultant anaesthetist!

(Though everyone there did know he had been a medical student when we studied together so they kind of knew he wasn’t a boiler fitter).

I am vague because I don't want to take any questions.

Generic is absolutely fine. I would either say I work in Finance or that I'm am Accountant, depending on who I'm talking to.

My actual job, I'm a Finance Director, always seems to provoke such a reaction in (new) people that I can't always be bothered having the conversation, so I get where you are coming from.

Same. My job title is Senior Actuary but I would never say the Senior part, just say I’m an actuary. Then people don’t know what that is so I say I work in pensions. Then their eyes glaze over and they don’t ask anything else!

I'm a doctor that works within education. If anyone asks, I say 'I work with Special needs children'.