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?

😂😂😂
same!! I read acronyms all day and some of them I just make up for my own amusement.

RWA? Rabbits wank aardvarks. Risk weight assets….booooooooo.

im pretty senior as well 🥴🥴😂

Keep it vague, sometimes people ask what industry or whatever if they're interested.

I'm an EA (Executive Assistant) but sometimes just say PA as more people know what that is. I know some people can be a bit sneery as well about the EA title, despite it being around for at least 30 years. I was on a thread recently where PP were saying 'oh, a secretary then' and making weak jokes like 'what does it mean - assisting executions?'

The thing is if someone says 'what do you do?' you don't say your job title, you say what you do.
e.g. I'm an accountant.

Only if they ask specifically 'what is your job title?' would you need to say your actual title e.g. consultant neurologist

It's about reading the room. A casual encounter doesn't need to know how senior you are, the person at the recruitment fair probably does.

Teachers tend to say their are teachers regardless of what their actual role is. Unless they are SLT in which case they say they 'work in a school' 😂😂.

Then when pushed further they might add in their position.

Likewise not many officers in the armed forces will lead with their rank or specific role.

We're all very British about it, admittedly ...

I do the same.

My actual role is kind of niche - I'm an information systems director - so I just say 'I work in IT' or 'I work in consultancy' and most people are fine with that.

If someone asks what you do as small talk in a normal social situation (so not work or networking) I think titles are often pretty unhelpful. The point of small talk is to help you find common ground, which "Executive Junior Vice President of the the Action for Change Division" doesn't.

"Senior HR Advisor" is of course less niche but "Senior" still doesn't add anything meaningful to the conversation - it's just a request for the other person to notice how important you are 😅

Absolutely!
Moved into our new house and met the nice couple and their kids next door. Chatting about travelling to work etc and he mentioned he had to travel to X school (not local) and he was a teacher.
Noticed over several months he often arrived home quite late, but teachers often stay late. Gradually got to know them better and about 6 months later in conversation with his wife we discovered he was the Head teacher!

I saw this on a dating profile yesterday:
Your life and work: "1:1 (double first class degree) in Politics and Economics"
OK, mate, we're in our 40s, get over it!

I say I work in sales or strategy, because I'm head of business development which is a massive mish-mash of things (small company) in a fairly arcane industry and I can't be bothered to get into it.

I usually say I'm a lawyer at X media organisation. So they don't think I do a 'fun' media role, but also don't ask me for legal advice!

(my actual job title is 6 words, and wouldn't mean much to anyone outside my workplace)

You're right - just a vague description - if you want to 🤷‍♀️

Your friend’s way is just a bit knobby. People want to know what industry you work in / your job generally is. Not your seniority level or job title .
I work in a school office with a complicated title that doesn’t really mean anything or explain what I do, which is deal with everything from taking a forgotten packed lunch to a child to HR work and sorting new hires. I just say I’m an administrator in a school.

I work with quite a few people with PhDs and we have a couple who very deliberately, when on client calls do the whole

"I'm Dr [pause for effect] LastName and I [insert job details].

I find people outside academia don't seem to realise that being a department head is an tedious administrative add-on to one's real job of being a lecturer. She had no place correcting you!

Im an AHT but just say teacher unless it is a work course where my role is relevant. No need to elaborate.

I do the same as you. I'm a primary teacher and also lead a key stage but I always just say teacher.

@CyberCritical

oh this makes me wince 🥲

I say that I am a programme manager. I work in a sector that everyone has an opinion on and I do my job enough when I am at work. I have no interest in hearing a half baked understanding of the issues under pinning what I do and it's poorly remembered headline repeated back to me as if it was gospel truth.

No one outside of my sector knows what mine means so I just say something else that's the job title of my line reports.

I find acquaintances I don’t really know asking what I do for a living as being quite nosy.

I think it’s often asked to establish a pecking order.

If I sense this is the case I give my full title, otherwise I play it down.

Senior Architect, just say Architect.
They know from the amount of experience that I must have that I would be fairly senior at least.

University lecturer somehow sounds more interesting / impressive than Head of Department.

Sometimes I give my job title of Ward Manager but often people just hear manager so I’ll just say nurse🤷‍♀️

Anyone asking what you do just wants a descriptive title, not something that doesn’t mean much so your answer was fine op.

I do the same. Both me and DH have senior positions and we mostly just say where we work rather than what we do.

In my opinion people who ask what you do for a living/career are putting you into a ‘how they think how important you are box!’

Depends who im talking to.

If i don't really want to get into it, im an accountant.

If its someone slightly more knowledgeable, another accountant for eg, I'd say the specific area i work in

If someone who might be interested, id say i work for X plc (v well known in the industry.

I don't really ham up my seniority.