What DO you do, anyway?
Awhile ago, I was telling Steven about a run with friends and he asked me what one of them did for a living. I told him that I thought they worked in a certain field… but I wasn’t sure exactly what they did. He was surprised work didn’t come up when we ran. Hmm. Maybe it does for other people, but not for me – I run to escape all that!
Then yesterday, Anne and I were chatting and I realized I don’t really know much about what she does for work*. I know how she feels about work. And where she works.
Anyway, you know this all got me thinking – one of the most common questions that comes up when you meet someone for the first time** is “what do you do for a living?” Right? So, why the hell don’t I know (more specifics, anyway)?
I wonder if the fact that I often run with bloggers or people in my running club, makes it so that I feel comfortable talking to them already, and skip all of the dinner party/getting to know someone type questions. Maybe?
Or maybe it’s just that I don’t want to talk about my day job, so I assume other people don’t as well?
Hmm.
It’s funny – someone asked me a few weeks ago if I still have my architecture related day job, because I post so much about teaching at Essential Fitness and about Fake Meats on Facebook. I do!
Ha, maybe that is just it – for me, I tend to talk more about the work I enjoy (and feel it’s appropriate to discuss)!
Can you name what your workout buds do for a living?
Do you like to talk about work when you run, or would you rather not think about it?
Most people I know don’t understand what I do, anyway. They hear “architecture degree” and think ONE thing. But! I’ve written about that before!
*Pretty sure she’s a bounty hunter.
**Whether or not it’s appropriate.
Themocracy
When I ran with a group I knew one was in IT because that’s what my husband does and the other one was a postal employee. Thing is we never really talked about that stuff (well some) but we always talked about food. LOL.
YESSS! When the run gets to talking about food, that is when it gets goooood. 🙂
I know what some of my friends do because they enjoy their jobs and like to talk about it which is fine by me but there are definitely people that I see fairly regularly that I know a bit about their jobs but not really what they DO. I figure they don’t tell me because they don’t want to talk about it (which is how I am for the most part) so I don’t usually ask.
I have no workout buds :/ Unless you count the people who take my classes, and I’m not sure that’s fair. I would venture to say that most people in the classes don’t know what I do and I’m usually very hesitant to discuss it. I find that people have very strong opinions of the media, and I don’t feel like hearing them. Or, people will ask me, “Where do you think newspapers will be in 10 years?” Gag me with a spoon. I will say that I don’t know what many of my folks do or even some of my friends. Like you said, I can name where they work and whether they like it but the nitty-gritty, not always.
I would never think that that was an industry people who be so weird about! But… there is someone to be weird about everything 😉
http://www.cityoffilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MIB3.jpg
No more questions!
Well I have one work out buddy, and I know what she does. We covered the basics on our first run.
I rarely talk about work, period lol even at work
That’s funny, I have a friend who specifically *doesn’t* ask people about work because he believes strongly that our jobs are not our identity.
Okay, that’s far, but considering we spend about 1/3 of our lives in work, going to work, or thinking about work, it’s kind of hard to avoid! And I hate talking to him about my life b/c I am really proud of what I do at work. I don’t feel like I have much interesting stuff going on in my non-work life. And I don’t think that’s sad either–for me work is a passion and a commitment and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s tiring but also very rewarding.
One nice thing, though–now that Paul has little niece Kaylee around, I can brag about her, the latest things she is doing, and show off adorable pictures! *Most* people appreciate that!
Huh! That is really interesting! I hear your friend on the “work doesn’t HAVE to define us” side, but heck, if someone loves their job, please, talk away! I have a few friends with jobs they love and excel in and it really excites me to hear the passion in their voices when they talk about it 🙂
Aww, yes to Kaylee stories and pics! That is how I am with Luca. LOL!
I was actually thinking about this too because I went to an alumni event for my college and the first thing everyone asked me is what I do. I felt like this told them nothing about me. I do my job to make money and that’s about it. It does not define me, so when I am not working I do not want to talk about work. I want to talk about the things I like!
We are very, VERY similar! In my profession, many people’s passion for it goes over in to their not at work life, but not me. Let’s talk about ANYTHING else 😉
(well, almost anything)
The BF and I have been talking a lot lately about how we are both pretty unhappy in our jobs. We feel like we are too young to feel like we are stuck in careers we don’t enjoy for the rest of our lives, but at the same time we have now spent almost 10 years in those fields. So now we both earn good money and enjoy the perks of seniority (like more vacation time, priority for vacation, and schedule flexibility). It is hard to think about giving up that financial and job security for something that I might like more!
Oh gosh! And I bet SO many people our age our like this! The thing is… are we more unhappy than our parents were, or do we just not have the same values to put up with it?
That is an interesting point. Maybe everyone has always been unhappy in their jobs and we are just the first generation to expect to be happy all the time.
I think that very much could be it!!!
When I’m running with my running pals, I feel like the most common topics are running, cross training, and races… You know, running stuff! I don’t think I know what a lot of my running friends do for a living and I don’t know if they know what I do for a living either, and I’m okay with that. 🙂
John and I have had that exact conversation. So many of them, I STILL don’t know what they do. And even if we talk about work, it’s more in the abstract (as in I HAVE THIS COWORKER WHO IS MAKING ME NUTS) than in the specific details of their particular job.
My work is 24/7, so I tend to talk about them a lot 🙂 But they also overlap into the good life stuff too, so I guess that’s ok!
Exactly – it’s abstract! And I like hearing about your work! 😉
My understanding of your job is that you hang out on conference calls a lot?
I don’t talk about my job very often because no one ever understands what I actually do, which is just awkward. My mom doesn’t even know what I do (she thinks it’s a cross between selling insurance and preparing taxes – nope, neither of those). For such a long time, people would ask me what I do, I’d start explaining, then see the glossed over looks and just wrap it up. I don’t dislike my job, and I’m good at it and often feel accomplished at work, but it’s such an obscure niche that only 5 people in my global company of 60k+ employees do it. So now if someone asks I just say I work in retirement, even though that’s not quite it either (and then people ask me for advice! Um, start saving early and don’t tie your money up in company stock!)
I guess it is a pretty basic question, but for me, since work is just what I do to pay my bills, it’s just not something I talk about. And if people tell me about their jobs, I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I often don’t remember much about that unless it’s something easy like teacher, nurse, cop, etc.
HAHAHAHA, okay, just saw the footnote about being a bounty hunter! Close 😉 Bob and I actually have a joke that I’m a ninja – he somehow came to that conclusion on our first date, since I told him I had taken a self-defense refresher course at the office that day. Which is also to say, Bob has no idea what I do for a living either.
if you ever *DO* go in to the bounty hunting business, I’ll be your sidekick :)(and in case you happen to read Janet Evanovich, I promise not to dress like Lula. Or eat quite as many donuts.)
I am not sure you could dress like Lula given the lack of a pair of girls. Sorry. But, you could be like Grandma Mazur. And that would be awesome.
Hahahahahahahahaha!
Truth. Definitely a lack of girls. But I’m too self conscious to be grandma mazur 🙂
I don’t know what you guys are talking about, but I am taking book recs now that I don’t have to study anymore!!!
Loving the Stephanie Plum references! 🙂
Obviously I would need a sidekick and I will consider your application. It’s not like ninjary, where I stealthily work alone.
That is an accurate understanding of my job! 🙂
I wonder what percentage of people have jobs that NO ONE gets! And whether it is because people aren’t interested enough to listen… or it really is that confusing. Probably the former?
Ha ha ha! Should I edit the foot note to say ninja?!
I hate when people ask you what you do when they first meet you. Like Kiersten said, it shouldn’t define who you are as a person. You may have a “prestigous” job, but may not make a lot of money, etc. There should be a better ice breaker or it should be regulated to the weather. Also, it becomes even more awkward if you don’t like your job.
As for me, I know general information of what my running buddies do for a living. In fact, I can tell you where they work more so than their job titles. If I’m asked, I give the general information, but if pressed, will explain further. Oftentimes, people don’t seem to know what a paralegal does, but that’s OK.
Truthfully, I’d prefer not to talk about work on the run. I like to talk to my running buddies about running and pick their brains about running related topics. I’m OK with people talking since it gives me something to focus on (as opposed to a) how many miles we have left, b) when are we turning around and c) i want to stop, go home, lay down, etc.
I definitely think there can be better ice breakers! But some people are not very creative – ha ha!
Running with friends is so great for those distractions! Hmm. Would it better to run with someone and HAVE to talk about work, or to run solo?!
I definitely prefer having someone to talk to especially on the super long runs! I won’t mind chatting about work or hearing about work!
I had to get my elevator pitch about my job down pretty fast since I discovered that when I tell people WHERE I work they automatically assume I’m a professor. And then when I tell them my job title they look at me with a blank stare. I think because so many of us are now knowledge workers and don’t necessarily do something concrete it can be difficult to explain what it is that we do for a living.
With my running buddy, we don’t talk about work often, only when we are planning our runs around our work! I think i run to get away from work too. I just like to think about other things while running. I am the type of person who works to live, not lives to work. Although I work with a ton of people who seem to live to work.
I only have one running buddy and I know what she does, I mean besides wear me out. Happy Birthday!
Actually, I forgot to tell you, since I was a certified Personal Trainer when I ran with you, you actually owe me money. I will send you a bill in the mail. Ha ha ha. Didn’t you wonder what I sent to you? JK!!!!
Thanks! 😀 😀 😀
Hmm…I guess you’re right! Maybe next time we finally run together we can talk about work. NOT. Too many other fun things to discuss. Maybe that’s the answer. 🙂
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! 😛 😛 😛 lol! Oh phew, just saw that “not” in there 😉
I would NOT do that to you on your Birthday! Btw….I can run again let’s plan!!!!
Yes! At Anne’s party? 🙂
I run with a decent sized group 1-2 times each week…I know what maybe two of them do. We talk about races, family, weekend plans, etc but rarely work.
How sad is this – I don’t really have a workout buddy. I tend to work-out solo or occasionally go on runs with the hubs Mikey. I have enjoyed the few runs/walks with a good girlfriend -Sarah – but for a regular work-out bud – it’s just me. For the occasional, I do know many details about them both. Mikey is an architect and through him I have learned so much about the filed and what he does, finding that I understand more and more every day . So if you do ever want to work out together and talk about work – I’ll have some idea of what you are talking about. 🙂 For the girlfriend – Sarah – she’s also an architect so do know quite a lot about what she does as well. However, we don’t typically go past how was your day, how’s work? Since I think most people don’t really understand what I do. LOL.
I wish I could be your workout buddy! 🙂 And I would love to hear more about what YOU do than talk about my day job. LOL!
I am actually coming to the city 8/22 Thursday night for a sausage fest run then grill thing my friend is hosting at her house to raise money for the Lung Run if you want me to add you to the invite! 🙂
I am the director of the McHenry County Emergency Management Agency. When the solid waste streams hits the rotating device – I’m in my element!
Happy Birthday! I agree – it takes a while to figure out what they do. Some of my tri training buddies I still am a bit vague after almost 5 months of 1-2 x/wk workouts together! I agree- you want to talk about what you’re passionate about, and sometimes work just doesn’t make it that way (and sometimes that is in the angry passion).
That is a great question. I really do think we want to escape that world most of the time when we run. I have found for most people, talking about what they do is difficult if it is not something as cut and dry as a “doctor” or “accountant” and most people do not want a long explanation for it. Running is that sacred free non-career space for many, I guess!
I don’t really like when people ask me what I “do”. I guess that’s because I don’t want my work to define me. I’m more of a “I work because I have to”, not because I want to person. I hope people like me for me and not for my profession!! 🙂
I am more like you! But your last sentence makes me wonder what percentage of people actually judge people by what they do. Hmm.
Well, considering that the majority of my run buddies are my coworkers, I think it’s safe to say I know what they do for a living. However, we try not to talk about work while we are running. Sometimes it slips in but we are usually pretty good about forgetting about it until we are back in the office!
I ran with a group of friends for almost a year and only knew what a handful of them did for a living. It never comes up in a group but one on one I usually talk about it a little. But, when I try to explain what I do, I usually just get blank stares and it’s easier to just brush over the question! Haha!
Your dad’s comment cracked me up, lmao!!! I would love to be your workout buddy… or actually hire you to be my personal trainer, get my ass in shape!!
=^..^=
I would love either of those options, too! 😀
When I am at the gym and working out, I really do not like to think about work. My workout time is more about me and being in a better place. Even though I do take my phone with me and have had work calls during my workout (which totally messes me up)