why is it that everyone thinks it compulsory to say they love their job when meeting new people for the first time?

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whenever i meet new people now, ive begun to hate hearing the what do you question as well, i just dont like my job anymore. i wouldnt have a problem saying this if more people seemed alright with it but it seems like people think theres something chronically wrong with you if you say that well actually no, i dont really love my job and dont think its the best thing in the world ever. i find it ridiculous that when you ask other people what they do and how they like it, they too pretend they love it, when its obvious they dont, and you of course arent meant to say anything about this. just cos i dont like my job doesnt mean i dont like other things i do, it doesnt mean i hate myself, there is more to me than just my job. still, i will have to keep biting my tongue for the next person that asks what i do and whether i like it and all that rubbish.

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Monday, 15 January 2007 18:25 (eighteen years ago)

obv i meant the what do you do question, not the what do you question!

― titchyschneider (titchyschneider), Monday, 15 January 2007 18:26 (eighteen years ago)

Nah, say you hate your job!!

I do, sort of, well I back track and say things like "it's not so bad I guess".

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 15 January 2007 18:28 (eighteen years ago)

I produce a semi-popular statewide sports radio talk show. Whenever I find myself around some of my dad's friends or some fratboy friend-of-a-friend at the bar, I tense up a little because I know that the inevitable, "Hey, you know who PLAINS is? Ever heard of a little show called Xxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx?"

I don't mind my job, the recording and editing and producing of digital and broadcast audio, but I'm really not as huge of a fan of our programming. I don't mind it, but I'm honestly not trying to be humble when I say that I'd just as soon not talk about my job when I'm off the clock. And people getting excited because I have the quarterback's cellphone number is about as ridiculous as it sounds.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 15 January 2007 18:38 (eighteen years ago)

Hating your job and wanting to stab your boss in the gut repeatedly is perfectly normally and healthy.

xpost

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Monday, 15 January 2007 18:39 (eighteen years ago)

I always go into both the high points and low points of my job, but it always comes back to how I don't really have to think about it when I'm not there and hence I like (probably not love) my work.

― daniel striped tiger (OutDatWay), Monday, 15 January 2007 18:53 (eighteen years ago)

I think some people are just generally positive and not very inclined toward critical thinking about any aspect of their life, so if you ask them about their job, they may say the love it. Otherwise they are very lucky.

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 15 January 2007 18:57 (eighteen years ago)

I wish I did less critical thinking about my life.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:00 (eighteen years ago)

I always notice people seem less interested in me or inclined to talk to me if I introduce myself with negative statements about my job, so I try to just present it in neutral terms.

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:03 (eighteen years ago)

Yeah, when you first meet people, they are not interested in how you actually feel about your job or any other thing. They just want to know how socially adept you are. Starting off by talking about how much you hate your job or anything else just makes you seem sour and childish.

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:05 (eighteen years ago)

"Hi! Nice to meet you. Here's a handful of my shit."

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:06 (eighteen years ago)

Exactly

― A-ron Hubbard (Hurting), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:09 (eighteen years ago)

I try to find an efficient and witty way of side-stepping the question, because nobody want's to hear how I really feel. My job is basically the cumulation of a series of slides and accidents. I'm an administrative drone in a large corp. I think that if I said I loved my job, people would be like, "really?" At least I hope so.

For that very reason, I loathe the question. What do you do? I am a rudderless ship without a captain, adrift on a moonless sea of indifference. How's that, buddy? What about you? Tell me more about your firm. Who's suing whom? I want you to tell me how your company provides innovative solutions in software integration for multi-tiered companies. Wow, how do you manage your exports logistics group so efficiently when you're integrating a new aquisition every month?

― Fleischhutliebe! like a warm, furry meatloaf (Fluffy Bear Hearts Rainbows), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:11 (eighteen years ago)

people say this?

― Ms Misery (MissMiseryTX), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:19 (eighteen years ago)

I actually like my job ( a lot) and I say so. People tend to do one of 2 things when I tell them this:

1) Want to hear more about it.

2) Get all stone faced, say something to the effect of "That's cool." and go away.

― Jay Vee's Return (Manon_69), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:27 (eighteen years ago)

i hate polite getting to know you questions when no one gives a shit about the answer. nevertheless i always try to make my job sound ok but end up bitching within 5 min. but then i throw in the, 'it's only temporary!' thing to try to make up for it.

I wish I did less critical thinking about my life.

-- jel -- (freeduni...), January 15th, 2007 6:00 AM. (jel) (later) (link)

cosign x10000000

― more grease in the pianissimo. (tehresa), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:28 (eighteen years ago)

people prefer it when you say you like your job bcz asking someone about their job is a really really efficient social ice-breaker.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:32 (eighteen years ago)

When people ask me about job in that situation, I don't feel compelled to say whether I like it or not, I just give them a simple answer and then ask them about their job. You people are over thinking this!

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:35 (eighteen years ago)

When I had a job I hated, and people asked me about it, I would give a standard "Oh, it's interesting" instead of going all into how I worked with complete idiots who thought the number of states in the union was a contentious point ("There could be between 51-54 states! We just don't know about them!"). It was too ludicrous and tedious to get into, so a standard response was just easiest.

Also, when I tell people what I do now (librarian), I ALWAYS get asked either: a) I love the Dewey Decimal System (which we don't even use anymore), or, my favorite, b) Do you "shush" a lot?

― molly mummenschanz (mollyd), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:38 (eighteen years ago)

What classification is the new standard?

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:44 (eighteen years ago)

is discussing occupation upon introductions a characteristically american thing?

― jambalaya backgammon (grady), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:44 (eighteen years ago)

I have a job that roughly 10% of the population find interesting and the rest are baffled/bored by. Telling people about it is has turned out to be a fairly efficient bit of social triage.

― Stephen X (Stephen X), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:45 (eighteen years ago)

I like what I do, but I keep it short and sweet when telling new people about it. Me: "I'm a graphic designer." Them, silently thinking: "Yeah, you and half of the world." It's just not very interesting unless you do it.

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:47 (eighteen years ago)

Most (not all -- the smaller ones may still use Dewey) libraries now us Library of Congress Classification. It's the one that starts off with two letters first, like: PQ7968.S35

When I meet people, I always feel bad if I get to the point of a conversation that's not going so well, and I feel forced to ask the person what they do.

― molly mummenschanz (mollyd), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:48 (eighteen years ago)

My friend says his job is a great barometer. When he responds with, "Oh, I'm a SysAdmin" and they say "Oh, what's that?" he knows it's time to keep moving.

― molly mummenschanz (mollyd), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:49 (eighteen years ago)

i like to know what people because that says a lot about them. or, if they hate what they do but have some other major interest they do in the rest of their time, i want to hear about that. it kind of helps me figure out what makes someone tick. i guess i just want to hear about what excites you, whether you get paid for it or not.

― more grease in the pianissimo. (tehresa), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:52 (eighteen years ago)

xpost I don't know what it is apart from the fact that it's IT-related, and it's short for Systems Administrator. But as for what systems are being administered, search me.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:53 (eighteen years ago)

honestly i get the same 3 qns every time i tell people what i do for a living and i'm getting a little sick of it but hey that's life.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:54 (eighteen years ago)

or, if they hate what they do but have some other major interest they do in the rest of their time, i want to hear about that.

Yeah, if someone asks me what I do, I can sometimes tell if they're really asking me "what are you all about?" -- and so I'll mention the job briefly (which people are usually interested about anyway, since everyone's heard of my company), and then say "well, but I'm also in a band, and I'm a writer, etc."

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:55 (eighteen years ago)

Right, exactly. Apparently, there are plenty of folks who just don't know what a "systems administrator" is.

― molly mummenschanz (mollyd), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:55 (eighteen years ago)

And we're not worthy of having a conversation with? I'm not sure what you're trying to say.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:56 (eighteen years ago)

Yup. That's exactly what he was trying to say.

― molly mummenschanz (mollyd), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:57 (eighteen years ago)

I don't think you have to know *exactly* what a systems administrator is, since that's going to vary pretty widely from company to company anyway. Just know that a sysadmin is the guy who sets up and maintains your office network.

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Monday, 15 January 2007 19:59 (eighteen years ago)

Yep, OTM.

― molly mummenschanz (mollyd), Monday, 15 January 2007 20:00 (eighteen years ago)

Public libraries use Dewey. I work one day a week at a univ. library and when asked for a dictionary I immediately thought 423 and then realized no it's PE something.

― Mary (Mary), Monday, 15 January 2007 20:02 (eighteen years ago)

Molly, remind me never to meet your friend.

― jaymc (jaymc), Monday, 15 January 2007 20:02 (eighteen years ago)

yeah,i can count on one hand (and have fingers left over) the number of people I know that actually like their job and are more than happy to share their joy with friends and strangers. I'm pretty vocal about my disatisfaction (without coming across as a whiny little bitch, hopefully) as I'm currently looking for a new line of work and you never know who's got the hot tips.

― Will (will), Monday, 15 January 2007 20:04 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.americasfunnyman.com/neil%201.jpg

― jambalaya backgammon (grady), Monday, 15 January 2007 20:04 (eighteen years ago)

I am maybe getting hired as a secretary for a crazy old man who sells pews to churches. See, all I can say is about the 424 weird jobs I have applied for and, in the past, the 20 or so weird jobs I actually scored.

― Abbott (Abbott), Monday, 15 January 2007 20:05 (eighteen years ago)

Thing is, I know plenty of people who hate their jobs, and perhaps couldn't do much with their Master's in poetry. Asking them about just seems, well, sad.

― molly mummenschanz (mollyd), Monday, 15 January 2007 20:06 (eighteen years ago)

The one question/comment - I always know is coming - that I loath getting when i tell people that I'm a graphic designer... "oh... so you do websites?/."
Because graphic design never existed before the internet, you see. Normally my response is to tear out their trachea with my mind. I seem less able to handle that question with grace every time I hear it. Unless I'm drunk - then it is used as a opener for a fun rant about my profession at length.

xpostio

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Monday, 15 January 2007 20:12 (eighteen years ago)

haha Really? People assume graphic design = web? I don't get that (or maybe I don't notice, because I *do* do web). That's like saying, "Oh, so you do movie title sequences?" I mean, that's a leap.

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Monday, 15 January 2007 20:15 (eighteen years ago)

The flip side of that is when somebody thinks that because you're a web designer you want to help them fix their computer or set up a server or something.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:06 (eighteen years ago)

And I generally make it clear to people that I don't like my job or else the next sentence is invariably "a friend of mine needs a website for his blah blah blah...".

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:09 (eighteen years ago)

That is also fantastic when I get that too.
xpost ha ha

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:09 (eighteen years ago)

Tell me about it. I've gotten sucked into doing so much crap like this. And it's not like that dude's friend is going to pay you $50 an hour.

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:10 (eighteen years ago)

Oh, you're a chef? Hey, you want to come over and cook dinner for me some time?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:16 (eighteen years ago)

"There could be between 51-54 states! We just don't know about them!"
hahahah

Molly, remind me never to meet your friend.

-- jaymc (jmc...), January 15th, 2007 8:02 PM.
otm. guy sounds like a real prize.

― A. Lingbert (A. Lingbert), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:18 (eighteen years ago)

And we're not worthy of having a conversation with? I'm not sure what you're trying to say.
-- jaymc (jmcunnin...) (webmail), January 15th, 2007 1:56 PM. (jaymc) (later) (link)
Yup. That's exactly what he was trying to say.

-- molly mummenschanz (molly.mummenschan...) (webmail), January 15th, 2007 1:57 PM. (mollyd) (later) (link)

If you knew more about sysadmins, this wouldn't be nearly as surprising.

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:19 (eighteen years ago)

Isn't this also a matter of "success?" I.e., saying "I hate my job" can be interpreted by some people as "I suck too much to get a job I like" or "I have failed to accomplish positive things with my life?"

Which isn't really fair, or anything, but I think this is why people tend to kinda justify hating their jobs -- like saying "oh, it's incredibly boring, but it pays well, and I'm saving up for XYZ" (meaning, I guess, "hey, it's not that I'm UNABLE to find a job that makes me happy, I'm just doing it for other reasons").

― nabiscothingy (nory), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:21 (eighteen years ago)

otm. guy sounds like a real prize.

If I had to explain to people how to use Outlook all day, I wouldn't be the most compassionate person either.

― molly mummenschanz (mollyd), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:25 (eighteen years ago)

i am greatful i work for a company that employs such a person.

― jambalaya backgammon (grady), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:35 (eighteen years ago)

i told a woman on the bus once that i worked at a hotel and her eybrows went up and she said "oh, that's straight! get yo freak on while you work!"

― jambalaya backgammon (grady), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:36 (eighteen years ago)

And have you taken her advice?

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:36 (eighteen years ago)

I've been the other guy in this conversation too, asking a million questions about what it's like to deliver mail or how many miles a day does an Union Pacific engineer ride before I get cut off.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:37 (eighteen years ago)

There was about a year when I used to just say I DON'T DO ANYTHING whenever someone would ask me what I did. I would say it with big smile but people got embarassed.

― ian johnson's mom + jack bauer 2gether 4evah (Carey), Monday, 15 January 2007 21:38 (eighteen years ago)

I spend quite a lot of time hanging around with comedians, and they never ask what your job is, because if you're not a comedian, then they don't care.

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 00:05 (eighteen years ago)

do you get dissapointed when they aren't funny?

― jambalaya backgammon (grady), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 00:14 (eighteen years ago)

My first instinct is usually to tell the truth, which usually goes like this:

them: Where do you work?
me: *tells them*
them: so...do you like it?
me: God, no. It's torture...I'm looking for a new job, but I've been so busy with grad school applications, it's tough to find the time to search, really. But soon I'll change jobs, I hope.
them: .................

― Zachary Scott (Zach S), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 00:23 (eighteen years ago)

Apparently, there are plenty of folks who just don't know what a "systems administrator" is.

I'm a sysadmin/DBA, and I find that "Computer Jockey" is the best possible answer: Nobody asks for me to qualify it, nobody asks me to admin their servers, and I don't feel obliged to let folks know how much I love or hate my job. (I like my job just fine, but the 50 miles of driving to and 50 miles back each day wear on me.)

― Three hundred inches from the children. (goodbra), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 00:27 (eighteen years ago)

I actually really DO like my job a lot, but it's v. v. stressful and busy, so I inevitably launch into TMI mode with "It's great, I love it but man it's so much WORK" and that's a recipe for eye glazing.

Also, I'm not sure I have much else of interest to discuss BUT my job these days. I = boring.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 00:33 (eighteen years ago)

My last official job title was systems administrator (I was not one, nor was I paid like one, but all us monkeys in the systems office were the same to HR) and I think only talking to people who neither know nor care what a sysadmin is would be a more helpful social filter.

When people ask what I do I say "oh, boring computing stuff", which I was hoping would sound like "yes, it is shit, and I know you don't want to hear me try to explain my exact location on some tedious hierarchy of bullshit IT job titles, but I am not my job! maybe I am a deeply interesting person when not at work! ask me about something else instead!" but on reading this thread I realise it is more "I am not only boring but also whiny as hell". Actually, that's fair, so I guess it's as well they get warned.

― Rebecca (reb), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 00:43 (eighteen years ago)

I tell people I work in IT, hoping the vagueness will bore them, but if I say I work at an ISP then they ask me stupid shit like "oh whats a good ISP in Melbourne, I'm thinking of getting DSL blah blah how does DSL work anyway?" I DONT EVEN WORK IN TERRESTRIAL INTERNET.

Then if I say I work in satellite they ask more questions, so then I get techy on peoples arses and they glaze over.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 00:45 (eighteen years ago)

nobody seems to know what a business analyst does. i go to huge lengths to avoid talking about my work full stop.

― PAUL FUCKING ROBINSON (electricsound), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 00:50 (eighteen years ago)

It's so rude to ask people what they do, I don't mind being slightly rude back if I'm in that kind of mood.
"What do you do?"
"As little as possible."
or
"Avoid answering that question."
Another cocktail party question I hate, here on vacation wonderland Martha's Vineyard, is "What do you do in the winter?"
Oh fuck off. Every day of the winter I drink to the fact that you're not here, that's what I do.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 01:08 (eighteen years ago)

I should do what you do, Jim. (I keep saying that I know).

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 01:41 (eighteen years ago)

Beth I agree! I mean why not ask how much you earn, or why you last went to the fricking doctor or something.

Then again I'm a heinous antisocial git. I'm the kind of person who answers "how are you" with a litany of whining.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 01:42 (eighteen years ago)

This brings me back to my initial question: is discussing occupation upon introductions a characteristically american thing? (i was about to start a thread on this yesterday). ive heard its very rude in parts of europe.

― jambalaya backgammon (grady), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 01:47 (eighteen years ago)

i seem to get asked it by taxi drivers, more so than general socially.

― Trayce (trayce), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 01:49 (eighteen years ago)

I don't get taxis often round here and when they do they don't talk much, but the taxi drivers of Belfast ask this every time. They seem to have a script which starts "sure I recognise you, I've picked you up before, haven't I?".

If it was someone's next question after what my name was I'd think they were rude and maybe a little too interested in guessing the salary/career prospects of everyone else in the room and congratulating themselves that theirs was the best.

But I am lousy at conversation, so if someone mentions work I'd probably ask them what it was just out of desperation to keep the conversation going, and from there I sometimes ask what it's like, partly just for conversation and partly because I might either learn a new exciting job option which I hadn't previously considered or find shared work irritations we can bitch about together.

― Rebecca (reb), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 02:09 (eighteen years ago)

Actually the places where I've met anyone over the past few years are studenty enough that "so what do you do, are you a student?" is a common icebreaker, and from there you're obliged to say "no, I work" and then... blah. I've answered that question quite a few times, so I suppose it does happen in the UK too and I don't find it that rude, just slightly uncomfortable.

― Rebecca (reb), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 02:16 (eighteen years ago)

If I had to explain to people how to use Outlook all day, I wouldn't be the most compassionate person either.

So being (understandably) annoyed by people at his work justifies being a snob to people outside of work?

― A. Lingbert (A. Lingbert), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 02:42 (eighteen years ago)

Yes.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 02:58 (eighteen years ago)

Sure. If you can tell someone is trying to size you up, to see what you're worth, why not? I find the whole question of "so, what do you do?" awkward and tacky when it's obvious that that someone wants to know how much is in your checking account. Sure, there are people who just use that phrase for small talk, but it seems to me, more often than not, that this isn't the case. Is it snobbery to not want your work life, and in this situation, the less computer-literate infiltrating your personal life, asking you for computer favors, etc.? I shrug my shoulders. It's not necessarily my M.O, but it's amusing response (in my opinion) nonetheless.

― molly mummenschanz (mollyd), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 04:05 (eighteen years ago)

I'm the kind of person who answers "how are you" with a litany of whining.

http://www.harvardfilmarchive.org/calendars/05_fall/images/mydinner06.jpg

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 04:14 (eighteen years ago)

well, sure, if someone is being a snooping creep who's out to infiltrate your life, then yeah, totally be a huge fucking dick to them.

The original situation, though, was simply your friend deciding that someone isn't worth talking to if they don't know what a sysadmin is, which seems indefensible unless he's interviewing people for a sysadmin job.

x-post

― A. Lingbert (A. Lingbert), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 04:46 (eighteen years ago)

Mix all of the components together (not having a clue about what a sysadmin does, prying for info, asking for high speed internet advice, etc.), it's completely sensible; he probably won't want to talk to that person any further, and I don't blame him.

― molly mummenschanz (mollyd), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 04:53 (eighteen years ago)

I'm a landscaper. People find that out and they want me to come dig up their yard. For cheap, because we're friends now, having shared this drink.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 05:02 (eighteen years ago)

Not that I haven't schmoozed my way into excellent jobs. But usually, if it's someone I might actually want to work for, the subject of what I do comes up more organically in the conversation, not as part of an interrogation.

― Beth Parker (Beth Parker), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 05:04 (eighteen years ago)

I always tell people the truth, I always want them to know exactly how I feel about my job or whatever, without going into lengthy detail, I am a control freak with their impressions of me!

― Ronan (Ronan), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 05:05 (eighteen years ago)

okay, molly, if you change the situation by adding those other elements into it, then maybe I'll take his side.
xpost

― A. Lingbert (A. Lingbert), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 05:07 (eighteen years ago)

I pretty much feel like having any job that doesn't pay me tons of money to do exactly what I want when I want for as long or as little as I want to means that I've failed at life, if you really get down to it. I don't hate my job, really, but I'd rather not be doing it if I had my way. My dream job sure as hell does not involve working for anybody else. Unrealistic and impractical, obviously, but a man can dream.

And I'm a graphic designer who does some computer admin/web stuff and works in a library, so I get great combinations of all of the above questions and comments related all three of these things.

― joygoat (joygoat), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 05:48 (eighteen years ago)

honestly i get the same 3 qns every time i tell people what i do for a living and i'm getting a little sick of it but hey that's life.

-- s1ocki

Three! That's a lot.

― Paul Eater (eater), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 18:09 (eighteen years ago)

I'm not paid a ton of money and based on the work I do, I should be a grade higher than I am. However. On days like today, when I'm told I'll be sent to Malaysia and Singapore in August and that there's a strong chance I will also travel to Australia, I really fucking love my job. Sorry.

― Mädchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 18:12 (eighteen years ago)

But back in the day when I hated my job, I'd make some kind of self-deprecating joke about it and move swiftly on (to other company, if appropriate. If the best conversation you can come up with is "what do you do?" you're either dull or more shy than me, in which case the conversation is going nowhere fast).

― Mädchen (Madchen), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 18:18 (eighteen years ago)

i've held twenty different jobs over the past six years and i think i like this one the most. i always used to say i hated my jobs before the current one, but i've got no complaints now. i would never say i love it, though, since it's not like i'm doing exactly what i want at this moment.

― ‘•’u (gear), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 18:25 (eighteen years ago)

do you get dissapointed when they aren't funny?

I kick 'em in the nuts.

I don't mind people asking me what I do for a living, partly because I then get to talk about ME, which is my favourite subject, and partly because I then get to ask about them, which means I can find out if they have any of the jobs I consider a warning sign that I should get out of the conversation (priest, land developer, dog killer, etc.)

― accentmonkey (accentmonkey), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 18:26 (eighteen years ago)

I asked somebody this last night.
She was giving me a ride home from a game - I'd just met her before the match - and we got to an awkward silence moment in the journey home. I HAD NO CHOICE!
But it worked - she actually has an interesting job she seems to like. I even considered mentioning this thread to her!

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 19:36 (eighteen years ago)

i got asked this by a staff member at best buy the other day! so wierd. i think she might have been trying to pick me up but honestly i couldn't tell.

― geoff (gcannon), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 20:16 (eighteen years ago)

Was she cupping your buttocks while asking the question?

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 21:38 (eighteen years ago)

lol at Best Buy staffers picking people up.

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 21:46 (eighteen years ago)

I would have sex with all this khakis!

http://admin.thefourthman.us/tmp/20060505111339Fq.jpg

― there to preserve disorder (kenan), Tuesday, 16 January 2007 21:48 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

If people are going to condemn me for not be sufficiently socially adept because I give an honest answer about my job, they can fuck off. I'm not socially adept, I hate my job, and people can fuck off.

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 15:23 (eighteen years ago)

people i've known for years still occasionally ask me "so what do you actually do job-wise?"
i guess a lot of it is because many of them are aware i read/post on ilx all day

― blueski, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 15:25 (eighteen years ago)

I usually say my job is tedious and boring, because it is.

― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 28 February 2007 15:41 (eighteen years ago)

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