The dreaded question: "What do you do?"

[Badjedidude]

It's just that when most people ask me "What do you do?", it results in the rest of the conversation being about a discussion about the state of the economy, follow-up questions about what kind of job I'm looking for, and/or completely unsolicited advice about what I should do. These topics are fine as just one of many things I might talk about with people I already know, but it's just really frustrating when it's with new people. Is there a polite way of saying to a stranger, "Can we talk about something else?"?

That's completely understandable. Everyone has a topic they'd rather avoid, I think... sometimes those topics are intimate secrets, sometimes they may seem mundane to others. *shrug* Just differences in people, I guess. ^_^

I think if I wanted to change the subject, I'd just be upfront about it and say something like, "Yeah... well... I'd rather not waste my time yabbering on and on about that. So how are YOU doing?" lol

 

[sadface]

this is how

"so what do you do"
"oh you know a little of this and a little of that, what do YOU do? oh hey how are the kids"

seriously the best way to not answer questions about yourself is to make sure you constantly ask the other person questions

(im really good at this)

 

[ThinkPositive]

Haha, thanks BJD and sadface.

Rather than avoid completely though, I'd rather be able to answer it honestly head-on, and then immediately but naturally steer the conversation somewhere else. It really shouldn't be so hard, but my self-confidence gets immediately shattered by this question, ugh!

You'd think having to deal with this over and over again, I would have a system down by now. Hmm...I think maybe the best thing would be to remember to quickly go on to what I'm doing with my free time, so as to not seem like a boring, unambitious person, LOL.

 

[mintymint]

I think the most mature thing to do is to never talk to anyone. Ever. Problem solved

 

[Badjedidude]

^^^NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WRONG WRONG WRONG.

lol you antisocialist commie.

 

[mintymint]

That sounds like a complicated ideology.

 

[Badjedidude]

^^^I knew you'd appreciate the irony curtain. lulz

 

[mintymint]

The Soviet puns aren't coming to me, must have writers bloc (d)

 

[Badjedidude]

Hahaha... nice...

Maybe you should think about... errr... I'd like to think that.... ummm...

Nevermind. There's no pun that really fits with "glasnost" and "perestroika."

 

[imchubbs7]

read dale carnegie's 'how to win friends and influence people'. you NEVER ask that question

 

[Lawrens]

I also hate "What have you been up to?"

Nothing, I didn't get married, I'm not too busy with kids and did not travel around the world the past 2 months I haven't seen you and I'm not making great progress like you did.