One of the most common questions someone can ask you when you first meet is “What do you do for a living?” Whether you’re happy to talk about your work or you’d rather change the subject, the question can feel rather forward and may have a hidden agenda. It often feels like someone is asking, “What are you worth?”
There’s another component to the question that you have to consider as well: how much information are you willing to give this person? If your industry or position is unfamiliar, you may bore most people with the details. However, if you give a vague answer such as “I do a lot of things” or “I’m in the service industry,” studies show that people will think you aren’t very trustworthy.
How to answer the question: ‘What do you do for a living?’
Rachel Coleman, associate director of graduate student career services for the Duke Career Center, says you should share three points that show your skills or highlight how your job helps people.
Person 1: “What do you do for a living?”
You: “I work for the Department of Social Security. I help retired people apply for benefits, do community outreach to share about our new programs, and manage a team of junior staffers.”
Harvard University also believes that when people are asked what they do for a living, they share how their work benefits others.
Instead of saying, “I’m an accountant,” you can share how you help people and businesses: “I help small-business owners understand where their money is going and avoid unexpected financial surprises.”
Warmth and competence are key
The great thing about explaining how you help others is that it puts a very personal touch on what you do, rather than just sounding like someone with a title. When people meet someone new, they judge them on two criteria: warmth and competence. Showing that you help people every day and are good at it is a great way to pass the warmth/competence test.
Then, once you explain how you help people, you have a final option: you can either keep the conversation about you or turn it over to them. To keep the thread going about you, add a tag to your statement, something that you enjoy about the job: “I teach fourth graders advanced math skills, how to decode literature, and basics about their health. I really enjoy teaching about the California Gold Rush.”
Or, if you want to turn the question over to them, you can ask something similar that doesn’t feel like a job interview. “What keeps you busy these days?”
Ultimately, all you have to do to make a good impression with someone who asked what you do for a living is to rehearse a short 30-second (or shorter) response based on the two examples we showed above. Then, if you’re comfortable speaking about your career, tell them what you like about it; if not, pass the question on to them.
