Are you open about your occupation and what u do fora living

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I hate whenever somebody asks me what I do for a living or what occupations I may have had or what jobs I might have in the present or future because I feel that it is nobody else's business. Like most NTs would find it a personal question if someone asked how much money do you have in your bank account? or what is your salary? and in fact I would be more open about that if someone asked than I would be if somebody asked about my occupation.

Would you be happily open about what you do or would you be reluctant to inform others neighbors, people you might meet ?

I love my job, I like telling people what I do and being asked about it because I'm passionate about it. It is not a high clout or well paying job but it is one that makes a difference.

The only problem I have telling people what I do for a living is that most just glaze over. And even if they don't, I then usually have to explain what a "senior developer" does. I often just say I'm a team lead in a software house and leave it at that. As I don't work with computer games it's not something most people would get excited about anyway!

I would consider it a pretty standard conversational question.

I guess if I were ashamed of what I do for a living I would be made uncomfortable by the question.

When I worked as a nurse you never had to ask me my occupation. My uniform gave it away.

I loved my career and was always proud of it because I knew I was good at it - it defined me, it literally described what I was as a person. Since that industry has effectively collapsed (at least as far as it's use of live talent on the local level), I'm not doing anything and I hate being asked about it because it makes me feel useless.

I love my job. On the contrary, I risk not being able to stop talking about it, and not picking up on when folks may not want to hear about the joy that is Statistics.

I am psyched about talking about my job. I am a library management staff.

Maybe to a Neurotypical.

I prefer not to disclose things too exactly. And fortunately there is always an IT crowd joke to make.

It's never bothered me. Hell, my salary is public record if you know where and how to look.

your status on your profile says that you don't know if you have it or not, so if you were an NT then of course you wouldn't mind being asked it.
As for me the only reason I feel uncomfortable saying what I do is because I am 'highly secretive' about almost everything I do (which not all but many aspies are) and also I dislike anyone trying to know personal things about me because I generally don't trust anyone.

I have AS and it's never bothered me. I'm a housewife but I've had lots of very different jobs, some interesting, some not. It really is standard conversation small talk. It's not really considered personal unless they start asking specifics. Usually after they ask what you do, they ask where, then if you like it or how you got into the field, etc. If they ask where then they mention something about the company if it's a big one, or maybe about the city or town you work in, or talk about traffic etc. It's just a way to start small talk. If you think they are trying to find out personal things about you when they ask you that then just make up something obviously false and ridiculous and say it with a smile, like "I'm a spy - I work for the CIA" or "If I told you that, then I'd have to kill you" or even "I work for the IRS. I was actually planning on calling you Monday, we have some questions about your last years returns". Or even "As little as possible" when they ask what you do. If it bothers you that much then just tell them the field you are in like "IT" or "sales" or "customer service" and then immediately ask them what they do and ask questions about that, or switch to something completely different like sports or a well known news story.

Why do you think people are trying to find out things about you when they ask you that? What do you think they are going to do with the information and how could it even benefit them to know what you do for a living? I'm not asking that to be rude, I'm seriously curious as to how it bothers you. I could see if it was a job you were embarrassed about, but I don't understand why you think people are trying to find out personal info about you with small talk. If you would explain it to me, I'd appreciate it.

I really like my job so I don't find it intrusive. I'd talk about it for hours if anyone would listen

[quote=
I have AS and it's never bothered me. I'm a housewife but I've had lots of very different jobs, some interesting, some not. It really is standard conversation small talk. It's not really considered personal unless they start asking specifics. Usually after they ask what you do, they ask where, then if you like it or how you got into the field, etc. If they ask where then they mention something about the company if it's a big one, or maybe about the city or town you work in, or talk about traffic etc. It's just a way to start small talk. If you think they are trying to find out personal things about you when they ask you that then just make up something obviously false and ridiculous and say it with a smile, like "I'm a spy - I work for the CIA" or "If I told you that, then I'd have to kill you" or even "I work for the IRS. I was actually planning on calling you Monday, we have some questions about your last years returns". Or even "As little as possible" when they ask what you do. If it bothers you that much then just tell them the field you are in like "IT" or "sales" or "customer service" and then immediately ask them what they do and ask questions about that, or switch to something completely different like sports or a well known news story.

Why do you think people are trying to find out things about you when they ask you that? What do you think they are going to do with the information and how could it even benefit them to know what you do for a living? I'm not asking that to be rude, I'm seriously curious as to how it bothers you. I could see if it was a job you were embarrassed about, but I don't understand why you think people are trying to find out personal info about you with small talk. If you would explain it to me, I'd appreciate it.[/quote]


Sure..

[quote= Why do you think people are trying to find out things about you when they ask you that? [/quote]

Well, Perhaps for various reasons. Maybe because they want to know just for themselves and or keep others who no longer know me informed about what I am doing with my life.

[quote= What do you think they are going to do with the information and how could it even benefit them to know what you do for a living [/quote]

I honestly don't think they are doing anything with it other than subconsciously memorizing it for the next time they try to initiate a tedious small talk conversation with me.

[quote= how could it even benefit them to know what you do for a living? [/quote]

I know it couldn't benefit them, lol unless I had some kind of top secret job (maybe something like you said above ) in which I handled something incredibly valuable or important that they desperately desired to get their hands on or something.

[quote= I don't understand why you think people are trying to find out personal info about you with small talk. [/quote]

Well I don't think people are trying to find out various types of P.I. about me, I just find my personal occupation to be a me only and nobody else kind of thing which perhaps many would find unusual.


So over all why is it? you ask...

Short answer I am just a very close minded person at least when it comes to other people.
I am not open about myself not just in terms of occupation but also my location where I live, I don't take any interest in what others do for a living so I don't see why they try to take an interest in me or what I do. no give no take.

Maybe another reason is asking in a conversation what I do could really require me to talk about my self
which I dislike because firstly it is such effort and then possibly have to laboriously explain it when all I want is for the small talk conversation to end as soon as possible.


Also I didn't mean to offend you or anything by picking up on the status on your profile just curious.