How do you describe what you do for a living to others?

[Vanyanka]

How do you describe how you make money to strangers, friends, potential employers, etc? I'm really curious to know what other people say.

I was at the dentist and the hygienist asked what I did and I was suddenly at a loss as to how to explain it.

 

[jan]

I always say:
Nothing right now. (But then I say what my background is, and something about jobs that I've had).

 

[Theta Carinae]

Since my one good requester dried up I pretty much just student, but when I was doing this full-time I told people it was a kind of specialized data entry. Has the bonus of both sounding legit and boring enough that it deflects attention/any further questions on the subject.

 

[Vanyanka]

Since my one good requester dried up I pretty much just student, but when I was doing this full-time I told people it was a kind of specialized data entry. Has the bonus of both sounding legit and boring enough that it deflects attention/any further questions on the subject.

Ha, I love the discouraging further questions part.

Sorry your good requester dried up.

 

[Theta Carinae]

Ha, I love the discouraging further questions part.

Sorry your good requester dried up.

Aw, thanks, but it's pretty much the nature of the beast. Nothing gold can stay, particularly on the mTruk.

 

[savvy]

I just say I do some online work for data collection.

 

[scrmcasey]

That last time I tried, I said it was microtask work associated with crowd sourcing. I was hoping it sounded fancy enough to stave off questions, but I was unsuccessful and ended up stuttering over the next 5 minutes of awkward conversation.

 

[mboone73]

I say that I’m helping train AI to get smarter for the impending robot uprising.

 

[Vanyanka]

?

 

[Malin]

I also try to explain that I´m working online just the way like traditionell employees do offline for a company. But sometimes it´s quite hard for me to identify with what I´m doing here.. I was used to be caught up by a Company with which I was related to.. now I sometimes feel lonely.. Glad you guys are here!!!

 

[Yatagarasu]

I say "online work" and hope there's no follow-up questions . I'm a bit more detailed with a potential employer of course.

 

[Theta Carinae]

That last time I tried, I said it was microtask work associated with crowd sourcing. I was hoping it sounded fancy enough to stave off questions, but I was unsuccessful and ended up stuttering over the next 5 minutes of awkward conversation.

LOL, nope. The couple times I tried that approach, that led to MORE interested curious questions and not-subtle requests to get the listeners hooked up. Make it sound as mundane and boring as possible, trust.

 

[Despairagus]

I told my mom the other day (After trying to explain the other various things I do on here, like helping with machine learning, c-sats, etc etc) that I listen to Alexa and tell them which sounds better and she was like

OH WOW THAT'S AMAZING.