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Voted 214 times in total
As for the majority of people I would have to say they are probably in chitchat mode & as for everyone else they might have a few tricks up their sleeves. You go to a barbershop for a haircut & the person cutting your hair is in chitchat mode & they usually ask what you do for a living. On the other hand I tried a few dating sites years back & I laughed because one or two messages in the ladies were asking what I did for a living before they were asking my name. Long story short I told them I was unemployed which was a load of bullshit & never heard from them after. Those ladies had tricks up their sleeves.
Contractors & car sales people do that & if you open your big mouth & tell them you have a high paying job the price goes up.
Tell them you work at a popcorn stand next time.
Tell them you work at a slinky factory.
I have no idea. Rather irrelevant to me at this point: I have enough to get by.
Yep - Some just need to learn to be concerned about things they REALLY need to focus on, and not all the other misc stuff around them.
Thanks for the MHO.
We spend just as much time sleeping as we do working. Asking about ones sleeping habits is a bit much so typically it's just nice to have an idea of what they do with themselves for 8 hours a day.
Asking what people do can provide some insight on what types of hobbies they might be into (growing up we did local BYO sledding instead if skiing) or what capacity of leisure time they might have. I figure a nurse would have occasional weekdays off while a 9-5er would live for the weekends. It's really understanding how someone else measures time, if at all.
I'm sure some ask to get an idea of the amount they make.
I would usually ask to know about them as a person. The work you do is a big part of your adult life. And it's a great conversation topic to get to learn more about them.
Like, do they like their job, what field is it in and why, how did they get there, and so on.
I could be curious to ask if someone was loaded just as a way to be like "how do you have so much money"? But that's not really something I would do to a stranger.
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Usually, that is the goal. Especially when asked by a woman in the context of a date.
In some professions we all know what kind of money they make.
Doctor, Lawyer = 6 figures
Fast food, Retail = minimum wage
But also, it's just an easy question to ask. And can get a conversation going.
I get this a lot. What do you do? User experience design. What is that? (99% of the time) I explain, and now we are talking. Then I ask them, and now we are talking. It's a good way to get to know someone and the type of person they are. Someone's job can tell you a lot about them.
I think it can vary, some are just curious. I have loads of family that ask what I do, not cause they care how much I make but because they haven't seen me in a long time and are wondering what I'm currently doing. When someone I barely know asks, I think its a combination of both, trying to figure out how much I make while getting to know what I am doing.
Probably a little of both, how much and getting to know you.
I voted No.
Do some people ask what what you do for a living to figure out how much money you make?…sure; but do most do it for that reason? I DON’T think so.
I think most people ask what you do for a living to get an idea of who you are as a person, and/or to have something to talk about when you meet.
But your dental hygienist isn’t “completely” a “stranger,” and I think it’s most likely exactly what @shortster & @kyleelyn199723 said it probably was—just “small talk”/“strik[ing] up a conversation.”
@Flower7 I don’t think it’s a person question. If someone asks me what I do for a living I say “I am a waitress” then they ask “oh where do you work” with my occupation , people have no clue I actually make middle class living wage, but even so I think it’s just a convo starter. I think you are the minority that thinks it’s a very person question
Personal*
I don’t think so, that may be secondary though.
i think people generally have an interest in seeing what people do for work to see if there’s a common interest, etc. as your profession tends to tell a lot about you and your personality. It also opens the door to other conversation such as where did you go to school, etc.
I don't think that's why most people ask, it's purely out of interest I guess, that is why I would ask someone the question and possibly small talk etc. Unless I had reason to believe they made good money, I might be interested in what profession allowed for that income.
Not that I can tell. Usually it’s nothing more than a conversation starter or small talk. I’m more interested in how much a person likes or dislikes a job than how much it pays. When I get asked what my job is and I respond, the asker often changes the subject or comes up with a reason to be somewhere else.
If someone asks you what you do for a living, it could be about money - but I only ask if I'm trying to get to know someone. I honestly could not care less about how much money somebody makes, but I'd be very interested in how their career impacts the world in a positive way :)
Exactly! This is why when a woman asks me what I do for a living. I ask her how much debt she's in. It's also funny the reaction she gives to. What? You want know how much money you're going to be working with if we form a relationship. Well I want to know how big of a hole you're in then if we form a relationship. Lol
That depends, maybe they just want to know about your life. All these women from China wanting American citizenship kept sending me messages on Facebook dating. One of the first few questions was always "what do you do for work" or what do you do for a living. I have 2 jobs but always told them "I don't have a job right now, I'm looking for one" and they would just disappear
Partially, yes, but also maybe to help form a better picture of who you are. Because, unfortunately, your job is considered part of your identity for some reason.
I agree. And that's how it should be, in my opinion. Though that's not what it is for many.
I have asked the question a couple of times, usually have asked guys. I would be trying to understand more about the guy's choices and why he does the things he does. Money isn't the problem, if i know him well enough and believe he has the potential to make more i will advice accordingly but otherwise it's just to gauge the kind of person he is
Depends who is asking, generally if it's a female asking, it's because she wants to know how much you make to determine your worth. Guys ask to build a social circle of friend who they can ask for help on projects and such, guys don't care how much other guys make.
u Perhaps, but they may be trying to determine how educated you are, how motivated and goal oriented you are, whether you know how to act in professional/social settings, whether you have common interests, or any number of other things.
Oh, that never comes to mind for me. I just think that it’s a good conversation starter and I like to hear what they do. Maybe after talking, I will wonder “how much do ___ make?” But it’s never my first thought, only out of genuine curiosity.
Thats never my intention when I ask at least. I ask because l am generally interested. Also it sometimesmmakes for a good conversation. In addition to me probably not even knowing how much they make, even after I asked them.
I think it is the sophisticated way of asking about the money you make.
I had never considered that, but you are probably right.
They want to see how much they can judge your supposed worth.
Just small talk really, I don’t really care overly what someone’s job is.
im talking to them or dating them not their job,
They are wondering how much money you make
when someone does that to me when I meet a girl
I lose all faith and knowing anything good will be
coming out of it
I just lie about how I'm doing in life to keep from looking like a loser. :')
u or maybe... they're interested on what you're doing for an entire third part of your day... and almost every day of your life
I think that's a very considerable piece of information... lol
well you tell me... lol
why would you be engaging in the first place, with people you don't even know?
also, you never really get to know anybody ever... unless you engage with them first
well, that could be just a personality thing... and it's very common when and with some people you're going to spend some time on, like a hair stylist is another example, or a barber
even if is just for 20 minutes they just like to strike on a conversation with you, and like I said, asking about what you do for a living is a very common thing to ask, at least in the USA... everyone seems to ask that
Not really, as it's not always an indication
I work in IT, but make more than several doctors put together. I also don't look like a typical IT guy.
I find people to be interesting. Often, I'm just curious what someone does for a living. I don't ask in order to figure out how much they make.
Nope just making small talk and it's easier to ask questions about what you do day to day
It depends on the situation and who you're talking with I believe. It could be just small talk asking what you do for a living or they're trying to sus out what you do and how much you earn.
Not really sure, but that's a good possibility. I think maybe "some" guys may be a bit insecure or intimidated.
I don't thing so, but I do not think they will be impressed with ditch digger as an answer... so to some extend I guess its true.
I don't think so. I think they are more trying to figure out more about your life. You spend 40 hours per week doing it, after all.
Yes. And they are trying to size you up if you are beneath their expectations, they won't ask you out.
Depends on the situation. Maybe they're making small talk or they want to know more about you
But when it comes to dating, they're probably thinking the money wise
I always thought it was a kind of small talk. I focus my questions on the actual work they do. Not the pay.
People just shouldn't ask that question, at all, and yet they do. Don't they realise it's rude?
No, they're wondering if what I do us interesting. Much if the time, they're just making conversation.
Not always sometimes they're just trying to get more or enough information about you.. Otherwise yeah they're trying to figure how much you earn and if your job is socially well respected or not
I think it's a lot to do with status in society. People judge you a lot based on that sadly - it massively identifies you.
I can't remember the last time anybody asked me of what I do for a living.
I don't.
School/jobs are a huge part of our life.
Very few people work their dream job. To quote the movie office space, " if that were true the world would have no janitors as no one wants to clean up s*** for a living" lol. So in actuality if you're trying to get a sense of who the person is. Asking what they do for a living is NOT the way to go about it. A job is simply a means to an end. As I used to say before I retired. " I work for _____ but I'm in the business of (my name). Because jobs follow their own self interest not yours. At best it's a loose partnership.
@ChiTown33 It's an interesting topic to see their views on a lot of things and why they choose that particular field, and what they actual want to do. The conversation of what someone does for a living can go quite a few different ways. You definitely can learn a lot about a person by bringing that question up.
I doubt it, I think most people are trying to just strike up a conversation.
Some, do like I do and say you run cock fights. The reaction is great
If your on a date it's a possibility I suppose, but even then and especially just in casual conversation they're just tryna get to know you
It's not that deep lol
I can't speak for other people but that's not what's on my mind when I ask that. It's just that their job says a lot about them and it's interesting to know
Sometimes, but I think most are just interested in finding out more about you.
Great question. Usually in my experience, they do not. At least, in the initial conversation.
i think, they're just making sure you're not a deadbeat loser with no aspirations.
Sometimes it's about money and sometimes it's about having a conversation.
They could be making a potential mistake, because I could make an entire Constitutional Draft about my career
I don't know when I ask it I’m just curious what they do with their time, what interests they have, etc. for me it has nothing to do with money
I'd ask to get to know them better. Idc what other people make
Absolutely not. Just one of the ways of asking what do they do... Like job study business etc...
They might be trying to get to know you. Like making conversation.
I get paid to play on computers. No one knows (including me) what I'm going to make this year or next year :-)
Sometimes they just want to know more about you, it's a good conversation starter, maybe you have common careers. Don't always assume the worst
And a lot of time will treat you accordingly.
Thus i always say broke.
Sometimes they might, Sometimes they might be just curious or don't know what else to talk about.
Curiosity is all it is. Personally, I don’t give a fuck how much people make.
Just simple conversation, from a guys perspective anyway
No Id say its more to find something to talk about
Probably more habit and lack of topics
Mainly if Online. xx
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