What do you do?
This is my least favorite question. Why do we use it so often when meeting new people? Obviously it’s interesting to know what someone does for a living when you first meet them, but that’s not really the same question. “What do you do” almost begs a succinct answer. I’m a lawyer or I’m a doctor or I’m a student or a teacher etc. etc. The name of your vocation is very different from what you “do,” both at your job and elsewhere.
So what do I say when people ask me this question? I don’t know really, it’s different every time. In my actual job I don’t really lay claim to any specific title. I am a ‘Community Manager’ for sure, but what does that even mean? My parents have no idea what a community manager is. My buddy Evan Rogers wrote a great piece about it here. I also manage operations which is a lot of administrative stuff like HR, payroll, paying the bills, keeping track of finances, etc. I also do a lot of research stuff and usability testing and manage beta groups for different app features that we’re working on.
That’s all stuff that I do at my job, but I do a lot of other stuff too. I like to make videos with friends, especially music videos. I like to act, and sometimes get to play cool parts in short videos. I write too, which you guys know about already, but I’m also trying to write other things that aren’t for this blog. Mostly ideas for videos and movies I want to make. And I have been trying to read a lot more as well. Reading is a major key. It’s something I do, but not something I’d typically say when someone asks, “what do you do?”
And I do a lot of other stuff too, like hanging with friends, and eating, and working out and going to parties, and watching movies and TV and sports. There are literally so many things I do all the time. There are so many things all of us do all the time! “What do you do” should warrant so much than it does. If you want to know what someone’s job is, ask them what their job is but don’t ask what they do. That’s a big question and it can take a long time to answer. Once you get to know a person better you’ll learn the things they do.
Anyways, what do you guys do?
