Convincing your parents and following your passion is one thing, but saying your dream job out loud and not letting it follow awkward conversations and is-it-even-legal glances is a whole different game. It is natural for a millennial to feel that anxiety when jobs have become more complicated and creative.
It is hard to sum descriptions of ‘ Digital Strategist’, ‘ Chief Culture Officer’, ‘ Social Media Specialist’, ‘ Fashion Evangelist’ into simple titles. That being the case we’ve come up with cheat codes not just to explain your job but also to make it sound interesting. 1. Know Your AudienceWhether it is your nitpicking uncle who is trying to start a conversation or the cousin you have no idea when you last met who is just trying to be polite or your grandma who genuinely cares about you but never forgets her politeness with Google or your sibling who knows the stuff better than you do, grab their wave before you answer—” So, what do you do?”.
2. Start With A Q SessionThe first rule here is not to make him/her look dumb. Start off by discussing a recent trend in your industry. If they don’t know but are really into being aware of it break it down to them like how you’ll explain a 5-year-old. Commence your sentence by answering—What you do? For whom? And how? For example: I design t-shirts for a fashion company using the software. Or, if they do know what you are talking about, take it from there. 3.
Tell A StoryA good story works in places where business jargons are all Greek. Instead of delivering your elevator pitch and boring them with your day-to-day activities, talk to them in easy terms about a recent project you worked and how you finished it successfully. While you do that, skip all the minor details and focus on the big picture, make sure they relate to it. 4. Break it downIt is becoming increasingly difficult to explain a job to people whose mind is fixed in the industrial concept or in an office square box setup, especially when you work a job from home using the internet. So the next time when your neighbour aunty asks remember to break it down, your goal is to end the conversation and not to get her approval.
For instance, if you in digital marketing, say: “ You help companies reach customers and sell things online.” 5. Use the perks of analogyRemember, you are explaining to a bunch of people who have just mastered WhatsApp and moved to YouTube. Don’t play the Einstein here. Relate your job to things they see in daily life, say, if you work as a product designer compare it with being a chef. You understand customer cravings, design recipes for it and also pack and present it in a way they like.
See! Not so difficult, right? The next time when someone asks you “ What do you do?” try these steps instead of “ It’s complicated” or “ No one ever understands what I do”. It is lazy of you to give up easily on describing your passion.
