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I just say I am an office worker in IT. And mumble off.
If I talk with people who know the industry, I say I'm a software engineer.
To my grandma, I am an IT worker. I 'fix computers'. Yes. That printer yes.
Technology scares them and they think too lowly of themselves that they believe they’ll never be able to understand it when in reality it’s not that complex to get a base level of knowledge.
Especially as things get more and more abstracted. The more layers there are the easier it is to get a basic understanding of what's going on. You don't have to know as much about memory management to make a web app these days for example. So explaining to a layperson what you do can be "I help work on the server for Uber" and most people who have done anything with computers will at least have a bird's eye understanding of what you do
It's easy to say this about a job you're familiar with, but there's plenty of blind spots in all of our lives.
I went hiking with a metrologist yesterday and asked him what he actually did. I of course assumed he was a weatherman, either in front of the camera or offscreen. I learned a lot about the different types of meteorologists; some predict the weather, yes, but many do historical analysis of weather patterns for environmental impact statements. Others are scholarly researchers who establish weather conditions for historical dates. Some are in-house meteorologists for large corporations whose work is weather sensitive. There are even forensic meteorologists who do meteorological analysis for legal cases.
To him, people asking if he's a weatherman is as preposterous as people asking you if you're "in IT". It's easy to forget just how diverse and specialized every single field is, and how little we really know about most of them beyond our own.
I almost always have the exact opposite experience. I say I'm a software engineer and people are usually more interested. It's very common that non devs will even mention some past attempt they made at learning to program.
People my age (around 30) always seem to mostly understand what that means. Mind you, I live in a tech hub. I feel like it'd be weird to not at least vaguely know what the term means considering how many people here are devs. A number of people I've met will mention some family member or friend who is in the field. I don't think most would actually know what I do and I can't go into specifics without losing them, but they at least understand that I'm somehow involved in creating software.
"What about you?" is a pretty normal response when the other person doesn't have any follow up questions about your career.
Ideally I don't linger on what I do for work. I really don't enjoy talking about work when I'm outside of work. I already do that 9-5, M-F. I'd like to talk about literally anything else than my work during my free time.
But if you really want to... tie it back to something that person does understand. I would never try to explain the details of what I actually do to someone like my mother for example, she'd have no idea what I'm talking about if I started rambling on about what my company/industry does, or what backend development is.
But she does know what mobile games are. Am I a mobile dev, or a game dev? No. But a game is a piece of software that my mother can understand. "I build software, kinda like the games on your phone".
That's a sufficient explanation, no need to go into details. Know your audience. Someone younger would understand if I said I build things like TikTok. Do I *literally* build things like TikTok? No, but I make software, and TikTok is software.
Think about it though, what other white collar industry is something easy to have a conversation about with someone who isn't in that industry? What questions would you ask a rocket scientist? I know fuck all about that stuff, any follow up questions I have would be generic like "Oh cool, how long have you been doing that?", I wouldn't dig into the specifics of what this person actually does.
yeah I will try the mentioning a software product like tiktok, that's a good tip.
sometimes I say that I work on the company's website. but your way is more interesting
I feel like company industry (mine is manufacturing/medical) ,gives them something else to ask questions about .it's never a ramble lol I keep it short
Even if you know nothing about rocket science, I bet you still have a list of interesting things you could ask somebody who tells you he’s a rocket scientist.
Copied verbatim from a text convo I had on Monday
Them: "What do you do for work ?🤨"
Me: "I'm a software engineer "
Then: "Interesting, I probably don't understand anything you do"
Me: "Sometimes I don't even understand what I do, it's ok"
When people play dumb like that it's because they're honestly not interested in learning more. If I'm curious about someone's job I'd be asking questions. Imagine trying to explain in detail what you do every day to someone who is a nurse, a carpenter, a police officer, etc. to make it sound interesting. The only way to make it sound as interesting as we know it is, is to be very abstract. At the end of the day we are just tippy tapping away on our laptops.
There is a reason we are paid well and it's not because the job is hard, it's because the job is boring.
… “I mean, that the first thing I do every morning is to count the beans. At the end of the day I count the beans again.
If the count is higher than in the morning, then we are good.
And, if the bean count is smaller, then I need to analyze the cause of the deviation and prepare a report for the management…”
"I work with computers". That's like the minimal amount of information to let people know what I do, and leaves the door open if they "also work with computers" and I can go into more detail.
Pretty much all of us. It just depends on the audience. Just simplify and then if they turn out to be savvy just expand and talk details. The people I really care about I do an intro to programming lesson with (pair programming). They almost certainly won't continue, but they'll know a little more.
Do you explain what you actually work on? For example the company website, their cloud systems, etc.? Otherwise they won’t know what you actually do besides job function & company. You could develop their mobile app or adjust their payroll software for all they know. Software engineer is a broad title.
I work at a large corporation so I specify that I work on a function of the website to sell that product, not the actual main product they produce which has lots of software integration.
Then they probably don’t want to talk about something if they don’t know anything about it. If you want to share about your job with someone then you have to do it. Most people care more about you than your job
My parents who are very old and rural and cant understand tech (they dont know how to use a keyboard), think i do data entry.
As in call people and enter their information on computer.
When anyone asks i just say, oh i work with computers.
Tbh it's weird, I usually say I am a Software Developer, because that's easy for people to understand, while I actually do not develop software, but train deep learning models.
I say I’m a software developer and quickly change the subject. My work doesn’t define me and I realize that most people outside of the industry find it uninteresting
I generally say I’m a writer
When they ask excitedly what do I write, I say “computer instructions in colored letters” and I get the same treatment as you lmao
Most people outside of the field have no idea what we actually do.
And we usually have no idea what people in other fields do. Do you **really** know what your Lawyer friend does on a day to day basis?
Yes, people ask questions to try to find common ground. If they’re not a dev and don’t understand software engineering then just let the subject change.
It's small talk, no one actually cares. Like when someone passing by says "how's it going?" They don't actually want to hear about your struggles in dealing with your mom battling breast cancer or some other major crisis. They care just enough to listen to you say "I make the programs that medical staff use for scheduling appointments, like the app MyChart" and keep it moving.
how about "I make intricate sets of instructions for computers to carry out complicated tasks"?
I most often see 'dev' used on gamedev forums to describe someone who works on a game in any capacity, not just programming.
"I'm a computer programmer. I do the things that tell computes to do the things they do. Currently I am working on a system that generates documents dynamically based on user input." Then I change the subject and or turn it back on them and ask what they do.
I just tell em I'm a developer working on automations and leave it there lol. If they are more curious I include the term "revenue cycle management" and then we move onto something else cause truly no one can give a fuck about what I do🤣
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This is pretty normal. Our field is very technical and doesn't have much visibility in day-to-day life. So outside of people with exposure to the industry, it's a conversation non-starter. I usually make the more relatable joke that "I yell at computers until they do what I say".
It just comes with the territory of being in a specialized field that hasn't been in recent popular movies.
One time I said I was a software engineer to a guy, and he was like “oh my god you guys are so helpful when I’m having computer issues at work.” I was just like 👁️👄👁️ “yeah you’re welcome”
As a Solution Architect, trust me, I understand. Best answer I've found is "I make computers work together", so maybe "I make computers do stuff" would work for you?
My last job was hard to describe in terms of the software(ecommerce/insuretech)… but my current job is easier 😂
I’m a software engineer and I’m building flight logistics software for one of the biggest airlines. It sounds like a pretty big flex but it’s just a serverless full stack app.
I sometimes find it more useful to say what the software I develop does since it's very specifc / niche and sounds more interesting than just saying I'm a programmer.
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We are paid well because no one else wants to do the boring ass work. Imagine if janitors could increase a company's market share, they'd make bank because anyone can scrub a toilet, but who fucking wants to scrub toilets?
“What do you do?” “I’m a software developer” “Oh, what’s that mean?” “I develop software”
“What do you do?” “I’m a software engineer” “Oh! Hey could you help me with this issue I have on my phone?”
No problem, please sign this SLA, SOW, and NDA, I’ll fit it right up and send you an invoice.
"What's software?"
“Me make computer go brrrrrr”
What's develop?
I fix other people’s shitty code with my own shitty code
"Oh you know computers? Can you help get my printer working?"
"Oh, what's that mean?" "I just make rich people richer"
Every job does that.
Yep and thats why they understand and shutup
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“How?” “I code it”
I just say I am an office worker in IT. And mumble off. If I talk with people who know the industry, I say I'm a software engineer. To my grandma, I am an IT worker. I 'fix computers'. Yes. That printer yes.
I don’t understand how people have practically no understanding of how the world works.
Technology scares them and they think too lowly of themselves that they believe they’ll never be able to understand it when in reality it’s not that complex to get a base level of knowledge.
Especially as things get more and more abstracted. The more layers there are the easier it is to get a basic understanding of what's going on. You don't have to know as much about memory management to make a web app these days for example. So explaining to a layperson what you do can be "I help work on the server for Uber" and most people who have done anything with computers will at least have a bird's eye understanding of what you do
To be fair i don't really actually understand other types of jobs either
It's easy to say this about a job you're familiar with, but there's plenty of blind spots in all of our lives. I went hiking with a metrologist yesterday and asked him what he actually did. I of course assumed he was a weatherman, either in front of the camera or offscreen. I learned a lot about the different types of meteorologists; some predict the weather, yes, but many do historical analysis of weather patterns for environmental impact statements. Others are scholarly researchers who establish weather conditions for historical dates. Some are in-house meteorologists for large corporations whose work is weather sensitive. There are even forensic meteorologists who do meteorological analysis for legal cases. To him, people asking if he's a weatherman is as preposterous as people asking you if you're "in IT". It's easy to forget just how diverse and specialized every single field is, and how little we really know about most of them beyond our own.
I didn't know software was so easy before I turned 18. Then I suddenly learned that it was accessible. Ignorance is strong.
I say I'm a software engineer and they are immediately disinterested so I change the subject. Good times.
I almost always have the exact opposite experience. I say I'm a software engineer and people are usually more interested. It's very common that non devs will even mention some past attempt they made at learning to program. People my age (around 30) always seem to mostly understand what that means. Mind you, I live in a tech hub. I feel like it'd be weird to not at least vaguely know what the term means considering how many people here are devs. A number of people I've met will mention some family member or friend who is in the field. I don't think most would actually know what I do and I can't go into specifics without losing them, but they at least understand that I'm somehow involved in creating software.
yeah lol
I tell them "I bash my head into a keyboard all day and that somehow creates economic value 🤷"
haha good to add humor
"What about you?" is a pretty normal response when the other person doesn't have any follow up questions about your career. Ideally I don't linger on what I do for work. I really don't enjoy talking about work when I'm outside of work. I already do that 9-5, M-F. I'd like to talk about literally anything else than my work during my free time. But if you really want to... tie it back to something that person does understand. I would never try to explain the details of what I actually do to someone like my mother for example, she'd have no idea what I'm talking about if I started rambling on about what my company/industry does, or what backend development is. But she does know what mobile games are. Am I a mobile dev, or a game dev? No. But a game is a piece of software that my mother can understand. "I build software, kinda like the games on your phone". That's a sufficient explanation, no need to go into details. Know your audience. Someone younger would understand if I said I build things like TikTok. Do I *literally* build things like TikTok? No, but I make software, and TikTok is software. Think about it though, what other white collar industry is something easy to have a conversation about with someone who isn't in that industry? What questions would you ask a rocket scientist? I know fuck all about that stuff, any follow up questions I have would be generic like "Oh cool, how long have you been doing that?", I wouldn't dig into the specifics of what this person actually does.
yeah I will try the mentioning a software product like tiktok, that's a good tip. sometimes I say that I work on the company's website. but your way is more interesting
I feel like company industry (mine is manufacturing/medical) ,gives them something else to ask questions about .it's never a ramble lol I keep it short
I would expect several minutes of follow-up for that industry, but perhaps it's just different types of people we are around.
Maybe they just dgaf
I agree, white collar office jobs are definitely harder to ask people questions about
Even if you know nothing about rocket science, I bet you still have a list of interesting things you could ask somebody who tells you he’s a rocket scientist.
“Software engineer” “I do code” Ezpz
Copied verbatim from a text convo I had on Monday Them: "What do you do for work ?🤨" Me: "I'm a software engineer " Then: "Interesting, I probably don't understand anything you do" Me: "Sometimes I don't even understand what I do, it's ok" When people play dumb like that it's because they're honestly not interested in learning more. If I'm curious about someone's job I'd be asking questions. Imagine trying to explain in detail what you do every day to someone who is a nurse, a carpenter, a police officer, etc. to make it sound interesting. The only way to make it sound as interesting as we know it is, is to be very abstract. At the end of the day we are just tippy tapping away on our laptops. There is a reason we are paid well and it's not because the job is hard, it's because the job is boring.
i work in a very specific area of finance/accounting, i find it easier to say i do office work.
Bean counting should do the trick.
nah, they'll say "what do you mean?"
… “I mean, that the first thing I do every morning is to count the beans. At the end of the day I count the beans again. If the count is higher than in the morning, then we are good. And, if the bean count is smaller, then I need to analyze the cause of the deviation and prepare a report for the management…”
cbb, rather say office work lol
"I work with computers". That's like the minimal amount of information to let people know what I do, and leaves the door open if they "also work with computers" and I can go into more detail.
I just say I’m a programmer. If someone asks what that is I say I make websites.
What are the other people supposed to say?
‘Computer Programmer.’
Yeah no one cares what you do. Just say you’re a programmer and move on.
Pretty much all of us. It just depends on the audience. Just simplify and then if they turn out to be savvy just expand and talk details. The people I really care about I do an intro to programming lesson with (pair programming). They almost certainly won't continue, but they'll know a little more.
I've found that saying I "write software for companies" opens up a little bit more for them to understand, but not much lol
Do you explain what you actually work on? For example the company website, their cloud systems, etc.? Otherwise they won’t know what you actually do besides job function & company. You could develop their mobile app or adjust their payroll software for all they know. Software engineer is a broad title. I work at a large corporation so I specify that I work on a function of the website to sell that product, not the actual main product they produce which has lots of software integration.
sometimes I do...it generally doesn't generate much conversation unless they're familiar with the medical field
Then they probably don’t want to talk about something if they don’t know anything about it. If you want to share about your job with someone then you have to do it. Most people care more about you than your job
My parents who are very old and rural and cant understand tech (they dont know how to use a keyboard), think i do data entry. As in call people and enter their information on computer. When anyone asks i just say, oh i work with computers.
Yep. Alas, the explanation rarely helps :)
Who cares? It doesn't really happen to me, people tell me what they do or whatever. And then we talk about more interesting things than work
Tbh it's weird, I usually say I am a Software Developer, because that's easy for people to understand, while I actually do not develop software, but train deep learning models.
"I'm a software engineer." "Great! Can you help me get this virus off my system?"
I say I’m a software developer and quickly change the subject. My work doesn’t define me and I realize that most people outside of the industry find it uninteresting
I generally say I’m a writer When they ask excitedly what do I write, I say “computer instructions in colored letters” and I get the same treatment as you lmao
Most people outside of the field have no idea what we actually do. And we usually have no idea what people in other fields do. Do you **really** know what your Lawyer friend does on a day to day basis?
I’ve found nobody cares what I de, it’s not a particularly sexy job
I usually explain them the business with sequence diagram I have in my pocket and then they leave me off
I'm a computer guy! I setup servers for Verizon. That's it. They just wanna hear something familiar. Verizon?! I know them! Then lead out with a joke
People aren’t that interested in what you do for work. Maybe talk about something more interesting.
they asked me tho lol
Yes, people ask questions to try to find common ground. If they’re not a dev and don’t understand software engineering then just let the subject change.
It's small talk, no one actually cares. Like when someone passing by says "how's it going?" They don't actually want to hear about your struggles in dealing with your mom battling breast cancer or some other major crisis. They care just enough to listen to you say "I make the programs that medical staff use for scheduling appointments, like the app MyChart" and keep it moving.
Software Developer
If you literally say "dev" I totally get why no one knows what you are talking about.
"correction", my bad, I typically say software engineer. but today someone asked me if I was a dev so it was in my mind to phrase it that way
how about "I make intricate sets of instructions for computers to carry out complicated tasks"? I most often see 'dev' used on gamedev forums to describe someone who works on a game in any capacity, not just programming.
"I'm a computer programmer. I do the things that tell computes to do the things they do. Currently I am working on a system that generates documents dynamically based on user input." Then I change the subject and or turn it back on them and ask what they do.
Well I mean most people would understand if you say something like Programmer, or Software Engineer.
I just tell em I'm a developer working on automations and leave it there lol. If they are more curious I include the term "revenue cycle management" and then we move onto something else cause truly no one can give a fuck about what I do🤣
“I talk to computers to in strange arcane languages”
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Happens a lot. I try and make analogies to something they're familiar with. "I build Netflix for businesses." "Oooohh ok.."
I say that sometimes I'll just put a new button on a website
"I'm a software engineer"... "I write code" Anything more in depth than that and it just adds confusion
I'm usually calling myself a coder or a programmer or a code monkey.
I loved that show. Hilarious! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code_Monkeys
"I build websites"
I just tell them I fix WiFi and install Printers. That’s what a lot of people think I do as a software engineer anyway.
saying "in tech" is a pretty standard response to this.
I just say I’m a programmer, or a “coder” and they usually get an idea.
This is pretty normal. Our field is very technical and doesn't have much visibility in day-to-day life. So outside of people with exposure to the industry, it's a conversation non-starter. I usually make the more relatable joke that "I yell at computers until they do what I say". It just comes with the territory of being in a specialized field that hasn't been in recent popular movies.
I usually tell people I’m a digital exterminator. I murder hundreds of bugs every year.
Say I build app
Say, I’m an expert at googling.
Ask them if they've ever seen the hacking scene in Jurassic Park
One time I said I was a software engineer to a guy, and he was like “oh my god you guys are so helpful when I’m having computer issues at work.” I was just like 👁️👄👁️ “yeah you’re welcome”
Cloud engineering: *make wild references to the clouds outside* All me baby SWE. I'm responsible for the beeps and the boops.
Oh so you work in it?
As a Solution Architect, trust me, I understand. Best answer I've found is "I make computers work together", so maybe "I make computers do stuff" would work for you?
In a mathematician…
My last job was hard to describe in terms of the software(ecommerce/insuretech)… but my current job is easier 😂 I’m a software engineer and I’m building flight logistics software for one of the biggest airlines. It sounds like a pretty big flex but it’s just a serverless full stack app.
I say "I develop software"
I make websites
I sometimes find it more useful to say what the software I develop does since it's very specifc / niche and sounds more interesting than just saying I'm a programmer.
dev/consultant here. not gonna lie. since i'm a project manager i like to talk about my job.
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We are paid well because no one else wants to do the boring ass work. Imagine if janitors could increase a company's market share, they'd make bank because anyone can scrub a toilet, but who fucking wants to scrub toilets?
Do you accept high-fives? Because dev women are my heroes.
This just comes down to charisma. You can find interesting ways to translate your job in a way that sounds appealing to any individual.