Boring Job

[NoobCruise]

I too am a chemist, but I always got the best responses by saying "I am a chemist, which just means I cook and bake using strange ingredients with really long names."

 

Lol That's about the same description I give! I'm a cellular and molecular biologist with a minor in chemistry. I don't work anymore but my job description was biochemist or protein chemist. I have always said it's like working in a kitchen, mixing recipes together, cooking, baking, refrigerating, freezing, except I have chemicals with bacteria and animals, instead of food and I don't eat my results lol

 

I know what you mean about the blank stares. I get that too. People usually change the subject fast or change their attention to my husband and then I feel like a wall flower lol That's ok with me. I'm not very good translating my work into layman's terms.

[Sinppu]

 

I think most of us just don't want to offend. Let's face it, some religious people can have very uptight ideals and you just don't know what is offensive or not and rather then offend we say nothing.

 

I have a friend who is a priest and while we were studying she was one of the wildest girls I knew. She always had problems when she wanted to have a party because she wanted to invite all her class mates but every time she offered them a drink, one of them made a huge issue of it saying:

"Oh please, do not offer me drinks. You know I don't drink. Please, do not offer. You KNOW I don't drink. I do not drink". :rolleyes:

 

I also get the occasional eye roll when I say I'm a poker dealer. "That is a nasty business where people become addicted, gamble all their money and ruin everyone's lives!!" Geez.

[Taxguy77]

Really? Well there you go as I disagree! I've often wondered about the how and when of critter carcass removal. :)

 

Larry and his brother Larry take it to their restaurant! :D

[Taxguy77]

My face would light up! I love maps! I have them hanging in my house, and I finally bought myself a new globe last year. I have a few atlases on my shelves (and in my car) and I almost always look up places I read about in the news.

 

I forget not everyone shares my enthusiasm for geography and sometimes get glazed looks when sharing my itinerary for my next trip.

 

If you are ever on South Padre Island please join our interactive (buzztime.com) trivia team! We have one player very good at geography and one with maps on his walls trying to learn more, but always need more expertise in this area.

[marshhawk]

I have a minor in physics and that was so long ago I don't remember any of it, nor do I think I use a lot of it in my day to day living. Good common sense is what I strive for, but if you said you were a chemist, I would find that interesting and ask and exactly what to do you '"chem". I would have the blank stare because you are by far more intelligent than the average bears I deal with every day. I just started a part time job in the world most hated profession, and I actually love it. Full time I work for an Arts center box office, but my part time job-ready? Telemarketer:eek:! Yes I am that person who calls you when you just sit down to dinner, the person who makes their money by calling you and asking you if you want to buy tickets to the symphony! You would think that I was bringing pestilence to your home the way I get hung up on! I even offer discounts, but people do not trust me. If they ask why should I not order tickets on line, I remind them they are keeping an American in America employeed.:) You would be surprised how that changes their minds.

[Taxguy77]

We met a chemist on one cruise who was a quality control man in a refinery. He was not able to answer a question I had, but gave me a great clue which was probably the answer! :)

One of my neighbors was a chemist with the USDA and did fascinating workwith ctrus and strawberry flavor components.

Very interesting was the time three couples shared a table; One had a boat ffor deep water, my boat is designed for very shallow water, and the 3rd man had a boat that was 20' long and 12" wide! Took a minute to think of skull.(sp?) He was a champion in the over 70 division.

[billcrooz]

Imagine the reaction if you told 'em you were a cartographer?

 

What I usually tell people,is that I am in the witness protection program,makes for stimulating conversation!

[lady_cruiser]

I guess I have a boring job, I'm a chemist. At dinner or when meeting others when the topic of what you do for a living I get a blank stare or a response of Ohhh. :p No disrespect but if you are a used car salesman or sanitation worker the give and go in the discussion goes on and on. I just get a blank stare. :D

Do others find your occupation boring or interesting. :)

I mean this in the nicest of ways. Maybe you just need to tell people you are "sort of a science nerd :)".

[Gloria Mundi]

I'm an actuary. Do I win the Most Boring Profession category?:D

 

Typically I don't volunteer it but will reply if asked. I love my work and it's provided me with a good living for over 35 years.

 

On our (only) cruise, we didn't talk a lot about occupations but the occasional comments pointed to a pretty high-power group. One guy mentioned that he'd be spending a month between London and the Hague later this year. Another guy said that he was going to get his wife over to the microscope where we were looking at phytoplankton because she was a biologist. But for the most part, we left our occupations behind on the dock.

[Bookish Angel]

but I think being a chemist would be fascinating; all that knowledge about some many processes would be wonderful. Actually, I really enjoy talking to anyone who really likes his or her job

[Hoyaheel]

Actually, I really enjoy talking to anyone who really likes his or her job

Ditto! I'm not really very social about meeting new people, but my husband is, so we always do traditional dining at a large table so he can chat with lots of new people. I love hearing what people do (or did, if retired) and I enjoy hearing about hobbies too. Sure, some things bore me sleepy, but most things don't. I imagine most people are like that. I'm always up for learning new things! Learning new things keeps you young:p

[gertiesmom]

I am an x-ray tech... I always get the question "what's the weirdest X-ray you have seen?". Well, most people don't realize how gross my job can be, so I never answer that truthfully... Not a good dinner discussion!

[jpr1908]

I am a child and adolescent therapist. When I tell people what I do, I usually get..."I have this friend who..." :)

[TracieABD]

I am a child and adolescent therapist. When I tell people what I do, I usually get..."I have this friend who..." :)

 

I work in the field of autism and severe disabilities.... I get the exact same thing.:o

[CurtS]

I work as a Clinical Informaticist. As soon as I say that they ask the obvious question: "what?" The title alone usually spurs blank stares. I finally started telling people that I'm a statistician--at least they can kind of identify with that one.

 

We adopted an autistic child (Auspergers) and his siblings who have various psychological disabilities--I have nothing but respect for your work jpr1908 and TracieABD. Gertiesmom--I worked ED for 20 years and loved "talking shop"--you would probably be the perfect table mate!

 

Curt

[SeaSickCecil]

I work in child protective services...that usually draws a horrified "I couldn't do that" and then silence. It's interesting, worthwhile and important, but people don't know what to say so they move along.

OTOH, DH has a one of a kind job that takes him all across the US and Canada. So when the conversation startes with "and where are you from?" he always has a story about the time he was in that person's home town. It's amazing, really. And truly impresses the Canadians who know that most Americans have no idea about Canada at all.:rolleyes:

[Hoyaheel]

I Not a good dinner discussion!

My mom's a nurse - there was nothing off limits at dinner (and now she works in health informatics:p) I work in health research - my boss is an infectious disease doctor - it takes a lot to gross me out. The flip side is that I do occasionally discuss things that other people probably don't think are appropriate dinner table topics:eek:

[CurtS]

My mom's a nurse - there was nothing off limits at dinner (and now she works in health informatics:p) I work in health research - my boss is an infectious disease doctor - it takes a lot to gross me out. The flip side is that I do occasionally discuss things that other people probably don't think are appropriate dinner table topics:eek:

Maybe health care workers need their own table (or dinner time)! :)

[gertiesmom]

Maybe health care workers need their own table (or dinner time)! :)

 

We could all share our gross/exciting stories!

[Hoyaheel]

Maybe health care workers need their own table (or dinner time)! :)

 

And no one would say "I have this friend who..." or "I have this rash that....." :D

[circuitrider]

Maybe health care workers need their own table (or dinner time)! :)

 

NO! Cause I'd be stuck at that table with my wife, and I couldn't use the excuse "Honey, they really don't want to talk about that at dinner" when what I REALLY mean is "Honey, I CAN'T EAT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ______!"

[lovevacadays]

I guess I have a boring job, I'm a chemist. At dinner or when meeting others when the topic of what you do for a living I get a blank stare or a response of Ohhh. :p No disrespect but if you are a used car salesman or sanitation worker the give and go in the discussion goes on and on. I just get a blank stare. :D

Do others find your occupation boring or interesting. :)

 

OP, if I were out your table I would be very interested in what you do as a Chemist. What I've learned from having some scientists in my family, a friend with a girlfriend who is a chemist (works for See's Candy) and from having some of my clients (I'm a Business Development Manager for an Engineering Staffing firm) need scientific people including chemists is that it is a very diverse field. Pretty much everything we use in any given day will have had, at some point, a chemist or scientific person involved.

 

I'm a Business Development Manager (Sales). You know how people feel about sales people.:eek::eek::eek: The only saving grace for me when I tell people what I do is that because I sell engineering staffing services they sometimes forget the "sales" part and ask about engineering and employment in general.

 

 

IMO, talking about what you do/did for a living or how many children you have is fairly boring. We enjoy talking about cruises and/or vacations all of us have taken. After the first day on board, discussions change to what you did in port that day and what you'll be doing in the morning.

 

I don't find it boring. I like learning about people and their experiences. Sure, I like to know what they did in port, how many cruises they've been on and where to. But, I really love getting to know people and what their life experience is. It is just another thing about cruising that I love as you get the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life.

[Capt_BJ]

conversation is a two way street

 

If you've said "I'm a chemist" and the conversation died . . . you had very dull tablemates. On the other hand as a chemist you do what?

 

I'll tell 'em I'm an IRS Auditor (I'm not) and see where that goes. Narcotics agent usually starts some conversation and I HAVE used the witness protection line too.

 

The truth - ship captain - is usually enuf to start conversations but I sit back and feel out the crowd first, then decide which fish to toss on the table.

 

This is one of the BEST parts of a cruise.

[GlendaleCruiser]

I worked in Human Resources for years and hated to tell people about it when it went from "I'm here to help you" to "I'm here to keep the company from getting sued".

 

I started telling people more specifically that I worked as a Benefits Administrator and made sure their claims got paid. That was okay (and true).

 

I love to hear what professions people have or have had. I think it is fascinating and often wonder how people felt drawn to a particular profession or fell into it.

 

I met a chemist once who had worked for a major cosmetics firm (you would recognize the name). He then left to manufacture his own lines of skin cream. I ordered some online after I came home.

[GlendaleCruiser]

I've been known to not admit that I am a teacher (depending on age of the people). I get very sick of "must be nice to work 9 months of the year and get paid for 12" or worse, parents asking advice about school problems.

 

I wish I was smart enough to be a chemist.

 

 

My daughter gets that. She could have been a chemist but wanted to be a teacher. After everyone's kids go home for the summer she is there for a week cleaning up her classroom, then she teaches summer school for 3 weeks, then she gets about 3 weeks off if she's lucky and goes back to prepare her class for the new year. This summer she got 2 weeks off and has already started buying school products for her classroom to subsidize what is not provided by the school and parents.

 

Yeah.................9 months work.