Remember when Michele says this in Romy and Michele's High School Reunion? (Love that movie. Epic.) Well, I think that's what I'm going to say the next time someone asks me what I DO. In this post I said I was learning to handle the "What do you do" question better, but the truth is, it hasn't gotten any easier to answer. Not even after being unemployed for eleven months. ELEVEN. MONTHS.
Last week someone asked me what freelance work I was doing, and I got into a looong explanation about my fashion closet duties at Women's Health. It would have been a hell of a lot easier—and more impressive—if I had just said I was assisting the fashion department. It's just.so.painful. People, stop asking me what I DO! And what I'm UP TO! If you really want to know, just read my freaking blog, man!
I love how even though Romy and Michele wanted to impress everyone at their high school reunion, they still stayed true to themselves. So help me, readers! What should I tell people I DO the next time they ask? Let's just make shit up!
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I think you should break into an interpretive dance to Time After Time. I mean, if it worked for them....
ReplyDeleteTry to just give a new answer everytime someone asks you. Here are ten answers you can give when someone asks what you do*:
ReplyDelete1. Live fabulous (not actually a verb, but if you say in convincingly enough it could work).
2. Blog. It's a completely acceptable career in 2010.
3. Freelance write
4. Freelance in fashion
5. Network (also completely acceptable in 2010)
6. Work out (completely acceptable profession/hobby in NYC)
7. An entrepreneur (try an wear a blazer when you say this)
8. Research social trends of New Yorkers for my writing endeavors
9. Not committing yourself to a career until it's the right one (if this isn't true, it still sounds good)
10. Answer the question with a question, like "What do I do? What do YOU do?"
*ps- I feel like the "It's OK" page of Glamour, which I would LOVE to write one day.
wow, these are great!!! much better than the interpretive dance solution...
ReplyDeleteI'm really impressed that you've been unemployed for almost a year and have managed to keep yourself afloat in NYC. That's a huge accomplishment! Also, since the economy shit the bed, I've tried to stop asking people I meet what they "do" because I don't want to bring up a sore subject if they were laid off or are unemployed. You should tell people you're a freelance writer and make their question into an opportunity to plug your blog, hand out your business card, and tell the person to give you a call if they ever need a writer/editor!
ReplyDeleteI love that movie, especially when they dance in the end on 'Time After Time'. Oh, love it. As for your 'What do you do' problem, just hold your chin up high and tell them you're an amazing freelance writer, or at least that's what the readers of your blog think!
ReplyDeleteIts way more fun just to make it up :) Go crazy with it!
ReplyDeleteLove love love,
Erin
xx
Haha...love it! Say something like you are launching your own clothing line and currently need to run because you have a meeting with your investors! haha! Or you are a personal shopper...that would be so fun huh?!
ReplyDeleteFun fake jobs (for the reaction):
ReplyDelete1- retired escort/courtesan
2 - Museum docent
3 - "Business woman. Do you have a business woman's lunch special?" borrowing again from Romey and Michelle.
4- handbag tester
5 - hipster life coach
Can't believe you have been making it happen for 11 months now. Way to push on!
SCS
11 months? wow--i would be crazier than a barrel of monkeys at that point. I mean i've been looking for a new job for 11 months, and i thought that was bad, but to unemployed for that long and not have set something on fire? wow Ellen, you're pretty damn amazing! and i defintely say go wild with it. say you're a celebrity dog walker. or an exclusive starbucks coffee taster--play that one up. say you've always had a very sensitive palatte and sense of smell. you're college roomate's ex bf mother in law is a corporate big shot for starbucks and they needed female tasters for their new shade grown organic mexican coffees. the key to a wild response is a good back story. lol
ReplyDeleteHaha, good call, MA! I seriously want to rent the movie now. We all know what I'm going to be doing this Saturday night ;)
ReplyDeleteAwesome list, Kelly! I am a BIG fan of answering a question WITH a question. I need to remember that for next time! And yes, you would totally rock at writing Glamour's "It's OK" page. I always relate to it!
Thaaanks, Holly! That's sweet of you. I always forget that just SURVIVING is an accomplishment in itself. And yes, you better believe I'm a networking FOOL!
Awww,thanks ShouldCouldaWoulda. I've got you guys, SCREW everyone else!! :)
MHP, I like your thinking. Hrm...I do hate to shop, so let's go with clothing designer. Yes, I like the sound of that!
LOL, Shannon! Hipster life coach, DONE. I actually know plenty of people who would want/need one.
Haha, thanks, Nadette! I mean, I haven't been TOTALLY unemployed for 11 months. I had some sweet freelance work when I first lost my job, then I worked at a wedding mag for three months. It's really just been teh last few months where things have slowed down, and yes, I have contemplated setting many things on fire. Your idea of being a Starbucks tastetester is the winner. I think I could actually pull off that lie! The only problem is, if I told it to enough people, I'd probably start believing it was actually true, and then I'd be so depressed when I realized..it wasn't :/
I used to tell people I was a Travel Agent. Men found it hot in a stewardess kind of way, yet no one seemed to question me on the fact that it's pretty much a dead industry.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thegirlsguidetodepravity.com/