Last week, I was at a typical networking-style event. We signed-in, got drinks, and then found a group of people to mingle with.
And then the inevitable questioning started: “What do you do?“
This is the question that always drives me crazy at networking events. It annoys me because most people answer this question by saying the job they do at the company they work at:
“I’m a salesperson at XYZ corportation.”
This made sense 20 years ago when people stayed in the same job for decades. My grandfather spent almost his entire career at 3M. When he told people he was an engineer at 3M, that worked because that job description was his personal brand. As long as he did good work and wanted to stay at the company, 3M rewarded his loyalty with a guaranteed job.
But today, I wouldn’t recommend answering the “What do you do?” question with your job description. It is highly unlikely that what you’re doing now will be the same thing you’re doing in 3 years. In this economy, you might not even be doing that job in six months. (Either by your choice or not.)
In this recession, the job market is especially volatile, but it won’t get better. Yes, hiring will go up, but you’ll never find a job that will be secure for 20 years.
Why is this? Many reasons, including the fact that the Internet, which makes it possible to work from home also makes it possible to outsource work–even knowledge work like marketing–overseas. And also companies no longer reward their loyal employees with the guarantee of a job. Immediate profits and stock prices are more important.
Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the average worker will hold at least 10 different jobs before hitting 40 years of age. Forester Research predicts that younger workers will hold at least 12 to 15 jobs. Average job tenures are hovering at about 4 years, but Gen Y employees are now averaging 1.5 – 3 years at a job, and some IT professionals switch jobs every 6 months.
Of course, both employers and employees are responsible for the rapid decline of time people spend at their jobs. Employers because it’s easy to lay-off workers when times get tough and workers because they don’t feel pressure to stick around when something better comes up.
For that reason, it is almost guaranteed (especially if you’re younger) that you’ll be switching jobs within the next years.
That’s why you should never, ever make your job into your brand at networking events. The job probably won’t last, and you don’t want contacts to only associate you with your current position at your current company.
So resist the easy answer to “What do you do?” and concentrate instead on telling people more about your capabilities and the value you bring. Your current job can be a part of that description, but don’t let it become the entire thing.
Author:
Katie Konrath writes about creativity, innovation and “ideas so fresh… they should be slapped!” at www.getFreshMinds.com.
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This article isn’t a really good advice. Why do I brand myself by telling people where I work? I agree that personal branding = telling/showing people what you can but why shouldn’t I tell them where I work when I’m asked about my job. That doesn’t make sense. I also think that telling people something about your position, could give you some advantages. Maybe your counterpart needs someone in this position for a new project and you can be the middleman for a nice business deal. That happens to me lately and my personal brand stabilized as well as my reputation, as a reliable marketing manager, increased.
I agree wholeheartedly with this article – I don’t think the job you might happen to be doing at the moment, or the transition period you are in currently should define you. Especially if you’re looking to change careers – that’s a perfect example. What do you do does not mean what is your job – and in my elevator pitch, people LOVE to hear that I am a former jazz vocalist – that realy gets attention. I am alot of things, and much more than being out of work. Thanks for the read!!
Nice article, Katie. Thank you!
I have been annoyed with the same question and answers. At least the question is “what do you do” as opposed to “where do you work” or “from which company are you”. This allows at least some room for the introduction and brand positioning.
“What do you do” is an excellent opportunity for an elevator speech, to introduce your personal competencies and position yourself strategically in the new persons mind.
Networking is about building relationships. Make sure you are remembered for who you are, not from where you are.
I am CEO of Scott Lovingood. I am currently working at Company XYZ to streamline their processes in marketing and working on several key projects to bring more value to the world. I lead a team using lean techniques to optimize business processes and eliminate roadblocks from our sales funnel.
The company you currently work for can bring something to the table as well as what you do. This applies to all job positions too not just management or executives. For example, I am a mechanic working on import autos at Jay’s Import Autos.
Developing this kind of mindset also helps you differentiate yourself within the company you are working for at the time. If you become known as the go-to person for project management or streamlining processes or keeping hard to fix equipment running smoothly, it creates more value for yourself in the company.
The mindset is the most important part. And sometimes you need a coach to help with that too
I have to agree with Katie on this one. While there’s no harm in mentioning one’s current position, especially if the networking goal is to promote the product/service offered from that position, a long-term benefit comes from promoting your personal brand, something which goes beyond your current position. This is probably the biggest differentiator of sales people and professionals. Sales people don’t promote themselves, just their product/service. They may get the sale that time but they miss out on setting the foundation for a long-term professional relationship (i.e. future sales/referrals).
In my case, “I help people promote their personal brands with online marketing” doesn’t include any reference to my current position and is pretty clear about what value I bring to the table. But, “I am the VP of marketing at PeoplePond” lacks a value proposition for just about anyone except maybe a headhunter.
“Networking” done right is about creating a new relationship based on mutual affinity for something. Katie, I completely agree with you that people will change jobs often, and the pace of those job changes will be much more rapid than ever before. Since it will always be about “who you know” before “what you know” we all need to have a strong network of people who understand what our personal brand is, apart from the company in which we happening to be work for at the moment. To use myself as an example, my job title is “Alumni Career Services Coordinator” and I work for Michigan State University. If I go to a meeting where everyone else is an “insider” (in my case, they work within the career development field, or are recruiters/employers) then my title and company give me automatic credibility because they assume they know what I do. However, for them to remember ME, they must understand HOW I do the job. What I want them to remember is that I am the guy who uses integrative life planning and planned happenstance strategies and offered them ideas that they can use while at the same time I took an active interest in hearing about what they are interested in and how they do what they do. This sets up an opportunity for mutual reciprocity (the real goal of “networking”) based on common interests that can lead to the development of a professional relationship and future opportunities. If it is not a group of insiders, I try to avoid using my title because people think they know what I do, which usually implies a different thing than what “insiders” understand my role to be. If I use my title with “outsiders,” it often leads to their assumption that I “help people get jobs.” That is true, but then the conversation moves toward resumes, interviewing, job leads, and finally concurring that the economy sucks and it takes more than a resume to get a job. All of the above is interesting to me, however, what I am really passionate about is helping adults to figure out what they do best and then how to communicate that to people who will pay them for it. When I open up the discussion this way, it opens opportunity for me to discuss finding purpose and meaning, developing a personal brand, and building relationships around an affinity. People tend to remember me, because the conversation quickly turns to what they are interested in, and since people are a heck of lot more interesting to me than resumes are, we both win! If I wanted to do something other than what I am doing now, my tactic would not be much different. I would look to engage the other person with my brand (who I am, what I am passionate about, and how I am doing something about it) and quickly turn the conversation over to discuss what they are interested in. If we find an affinity, I have set the tone to move me toward where I want to go instead of defining me where I am, or have been in the past. How do I know this works? Because it is exactly how I got started doing this work ten years ago, despite my lack of credentials at the time, and I have coached thousands of people through it who have had similar results!
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I’ve always hated that question – “what do you do?” My response for many years was “lots of things” which was usually greeted with irritation, or at least dirty looks. My intention wasn’t to irritate the person, but that’s how my response was usually perceived. Now, my answer depends on context. Who am i talking to and where? Now I only respond with “lots of things” if the situation is very casual and I have the time to engage in a fairly lengthy conversation. Otherwise, I am more specific, tailoring the answer for the best fit to build rapport.
Like this post, Katie. We’re a long way from your ideals, in any practical sense, but the day is coming when we’ll all introduce ourselves as who we are rather than what we do.
I’m a virtual assistant, in biz for myself, and so seriously relate to my work as an extension of me. But I’m learning not to introduce myself as a VA at networking sessions, experimenting with alternate choices in the search for what really communicates.
Very nice post.
When someone asks what do you do, your answer needs to be short.
Imagine yourself being in an elevator and the person standing next to you asking you what do you do. You have exactly 30 seconds to tell him. What will you say?
“What do you do” is NOT the same as “where do you work”. It was pointed out to me at an event once that I didn’t explicitly mention my employer when I met people. I felt a bit embarrassed by the fact that it was actually remarked upon, but that’s because what I do is about me, not what my company does.