Do you describe your career differently depending on who you are speaking to?
We often phrase things differently according to the relationship.
The amount of information we share will also be affected.
Listen in as Lindsay and Michelle share how they respond when sharing about their career with different people.
Talking about your job
Lindsay asks Michelle if she describes her career differently depending on who she speaks to.
Michelle answers that she absolutely does.
She does not share certain details depending on who asks.
She always considers who she’s speaking to and the amount of time she has to respond.
Today’s episode is going to discuss how you should tailor or custom your response based on who you’re speaking with.
Lindsay and Michelle have touched this topic a bit during episode BE 332: Don’t Hit a Brick Wall When Asking Someone About Their Job.
This is a really important connection topic.
It’s important because we need to be prepared to talk to many different people about work and not just people in the business world.
You want to be able to frame what you say to the people you’re talking to build a stronger connection.
This can bring you closer to people and even perhaps help with networking.
What is the job?
In this episode, Lindsay and Michelle are going to do something a bit different.
They will take one particular job and explain different ways to describe that job depending on who you are talking to.
They will talk about how you can build your own responses so you can be prepared.
To start, Lindsay and Michelle share that they will roleplay as a product marketer.
Imagine you do marketing for a makeup company.
They will share conversations with three different people you might meet.
You’ll see what might be said to each.
Often there would be more of a back and forth, but for this exercise, Lindsay and Michelle are focusing on the differences in language generally.
#1 Teenager
Conversation:
I’m a marketer for a makeup company. What that means is I find ways to get as many people as possible to know about our company’s makeup and understand why they should buy it. So, basically, I might use social media, flyers, or even contest promotions to get people excited about the makeup so they want to buy it.
Let’s dissect this!
You can take note of the following vocabulary used in this scenario:
- “What this means is…”
- “Basically…”
- “A Marketer is someone who…”
The words above are great starters to your sentence when sharing about what you do.
You can also note some basic language used so that the listener would be able to understand.
The vocabulary is adjusted in this scenario to relate to a teenager who may not be familiar with your job.
#2: Colleague in your industry
Conversation:
I’m head of the product marketing team over at Sparkle. Specifically, I work cross-functionally with the creative team and use market research to analyze current trends in the industry. We utilize a lot of social media and other typical marketing strategies like SEO to ramp up and gauge interest.
Let’s dissect this!
You can take note of the following vocabulary used in this scenario:
- “Specifically…”
- Use of jargon link: “ramp up” or “SEO”
With this type of conversation, it may be easier to talk and share what you do.
You can easily use jargon related to your job because you know the person you’re talking to will have knowledge of your speciality.
Despite not working for the same company, being in the same industry will give them general knowledge in the conversation.
#3: Adult friend in a different industry
Conversation:
I work in product marketing, so I supervise the marketing team at Sparkle cosmetics. Have you heard of it? I work with my team to do a lot of social media strategizing and ads, so a lot of my days are filled with meetings about consumer trends and finding ways to reach new customers.
Let’s dissect this!
You can use the phrase, “Have you heard of it?” to check if the person you’re talking to is familiar with what you do.
You can still use more advanced language than you would for a teenager, but not quite as specific as the usage of the term “social media strategizing.”
Another good way to share what you do is sharing what you do on a typical day at your job.
Roleplay
Here is a quick roleplay from Lindsay and Michelle using the tips and strategies shared in today’s episode.
In this scenario, Lindsay and Michelle are peers at a work conference.
They know each other but do not work for the same company.
They work in hospitality.
Lindsay: So good to see you again, Michelle!
Michelle: You too! I heard you have a new position?
Lindsay: Yes!
Michelle: How’s it going? What’s your role now?
Lindsay: It’s good, thanks! So now I’m head of customer relations.
Michelle: Nice!
Lindsay: So now I work cross functionally with the VP and we analyze the entire customer experience, start to finish. We use a lot of the typical strategies your’e used to in your role to try and ramp up bookings as well.
Michelle: That sounds great! Did you tell your kids?
Lindsay: Yes- I told them – I said “Basically , mom learns about people who come to the hotel and tries to make things super nice for them.”
Michelle: That’s a good way to explain it!
Takeaway
It can be a struggle to share what you do for work to different people.
Use the strategies shared in today’s episode to be clear about what you do and not break a connection.
The goal is to connect with others and share what you do.
Whether you’re talking to a teenager, a colleague, or a friend, tailoring your language to your audience helps make your message clear and engaging.
Every conversation is an opportunity to build fluency and make meaningful connections.
What other ways do you know to share about your career?
We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
