The Occupation Correlation

I find it a bit disheartening that someone's occupation is often the primary descriptor of who they are or what they are doing with their life. Furthermore, there are many assumptions and unconscious biases that correspond with various occupations, further pigeonholing people into a box. If they want to be perceived as anything else, they must make an effort to communicate that their job is really only part (perhaps even an insignificant part) of who they are or what they do.

A person's chosen career or job certainly makes some statement about who they are and what they value. And perhaps it's the most tangible statement a person can make. But as I mentioned above, the biases and assumptions that accompany the various occupations often don't match the original intent, increasing the likelihood of someone being misunderstood.

I went to several social events this past weekend. I met quite a few new people and the obvious first question is "what do you do"? I ask this question to other people, so I am definitely not criticizing anyone for asking it. But when you really think about it, the question doesn't help you get to know the new person any better. It just gives you a label with which to associate them. Even if the conversation makes it to the next level and people begin to describe what their occupation entails or how long they've been doing it, it still may not scratch through the surface of who that person is.