Do You Know What Most Other People Do For A Living? (Fairfax: school, contractors)

[normie]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Every once in awhile someone complains that "everyone" in Nova is "constantly" talking about their job. Is it just me, or do the rest of you also react like this:

FWIW, most times someone says "everyone" is doing something, the truth is it was only one person. But it was a person who was really irritating (or, a guy who got the girl you wanted to get).

[CaliTerp07]

Yes, I know what my neighbors do, I know what my friends do, I know what my fellow church parishioners do, etc. Anyone I've spent any one on one time with, it's come up.

Part of it is probably the fact that most everyone I spend time with is between college and children, so jobs are the focus of our lives right now. They're what take up 90% of our time and energy during the day.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

I think talking about where you work is not unusual for this area - it is the same all over

And the ones who are in "secret clearance" jobs are just vague with the details

[JD984]

There are a lot of people in NoVa who say they work for the State Department but never complain about the traffic crossing the bridges into DC!

[liloulou]

Ok, ok... I know you all were wondering what I do for a living...
I just live under a facade of the family friendly South Riding area, because I have to be secretive about my line of work.

It's just when you're flying around in a wonder woman costume and saving people from crime in the wee hours of the night some people don't believe you... ;-)

[Movinanshakin]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

And the ones who are in "secret clearance" jobs are just vague with the details

A lot of them buy into the "secret squirrel club" mindset a little too much and really think they're special because they work there, taking it well beyond what's required by their clearances. Truth is you'd be bored stiff by a lot of the stuff they could actually tell you, and even the stuff they could never tell you.

No matter how you slice it, it's the seat of bureaucracy, DC - not exactly innovation capital of the world. I'd probably lie/be indirect about my job too if I had to work at some of those places.

[robbobobbo]

Originally Posted by Movinanshakin

A lot of them buy into the "secret squirrel club" mindset a little too much and really think they're special because they work there, taking it well beyond what's required by their clearances. Truth is you'd be bored stiff by a lot of the stuff they could actually tell you, and even the stuff they could never tell you.

Yeah, but... oh, never mind.

[Kembek]

I know where some of my neighbors work, but not what they do, nor do I care.
I know what my friends do because, well, they're my friends. Some of them, however, talk about their jobs incessantly. Even when I was working (I'm retired now) I was bored to tears listening to them talk about their jobs. I guess I've always been an oddball -- for me, work/career was necessary for survival, but it certainly was not my life and it didn't define me. Thank goodness.

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by Movinanshakin

A lot of them buy into the "secret squirrel club" mindset a little too much and really think they're special because they work there, taking it well beyond what's required by their clearances. Truth is you'd be bored stiff by a lot of the stuff they could actually tell you, and even the stuff they could never tell you.

Actually, I'd like to say what I do but I'm not allowed say anything.

[Nancy in Nokomis]

Let me ask a question - If you have a higher clearance (than just top secret) do you tell your spouse details of your work? Oh, forget I asked that