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

[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:

If anything, I think Nova is one place where you're least likely to know what other people do for a living. For example, I don't know what most of you guys do. Some of you work for the government, but I don't know the specifics. I know one is a realtor, one was a police officer, and one is a bus driver and that's about it. Considering how many people are regulars on this forum, that isn't much.

My neighbors don't seem to talk about work much. I know a lot about their kids and what sports they like and whether or not they like WalMart, but I only know what half of them do for a living. I assume that's because lots of people work with classified material and can't talk about it... but I don't know.

In contrast, where I lived in Manhattan Beach, I knew the jobs of almost everyone I met and we talked about our jobs constantly. A big reason was half the people I knew worked for TRW, and since you saw them on campus you also tended to know exactly what job they were on and lots of the details about them.

The other half worked for Manhattan Studios and you knew what they did too because they'd cancel on activities (when you're on a shoot it can go 24-7). Also, people at the studios tended to brag a lot more about their jobs because you impress chicks a lot more talking about working on "The X Files" than working at some government agency.

So.... what do you guys think about this? Do you know what most other people do for a living? Is it a big topic of conversation?

[ChristineVA]

I hardly know what anyone does. I don't know where my neighbors work and I don't know where the parents of my kids' friends work. I only know if they work or don't work.

[robbobobbo]

Put me in the camp.

I do know what some, but by no means all, of my familiar neighbors do for a living. I usually did not find out in our initial conversation of getting acquainted, though sometimes I have. I often have found out through my wife, who interacts more with these people because of our children.

I have several neighbors with jobs that I know they can't discuss details, so our conversations don't go there beyond the initial "what do you do", "I am a [job title] at [place]." Even for other people who are not constrained, I rarely if ever find us talking about jobs. I know some people working at interesting places, but our conversations are never about work.

About the only way that it ever comes up is when talking about someone's travels. I know many people who travel far and wide due to work. So I hear so and so just got back from somewhere for work, and we'll talk about the location - but never the work.

I wonder if it's different among 20-somethings who are just starting out, where they might be more inclined to create a pecking order out of their job position? Maybe that's where this rumor of everyone in DC/NoVA feeling high and mighty about their job importance comes from? As someone whose been working in this area for a long time, I really am not so interested in what someone did in their law office, or with their software project, or proposals submitted, deadlines encountered, etc.

One thing people really talk about here is kids, home improvement projects, and travel destinations. Not work, in my experience.

[oneasterisk]

I pretty much know what most of my neighbors do for a living, but I also talk to my neighbors so it's come up in conversation at one point or another.

I have a neighbor who's a lawyer and is also BOCS for my district, while the wife is a SAHM. The other house is a nurse and the husband works for the Gov't. Next to them, the wife works at Ikea and the husband is a cab driver and does side jobs working on houses. The guy next to me is getting ready to retire and he's a communications engineer. Since I'm IT, we talked a little more technical stuff. A few houses down the lady is in the Army. I've talked to her while she was our with her daughter and walking the dogs around the lake.

At the rental property I don't know the neighbors as well. I know one just retired from the FAA and his wife doesn't work. The house across the street they're an older couple who are both retired. I know the husband is retired military though. Next to him, the husband works in a basement waterproofing company. Another neighbor has a coincidental close connection. His Sister-In-Law worked with my Mom for like 20yrs and he works as a construction foreman.

I don't consider myself a busy body, I just talk to my neighbors whenever I see them. I consider myself a pretty friendly person. It made going around yesterday getting their signatures for my HOA request to install a deck. Everyone I talked to signed without even looking at the docs.

[Movinanshakin]

Originally Posted by Caladium

For example, I don't know what most of you guys do. Some of you work for the government, but I don't know the specifics. I know one is a realtor, one was a police officer, and one is a bus driver and that's about it. Considering how many people are regulars on this forum, that isn't much.

Everybody you just mentioned either works directly for the government or as a direct beneficiary thereof. Such is the reality of much of our economy these days, but even more so in the DC area.

Depending upon where they work in the DC/NoVa area (think: various three letter agencies), most people really shouldn't be talking about what went on at the office anyway. This is supposed to be true for lawyers too but in my experience many of them are horrible at respecting client confidentiality (doctors are much better at this).

[Nancy in Nokomis]

Some people dont tell for classified reasons - I dont even know exactly what my husband does....

but - I find most people tell me what they do - not that I really care - my neighbors are not that friendly but for some reason they have told me what they do -at soccer games, etc. the conversations always seems to get around to it

[normie]

Originally Posted by Movinanshakin

Depending upon where they work in the DC/NoVa area (think: various three letter agencies), most people really shouldn't be talking about what went on at the office anyway.

Very true, plus talking about the alphabet soup of government agencies is boring.

As soon as someone uses an acronym my attention starts to drift. Did he just say "I work for the DCAA" or was it the DDCA or the AACD or the DACC or the ACDA? I don't know and I don't care. Well, I might care if I know you but if it's just a casual conversation with a stranger, I lose interest. I do know what most of my neighbors do, but we rarely talk about work (except for my neighbor who's a plumber, because he tells funny stories)

Mostly, I'd rather talk about the new exhibit at the Air and Space museum. Or what's on tv tonight. Or even the traffic!

[South Jersey Styx]

Originally Posted by Fairfax Mom

Some people dont tell for classified reasons - I dont even know exactly what my husband does....

We have several friends in the criminal justice/natl security-type jobs and they cannot discuss things either. Some of them cannot even tell you who they really work on.

I don't know what most of my neighbors do for a living.

I think the line about "where do you work" is used often when socializing, esp at happy hour, an office event or in a new environment. I think it's way of finding something familiar with others as well as making professional connections.

[brooklynborndad]

Originally Posted by Caladium

In contrast, where I lived in Manhattan Beach, I knew the jobs of almost everyone I met and we talked about our jobs constantly. A big reason was half the people I knew worked for TRW, and since you saw them on campus you also tended to know exactly what job they were on and lots of the details about them.

oh, THAT Manhattan Beach.

[katyusha25]

I don't know that many people here, so my odds aren't good anyhow.