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Do you have trouble explaining your job to people?
(lemmy.world)
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this post was submitted on 13 Sep 2024
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Me: I'm in IT (trying to keep it simple)
Them: OK, but what do you do in IT?
Me: I'm a system administrator (again trying to keep it simple)
Them: I don't know what that means. What does a system administrator do?
Me: I work on servers (again, trying to keep it simple)
Them: What's a server?
Me: I'm in IT...
I'm a salesforce admin and I feel the same way
I'm sorry
Tis a thankless job!
Ooo, my brother-in-law is in sales. What kind of commission do you make?
That's a combination of too simple/short in your sentences, mixed with too specific jargon with no clarification. It's dumb as hell that people don't know stuff like what a server is, but if they don't you have to abstract it more.
My go to is some form of: I'm in IT, I do systems administration. I help keep all the things behind the scenes working so that everyone's stuff works at my workplace. Less of making your email work, more of making everyone's email work.
Obviously I work with a hell of a lot more than just email. I'm mostly scripting out custom automation jobs to bridge gaps in the integrations between different systems. But like you said, keep it simple.
Oh hello fellow email admin. What platform?
So you keep the computer engine running.
Replied elsewhere: I cast spells that make the runes etched in sand translate the energy of magic stones into dancing light.
Usually I just tell people that I work in IT and leave it at that.