Well, my job showed up around then. So they would know the term Millwright, but the modernisation would probably make them a little incredulous.

Hehe. On weekdays I go to a building that is owned by a company. I sit down on a chair at a desk, stare into a device and sometimes push some of the 105 buttons on it. Sometimes I also fill out forms on paper. After 8h plus break I leave and go home. In return the company advises my bank to increase a number each month.

We have really advanced technology, so few people have to work in agriculture or as handymen and theoretically it's enough to feed us all. The rest of us keeps busy by shuffling paper around. And in recent times we were able to do away with some of the paper and replace it with those machines. There are some slightly different variants, but they pretty much all look the same.

I'm a magister, scholar, and merchant. (I own a technology company).

Hell no

I test and design massive industrial electrical systems used in steel mills, power grid distribution, space equipment, coal mines, oil & gas, etc etc etc.

They didn't even figure out electricity at the time

I sell drugs and drug accessories, I doubt it would be hard to explain.

I'm a glorified locksmith for magic wiz boxes. Technically I do other things as well, but mostly it's just getting past the locks that people have lost the key for.

There are also magical entities that take works from the nether realm and bring them into existence here, only they are all powered by grumpy demons and so I don't deal with those.

My job is to digitize cassette tapes, VHS tapes, and other magnetic media.

So first I'd have to explain the miracle of how we managed to capture moving images and sounds onto these thin strips of plastic covered in rust. I'd follow that up by explaining how that technology is now considered quaint and out of date, and that these days we just get a thinking machine to remember that sort of thing for us.

If anyone has any idea on how to explain generative AI to someone from the 1700s, let me know. Maybe we can try explain my job then.

We have these things that are like stained glass books and I make how the glass looks.

Front-end developer.

I am a computational chemist so... Not sure how you would translate that so that someone from the 1700s would understand but whatever it is would get me burned as a witch.

Yes, my job has a fairly simple explanation. People who feel bad for whatever reason sit on my couch and I help them feel better.

Edit: I'm a therapist.

Fuck no, I work in AI automation for computer processes.

I am paid to perform other duties as assigned.

Anyone in the history of civilization would understand my job

We have devised methods to allow performers, both thespian and musician, to be heard and seen by larger and larger audiences. These audiences can be several thousand. Imagine if an entire city came out to see the performance.

I am one of the individuals responsible for maintaining and operating those tools.

I put roofs on, both slate and standing seam. They would probably be surprised at how much money the really rich people have. But explaining standing seam would be pretty easy.

We even get our copper from Revere, as in Paul Revere, though he wasn't born until 1735.

Lots of "I use magic to do magic stuff" for talking to people not long after the Salem witch trials.

i sell gold & silver so ye

Yes.

We're not all physicist. I coordinate the movement of goods from one county to the other.

Nope

For sure they'd understand. My job had been around for quite a while (not a hooker)

First I'd have to explain electricity. Then I'd have to explain electric circuits.... And the function of different components

THEN i could try to explain what my job was

I direct a controlled form of lightning down metal wires to power electric candles, and other amazing devices.