Respond to what do you do

Vote count:. No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post. Maddie Lloyd. Maddie Lloyd was a writer for the Zippia Advice blog focused on researching tips for interview, resume, and cover letter preparation. By Maddie Lloyd - Feb. Articles In Guide. Common Questions. Types Of Questions. Job Specific Questions. In This Article. Are you looking for job opportunities? Tell us your goals and we'll match you with the right jobs to get there.

Instead of pigeon-holing you into a certain category, this response is more focused on the value you bring to the table. In addition, it provides an avenue for the conversation to go further, since the other person might be interested in learning how exactly you go about solving the problems.

Human beings love stories and narratives. Stories are hardwired into our brains. They make things more believable and more memorable, and help us to build connections with other people. According to a study by researchers from Princeton University , when someone is telling a story, the brain activity of the listener mirrors the brain activity of the story teller, thus enhancing the connection between the two of them.

Since humans already love stories, you can make your answer to the question regarding what you do more interesting by weaving a story into the answer. When someone asks what you do, give them a story about something that is interesting or exciting about your work.

Telling stories not only makes your answer interesting, it also allows you to shape the mental picture the other person holds about what you do. Stories allow you to provide context to what you do, thereby dispelling any erroneous assumptions the other person might have about your line of work. For instance, instead of saying you are a wildlife conservationist, you might weave in a story into your answer by saying:. Just last month, I was at the Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya where we tracked five rhinos by helicopter, captured them and moved them to the Tsavo Game Reserve.

We are trying to re-introduce rhinos to the Tsavo after rhino populations in the Tsavo were depleted due to poaching activities. This answer is more interesting, exciting and engaging that simply stating that you are a wildlife conservationist. It also provides more fodder for the conversation, since the other person might be interested in knowing how rhinos are tracked and captured, how they are moved, what you did to deal with the poaching problem and so on.

They are also more likely to remember meeting you than if you had only mentioned that you are wildlife conservationist without divulging any further information. Most people will stereotype you according to what you do based on something they heard from a friend or relative who actually knows nothing about your line of work.

When someone asks you what you do, instead of stating your job title and leaving it to them to judge you based on their erroneous assumptions, you should take the question as an opportunity for you to teach them something about your line of work. This does not mean that you should launch into a thirty minute talk about everything that pertains to your profession.

You are not giving the other person a career talk. This could be something like the void that you are filling in the market, the latest trends in your industry, some work trivia, some common misconceptions about your line of work, some interesting information you learned recently, and so on.

Sharing such a piece of information about your line of work positions you as someone who is quite knowledgeable about his line of work. In addition, it provides an opportunity to continue with the conversation. For instance, in the above example, the other person might be shocked that so much money gets stolen through cyber-theft and might ask you for tips on how to keep their online accounts safe. Sometimes, being asked what you do also gives you an opportunity to promote yourself to a potential client or employer.

This is particularly useful in corporate or professional events where you are likely to be talking to a decision maker who could potentially hire you or bring you some business. However, promoting yourself is a win-win situation for both of you. People go into professional events looking for people who can add some value to their lives or their businesses. By telling the other person what you are good at and how you can help them or their business, you are not only making it easier for them to find someone that can bring value, but also creating an opportunity for you to get a new client.

Both of you benefit from the interaction. This method is particularly effective when you know something about what the other person does, since it becomes much easier for you to tie what you do to what they might be looking for. If they ask what you do for a living, you can use it as a chance for self-promotion by saying,. With this answer, you are essentially telling the guy that you are the best person if they need a writer. At the same time, you are not directly asking them for a job, which would put undue pressure on them if you just met.

Conversations are more interesting when all the parties can relate to whatever is being said. When someone asks what you do, instead of trying to impress them with technical aspects about your job and professional jargon that will leave them confused, it is much better to explain it in a way that they can relate to. By doing this, you are taking the focus from yourself and transferring it to the other person.

In , Mr. Ahmed has promoted the company through written articles and is a member of the planning and policy-making committees. Never stop learning. That philosophy has served Dr. Jay Cohen well throughout his entire career, as founder of Signature and as a doctor beforehand. He encourages asking the hard questions and digging deep to find answers. Jay started Signature Consultants in With a medical degree from Cornell University, he practiced internal medicine and gastroenterology in South Florida for 20 years before finding himself increasingly drawn to the business side of the practice.

He wanted to create a brand new enterprise, one that — like medicine — combined both science and compassion. To drive Signature forward, Dr. Jay steers the company's strategic vision and stays hands-on with scaling the culture to keep up with national growth.

Beyond the office, you can find Dr. In fact, he plays in the World Series of Poker every year. One part visionary, one part lawyer, Mark manages to stay a step ahead — in business, strategy, IT staffing, you name it — while remaining utterly present when you talk to him. As Chief Administrative Officer at Signature Consultants, Mark heralds the importance of getting to know and understand people.

He leads by example. And he makes sure the people throughout the organization have the feedback and tools they need to learn, grow and thrive. Mark joined Signature in , following undergrad and law degrees from the University of Michigan, being senior partner at the leading law firm of Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn, and serving as EVP at premiere medical real estate development firm Rendina Companies.

Mark calls Fort Lauderdale home, but makes his way across the U. We're told in our English classes learning English as a foreign language that the only possible answer to How do you do? While it's perfectly OK to answer other similar questions How are you? What is right and what is a myth? Improve this question. Jimi Oke Nobody in America uses "How do you do? I'm not a native English speaker but I'm amazed that a simple greeting can motive such interesting discussion!

You're right DineshKumarGarg! I don't know how I could make this mistake, perhaps autocorrect played a trick on me Show 2 more comments. Active Oldest Votes. Improve this answer. ShreevatsaR ShreevatsaR This is somewhat similar to how the correct English response to "Sorry" when someone bumps into you, say is "Sorry". ShreevatsaR Last week ad Edinburgh airport, someone ran into me, I said " Sorry " and he said " My fault " as an excuse.

You could also say it this way: "how do you do" back has been replaced with an equally meaningless reply. It is just an exterior change of convention; etiquette demands that you give only one answer when asked about your well-being in somewhat formal situations: you are doing well, thank you. At "not so great", your interlocutor would be forced to ask "oh dear, why not? Asking about a good friend's health is and has always been something else entirely.

It's better to remain silent and be slightly rude it's rude but okay not to talk to strangers , than to disagree and say "no the weather is rather unpleasant" which is more rude. Hugo: What I meant is that it's meaningless, in the same way that "Hello" is meaningless: it just means it's a greeting, nothing more and certainly not the literal meaning.

I think the fact that you think it's a genuine question about the other person, and expect the same about "nice day" and the like, goes with my "These days "How do you do? Show 7 more comments. Good luck! Olie Olie 1, 7 7 silver badges 11 11 bronze badges. Add a comment. I agree with you, I expect a real response, even if it's, "Fine, you? If I remember correctly, they even made a few jokes about it in My Fair Lady. What part of the United States are you from? I have never heard another American say "How do you do?

HaL: I grew up in the midwest, went to university in Boston, and lived in Seattle for 6 years. I have probably never greeted with literally, "How do you do? I don't think I greet strangers this way. Like I said, for me, it's not about the specific answer as much as it's opening up the conversation.