What do you do?
99% of the time, people answer that question by saying something like this:
“I’m a graphic designer.”
“I’m in software sales.”
“I’m the CFO at Company XXX.”
If you're the one asking the “what do you do” question and this is the type of answer you receive, there’s a good chance your mind is going to start wandering almost immediately. A bland, uninteresting “I am a label” response is a conversation killer.
Problem is, especially when you’re looking for work and every interaction is a potential networking connection, killing the conversation is the last thing you want to do. You need to engage the other person, not encourage them to tune you out.
What makes you unique? How can you describe what you do in a way that will make the listener want to hear more? Think in terms of verbs. They’re among the most powerful words at your disposal.
Just a few examples: help – improve - teach – deliver – organize – lead – optimize - direct - guide - introduce - develop - create.
Pair the verb (the action) with the benefit derived from the action, and suddenly your answer - and you - sound a lot more interesting. Your job didn’t change, and neither did you…but what the other person hears and how he or she reacts to what you've said will change.
Stay away from the label. Think about what you do in terms of how others benefit from it, and try using that as your answer when people ask about your job.