My Job Title, Myself

“What do you do?”

A loaded question. In many cases it’s easier to do the duties of the job you were hired for than explain what this position has you do all day to someone. Stating your job title is simple enough but even that can be difficult in defining what the roles within that title entail. Especially if you have a job title that isn’t easy to figure out in the first place. Account executive, digital outreach coordinator, community evangelist- with such overwrought, seemingly important sounding position names figuring out what the job at hand really is can get lost in translation. Take our 3 tips when it comes to decoding the mystery behind the question, “So, what is it you do exactly?”

Start with industry and company type

While this information doesn’t really say much about you or what you do, it can help begin painting a picture for a person that may not know anything about the type of industry you work in. A business card with a website URL can paint that picture even better sometimes too.

Provide a specific example of work you actively do

This is where you really get to shine! After a basic framing of your company, you get to talk about what you do at work, and most importantly, what you like to do intertwines with that. For example; “I blog, write, and manage the social media content for a local company. This means I am responsible for managing 15 different outlets and creating new and original content to post multiple times per week.” Here, you also get to show your passion and enthusiasm for your favorite project. Providing a description of a specific work sample is a concrete way to show exactly what you do and the quality of your work. Create an online portfolio of your written work to show when inquired about.

Always have a pitch

You never know when your next conversation about what you do could turn into a job opportunity. If you practice what you want to say before you have to say it, you can ensure you get to the point. The more you give a practiced yet easygoing pitch, the better you will be at giving it. Whether you are at a job interview or a networking social, helping others understand what you do enables them to discover more about you in the process. It could help bring in business, help land a job, or may even open up opportunities that didn’t previously exist!

Deborah Sweeney

Deborah Sweeney is an advocate for protecting personal and business assets for business owners and entrepreneurs. With extensive experience in the field of corporate and intellectual property law, Deborah provides insightful commentary on the benefits of incorporation and trademark registration.

Education: Deborah received her Juris Doctor and Master of Business Administration degrees from Pepperdine University, and has served as an adjunct professor at the University of West Los Angeles and San Fernando School of Law in corporate and intellectual property law.

Experience: After becoming a partner at LA-based law firm, Michel & Robinson, she became an in-house attorney for MyCorporation, formerly a division in Intuit. She took the company private in 2009 and after 10 years of entrepreneurship sold the company to Deluxe Corporation. Deborah is also well-recognized for her written work online as a contributing writer with some of the top business and entrepreneurial blogging sites including Forbes, Business Insider, SCORE, and Fox Business, among others.

Fun facts/Other pursuits: Originally from Southern California, Deborah enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, Benjamin and Christopher, and practicing Pilates. Deborah believes in the importance of family and credits the entrepreneurial business model for giving her the flexibility to enjoy both a career and motherhood. Deborah, and MyCorporation, have previously been honored by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s List of the Valley’s Largest Women-Owned Businesses in 2012. MyCorporation received the Stevie Award for Best Women-Owned Business in 2011.