What Do You Do?

That question always gets me. To most people I will answer to, the simple response of "Research Coordinator" is not enough. If someone comes up and says, I'm a doctor, I'm a lawyer, etc. it is not met with further questions, typically. The term is common enough and conjures up a familiar enough image that most people won't ask for futher clarificaition. Someone more interested or more familiar with the field might want to know what type of medicine or law the person is involved with, but it's more rare.

For myself, I find that I am asked the following question next, "What does that mean, exactly?" or, "So, what do you do?" The latter of the questions is not a sign of a lack of competence or hearing capability but instead the persons more literal intention of the phrase as opposed to the initial context. Again, explaining to a person what I do is not easy. I can explain the big picture study, or I can explain the population, but that is only a percentage of my job. Often times I find myself responding with something like, "Something different every day," or, "So many different things, it's really hard to narrow down." The truth is that for anyone, even a doctor, or a lawyer, people who are rarely asked for further clarification, explaining what they do on a daily basis is impossible in 20 words or less. The amount of tasks a person does under the job title can exceed hours of conversation. For some, a few major responsibilities can still sum it up. For others, however, finding that right set of sentences is not easy.

We go to work every day. We know our jobs, we know what needs to be done. It's funny how trying to explain what we do when we are there can be so difficult to articulate.