”What are you doing for living?” (119)

Well… I don’t know whether it’s normal or not (and who establishes norms in a private chat?), but for me it indeed is an indicator that there’ll be nothing to talk about.

To get to know someone takes its time, given the media we use, it takes at least an exchange of few letters before you’d feel if you would like to tell about yourself and your life. And when you’ve decided to trust the person, you’ll reveal a lot of information, and as we all have our routines, and there’re no many changes from a day to a day, you’ll tell about your work as well. (Wouldn’t that mean though that you’ve run out of subjects to discuss? Dunno…)

I’m reluctant to tell “what I do for a living” not because I’m ashamed of it or some such. I regard this question as an attempt to hang a price-tag on me (you can get some idea about people’s income of their occupation). And I don’t like it at all.

The other day I’ve talked about that with an acquaintance (he’s a GP), and he told that he hates to answer this question, because some people immediately start to ask his professional advice. Consider a party, folks in fine clothes, and a lady hitches up her long skirt and shows him her cellulites, never mind other guests, his wife among them… So he prefers to say that he’s unemployed, and people lose their interest… It clears space around him, but they who remain, well… they are interested in him (and he’s indeed a very interesting person to talk to), not in his occupation, income and his place on the social ladder that comes with it.

Sorry for a long post

When people ask me what I do for a living, I usually answer..."As little as possible"...(smirk)

As I’ve noticed, you have no trouble to keep a conversation afloat, and the prettiest part of this forum likes you.

As to tips… people are different, and what one doesn’t like, the other to the contrary (a new word in my vocabulary, due to Mr Lagoona) would like to chat about.

In general, if you made her laugh at your jokes, then it’s a very good achievement, advance!

But if you keep asking questions that she already has answered fifty-eleven times… then you make yourself the fifty-twelfth, and she’ll lose interest at once.

And try not to ask “dangerous” questions: “How do you like my picture?”… oh, I luv that! “Is it YOUR picture? I thought it was Loch-Nessie…” (just an example of a very dangerous question)

Well… gold-miner then…

And in what direction the cavalry’s riding? (Never mind, the Earth is round anyway…)

I don't know about other, but I can tell you why I am asking the ppl I meet here about their jobs.

First, when you are together with someone, you are not only together with her but also her family, friends and job.
Some ppl bring there problems into their relationship.
And then it is good to know in advanced what she is doing.

Then asking for a job, gives a topic what the conversation could be about.

I would not like the idea of falling in love with someone who works as politican, movie star or model. So I have an eye on her job, too.

Good points. However...
I wonder why you are lynching the poor politicians, movie stars and models... don't they deserve your love too?

Well… of course, when you’ve decided to settle down with someone you have to consider their entire environment as well (or a large part of it).

And, as I’ve noticed, people usually write about their education/occupation in their profile. Those who don’t, they have their reason not to, and I doubt they’d reveal it in the first chat. Especially when it feels that there’s nothing to talk about.

As to liking the idea of falling or not falling in love with someone with a certain job…

I’d prefer that my partner wouldn’t bring his job home. But if I love him, and he works at home… Shall I cancel the relationship, and choose someone I don’t love, only on the ground of his occupation?