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hushpuppylife OP t1_j67ar5p wrote

Reply to comment by Playful-Translator49 in Explaining your DC job when you go home? (Especially if it’s left leaning, policy, NGO, etc) by hushpuppylife

Appreciate it! Haha part of this is when you’re at the house shooting the shit with the plumber or contractor or whatever and the convo turns to work stuff

And sometimes makes for weird convos with family at the holidays.

I guess where we are from is different than the DC worker who goes home to Boston, NY, San Fran, etc where their family is already in academia, gov, etc

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Playful-Translator49 t1_j67ayja wrote

The thing is why do you think a plumber wouldn’t genuinely be interested in what you do? Is it that you think they won’t understand your job? I’m always interested in what they’re doing. Goes both ways. Be an active and interested party and just genuinely talk to people. Gets you far. Everyone is happy that way

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hushpuppylife OP t1_j67bwx7 wrote

Agreed and definitely wasn’t insinuating anything negative about their intelligence or ability to understand things. Or curiosity

But going to a bar at happy hour and heading the conversations in DuPont Circle or Arlington is gonna be a lot different then your local pub in WV. Or the typical DC date questions may be different

I just mean circles, networks, and just bitching about your boss/job or whatever is different in DC Vs other places

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Playful-Translator49 t1_j67ceu3 wrote

It’s different in some ways most people outside the beltway aren’t first going to size you up on who you work for etc. but outside they know you have a job whatever it’s off you’re personality etc. don’t sweat that just be genuine. The rest falls into place it took me a long time as a baby dc intern and up to figure this out. I don’t even remotely work in that same industry now and when I run into former people I worked with and they then give me the look of ohhhh you’re not a xxx, xxx, (insert any dc job, lobbyist, fundraiser, staffer etc) and I tell them what I do now. Which is not in that industry. It’s fun to watch their head spin.

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hushpuppylife OP t1_j67cik1 wrote

Can I ask what made you shift? And what conclusion you came to?

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Playful-Translator49 t1_j67cwlt wrote

Shift from lobbyist to what I do now? I had an interim job but the person I worked for was a criminal. I made it my mission and got her convicted of 6 federal felonies for stealing money from a military charity. Then COVID hit and she’s still getting government $$$ and had clearances. She’s appealing because she didn’t do it but COVID set that all back. Whatever she’s out of that charity which folded but fuck her. She deserved what she sort of got. She’s still getting government money but she’s at least not stealing more $$$

After that I pivoted into something I loved and ran with it. So far so good

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NPRjunkieDC t1_j67t8ti wrote

Good job for catching her and pursuing it. Don't understand why she's not in jail . It's almost like she was promoted

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hushpuppylife OP t1_j6890sb wrote

Glad you found something you’re enjoying and wow! Wasn’t expecting all that 😳

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Playful-Translator49 t1_j67boip wrote

I grew up on a working farm in the west soooo it’s not like I came from a white collar family of doctors and lawyers. People from my small town of 700 people aren’t dumb they completely understand when I tell them what I do. Just because it’s not a job you can get there they get it. I’m not sure the distinction between the types of jobs, vs the geography I guess.

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hushpuppylife OP t1_j67cbwv wrote

Not just solely geo specific. But kinda reminds me of when I got my liberal arts type degree. That was harder to explain Vs the kid who majored in business, engineering, nursing, etc.

Or the kid who went to trade school and then did an apprenticeship

Idk if that example helps

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Playful-Translator49 t1_j67cjlw wrote

I had a full ride liberal art scholarship, I dropped out after first year because I couldn’t take normal classes only music. Yet here I am with no degree living my best life. You got this.

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