There is usually a five second pause when I get asked the familiar question: “What do you do?” A few words fly through my mind at lightning speed, before I quickly choose one that’s most suitable for the situation. We spend most of our lives at work and, as a result, work often defines us more than anything else. “Oh you are an accountant? You must be good with numbers.” “Wow you are an eye specialist, you must be very smart!”
Usually if I say I’m an actuary the response is silence or a question; what is an actuary?
For the first eight years since I graduated from university, I learned to say “I’m an accountant” (even though I’m an actuary) to avoid further questioning or “I’m an analyst” or “I work with numbers”. Such is the joy of having a less well known job title.
But, now, I have a new problem. I’m an actuary but I am also the founder and director of a charity. They are both “work”, however, one is paid and one is unpaid. Which do I identify myself with most? What do I do?
My passion certainly lies with the charity but I spend more time working as an actuary (so that I can earn enough money to support my passion for the charity). Because I’m a very honest person I honestly don’t know what the right answer is.
Sometimes it’s easy to choose, for example if I’m at an actuary’s conference or a business meeting. But other times, particularly in settings when I’m introduced to a friend of a friend and that familiar question is asked, I suffer that five second silence. And I’m sure many of you do to.
How do you answer, “what do you do?”