In the past week, I was in conversation with a client who was struggling to answer the question “What do you do?”

My client described when asked this innocuous conversation starter, she fumbles around trying to find the right words.  In the end, she defaults to simply saying her job title, which neatly describes what she does!

My client was looking to craft a response to transcend the confines of her job title to offer a glimpse of the multifaceted person behind that title.

My response was to suggest doing what politicians do when they answer questions – they don’t answer the question they are asked, they answer the question they wished they had been asked. Instead of answering with simply her job title, her response should provide a broader perspective on what makes her tick.

To this end we workshopped an alternative answer to simply saying she was an accountant, and produced the following:

“I am a mother to two young children and the proud owner of a thriving business. Balancing the challenges & pressures of both roles is a constant struggle for me.  My focus is to help other women in the same situation find a balance between the two.”

 In summary, the next time someone asks you “What do you do?” I suggest you pause for a moment before answering.  Consider the story you want to tell, the impact you want to convey and the aspects of yourself you want to share.  In this way, you will transform a mundane question into an opportunity to connect on a deeper level.