(New) What to say when asked what you do

July 22, 2025
by Noriyuki Morimoto

As long as we view occupations in terms of expertise, there is no such occupation as a corporate employee: one’s occupation would be defined by the field they pursue as an employee, such as accounting, sales, or R&D. In fact, one important aspect of the work-style reform is to do away with the abstract position of “corporate employee” and transform it into roles defined by individual, concrete, and specialized duties. On the other hand, however, there can be no such occupation as a philosopher; there is only the occupation of a university professor who teaches philosophy.

Now, if we consider occupation as how we engage with, contribute to, or are expected to play a role in society, it is possible to have an occupation as a philosopher or as a corporate employee. Since everyone holds some position in society and engages with society and plays a certain role in it, if such elements are what we call occupation, then the social position as a philosopher is indeed an occupation.

And while the philosopher occupies various layers of society, such as family, university, academia, Japan, world civil society, etc., concurrently serving numerous roles, their professorship as a source of income and their membership in academic societies, which symbolize a high level of expertise, are typically considered their occupation.

Similarly, think about a corporate employee who is highly skilled in mountaineering as a hobby. This person occupies a multilayered social network that includes family, company, corporate division, team within the division, mountaineering club, Japan, international civil society, etc. This person is an expert in a certain business function, and if they are a member of an exclusive mountaineering association of highly skilled individuals, they might be considered a semi-professional mountaineer. But in general, this person’s occupation is considered to be equal to their status as corporate employee, which is the source of their income.

When asked what they do, people can answer in different ways depending on the situation in which the question is asked. But in reality, the question is usually asked in the context of one’s source of income or expertise. In short, people largely live in pragmatic and utilitarian relationships.

However, the self as a family member, the self that actively participates in the local community, the self as a school alumni, the self that regularly drops in at a familiar pub, the self that plays at a hobby club, and the self who deliberates environmental issues as a member of global society, etc., are all important selves. When people ask you what you do, which of these selves, putting aside your source of income and professional knowledge, will you choose to put forward? That might be the expression of your true self.

 

[Category /Work-Style Reform]