When you apparently work for Evil Inc.

[onikenbai]

DH and I both worked for Evil Oil Companies.  We finally decided our stock answer would be, "...and how did you get here today?"  When the challenger would sputter about BART, AC Transit, or carpooling, we'd reply, "...so our point is made" and walk away.  In all this time, only one person challenging us actually rode a bicycle to the party.

I probably remediate your sites.  Carry on, we've got it under control.

I love my job.  We specialize in the remediation of industrial contamination, and my particular interest is chlorinated solvents.  Cue the crickets when people ask.  I swear I can see their eyes glaze over.

[jemma]

You can also take the tact of doing it unapologetically:  I retouch fashion photos.  I make beautiful art that people love to look at!  And unlike many artists, I even get paid for my work ;-).

[KenveeB]

I'm a prosecutor, so I get this a lot. (From people who think lawyers in general are awful, and people who think prosecutors specifically are evil people who do nothing but dream up ways to put innocent people in jail.) So depending on my feel of the person and the rest of the conversation, as well as my mood and how willing I am to discuss things, I alternately say "I'm a prosecutor," "I'm a lawyer", or "I work for the county/government." If anyone gives me flack, I try to just let it roll off and say cheerfully, "I love my job." Like a PP said, having a funny non-evil story to relate is a nice way to break the ice.

[spookycatlady]

I also work for Evil, Inc.  Also known as Megacorp.  I posted about a horrible evening:

http://www.etiquettehell.com/smf/index.php?topic=119708.msg2777873#msg2777873

It's always a struggle when meeting new people, but after that incident, I very quickly explain the job in one breath and use many dull words that people don't want to pursue: analysis, policy, liaison, disclaimer.  That sort of thing. 

I would say about one in ten people choose to pursue the conversation to one degree or another and depending on the tone, I will either launch into wild stories from back in day when I was the face of evil for Megacorp or I will downplay my role as that of desk jockey and email answerer. 

[Winterlight]

I usually go with, "I'm a contractor." In DC, so are 65% of the other people in the room!

[WillyNilly]

So I've been reading this thread and I keep thinking about when Homer Simpson was recruited by the Scorpio Evil Inc company.  It truly was some James Bond-type of terrible company externally, but to Homer it was the best job ever with the greatest boss ever.

[Redneck Gravy]

I am a bookkeeper. 

I am employed by a builder and work part time for him, then I keep books for half a dozen others.  An auto repair shop (who hasn't been ripped off by a mechanic at least once in their life?), an oilfield service company (everyone leaps to BIG OIL) and I actually keep books for a strip joint/bar (can't even tell you what remarks that might draw if I mentioned it).  There are a couple of others that draw other unkind comments so I just say I'm basically self employed.

I also work with a sports league that plays in the evenings and weekends.  I can't tell you the number of complaints I have had because of a rain out...apparently someone thinks I have a secret Batphone to God about the weather !!! 

Really, you can't win sometimes OP.  You love your job and if the comments start, just slap them with beandip and walk away or as a PP suggested let them know that you are insulted by their comments.  Why do some people think they are entitled to SHARE their opinion? 

Our mothers were right if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything.

[LibraryLady]

You can also turn it back on to the person who ask the question.  What do YOU do?  Oh, you are a engineer.  How can you stand to do all that math, well I could never do that, blah blah blah.  Make it about them, not you.  I am a librarian - and I get that 'oh I wish I could read books all day'.  I do too, but that is a small part of my job, in between mopping up fluids, working on budgets, managing people, and other duties that go along with being a director of a medium size library,  it isn't all reading books.

[hobish]

It sounds like EHellions could form our own little Evil Empire 

[mbbored]

I research mosquito control in a very hippie/all natural/organic town. Depending on the personality of who's asking, I bean dip or give a mini-lecture. Only once was I forced to say "I'm sorry, but I'm at this party to have fun. Talking about my work and being told it's horrible is not fun for me so I'm going to go over there to sample the guacamole. Have a nice day!"

[MissRose]

Its too hard to explain my job to other people because of the work I do.  I simply say I do customer/technical support (or work with computers) depending on the people I am with that ask.  Only a few people outside of my place understand what my job entails as they do similar work that is either support or sales based.  Its better than explaining it to people.  As long as your work is not illegal, no reason for people to make a deal about the work you do and/or the place that employs you.

[BarensMom]

I also work for Evil, Inc.  Also known as Megacorp.  I posted about a horrible evening:

http://www.etiquettehell.com/smf/index.php?topic=119708.msg2777873#msg2777873

It's always a struggle when meeting new people, but after that incident, I very quickly explain the job in one breath and use many dull words that people don't want to pursue: analysis, policy, liaison, disclaimer.  That sort of thing. 

I would say about one in ten people choose to pursue the conversation to one degree or another and depending on the tone, I will either launch into wild stories from back in day when I was the face of evil for Megacorp or I will downplay my role as that of desk jockey and email answerer.

Have you seen Sean or Chloe since that night?

[spookycatlady]

@BarensMom  I haven't seen them since, but my husband went for lunch with Sean yesterday.  I don't think we'll be invited over as a couple any time soon.  I feel for the Dude because we don't have a lot of mutual couple friends, as we have pretty polarizing interests.  He was really disappointed about the sour feeling left in my mouth after that night, but understands why I've cooled on them.

[bah12]

I'm jumping into this late, I know.  While my general work is not controversial at all, some people do have strong opinions about what I'm doing (both on the positive and negative side).

I think you react to the "what do you do" question depends on how important it is to you that you talk freely about your work and who you are talking to.  For instance, I do think you should be proud of what you do and you shouldn't have to feel like you can't be honest about what you do and who you work for.  But, if you're talking to someone who is just going to go off on you, waste your time, and you either don't care about personally, or will not see again, then is it really worth it to tell them the very thing that will set them off?  Maybe...only you can decide.

However, talking to someone you care about...family, close friends, an SO, I really think that you should be able to talk freely.  And those people, despite their opinions, will hopefully respect you enough to understand that you are doing something you love, that is legal, presumably safe, and likely not as "evil" as some may think.

How do you react once they start going off?  "Thank you for sharing your thoughts.  There are some other details and viewpoints that you may not be aware of and I'd love to sit down and chat about it, but I'm running late for X".  or "If you're interested in talking about this more I'm availabe at X time."  (All depending on how much you want to get into it).

For family/close friends/SO's:  "I appreciate your opinion, but it hurts me that you put something I love down that way.  The media has not been kind to my company/industry and if you're interested in learning more, I'd be happy to talk about it.  If not, then can you please do me a favor and not mention how evil my career is?  I know how you feel.  I don't need you to keep reinforcing it."

[Sunbeem]

You work for a bank, right.

My guess would've been something to do with the oil industry.

I have a similar problem- I work in the field of environmental science, and many people upon meeting me seem to confuse "environmental scientist" with "environmentalist", and leap to the conclusion that I am one of those "tree-huggers" that would kill a child to save a whale, judges them for not recycling their toilet paper, and spends my weekend throwing red paint on fur-wearers.  Oy.  I've had to get very practiced at patiently deflecting the hostility and explaining what I REALLY do.  And it does not involve throwing paint on people.