Educate Yourself and Don't Look Stupid

By now, we all know the famous Liam Neeson quote: "I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills".

This actually applies to me in my life. I don't have a lot of money, but I do have a particular set of skills.

And because of this set of skills, it leads to interesting job opportunities for me.

Now this all leads to people not knowing how to have a normal conversation with me, without making some really bad joke about my line of work.

I hear a lot of: "You should do _______" with the blank being filled by something that would be detrimental to my future in this line of work.

Why do people think that is funny?

I don't tell my banker friends to steal money.

I don't tell my Dr. friends to leave a gauze inside next time they close up a surgery.

I don't tell my accountant friends to fix the books.

So why is it okay for people to tell me that I should mess up at my job, because they think it would be a hoot and a holler?

I think people should educate themselves. And if you don't really know what it is that someone does for a career path, ask them to explain it to you.

Most people with interesting careers and skill sets would be more than happy to educate you on what it is they do.

And if you asked me what I did, and I explained it to you, you wouldn't sound like a complete idiot every time you make those bad jokes.