Where Do you Work

Hey, where do you work?

Work has become and obsession such that our introductions are not complete without their mention.That is a new form of greeting when most people meet. It is also how we introduce ourselves when we meet new people at an event or an unofficial function. I do not know where it all changed, because growing up, I never heard our parents introduce themselves by their jobs. For those of us who grew up in a Christian background, the form of greeting and introduction was a confession of whether you are born again or not. It was like, “Praise the Lord, my name is Rick.” Religion took preeminence in the introduction at the time. I do not know nor do I recall how people used to introduce themselves in the early 90s, but all that I know is that no one mentioned their job.

2024

Fast forward to 2024, and everything has changed. If you go to an event and meet a new person, your form of introduction is likely to be, “Hey, how are you? I am Rick, and I work at Rick n Click Limited.” It sounds familiar, right? A keen look into this form of introduction sheds light on how interview introductions have affected our way of introduction. We have normalised letting people know us by our jobs and what we do, than who we are. I took some time and searched for the phrase, “how to introduce yourself to a person you just met” and was not shocked by what I got. Please take some time and search for the phrase.

I am “Rick” and I “Work” at ABC

A few months ago, I fellowshipped at a church in one of the Estates in Nairobi. It was my first time there, and as a tradition in the church, so was I told, that before the pastor delivers the sermon, he asks the congregants to know their neighbour. I sat near a young man, who by his appearance was like 26 years old. So I began the intro process, and did as anyone else; “Eee mambo. Naitwa Rick na nafanya kazi …”(“Hello, my name is Rick and I work at …”). To my surprise, the gentleman looked at me, and only told me his name. Nothing more. I kinda felt like he was rude, but I came to realize that he was right. He was shocked when I introduced myself and included my workplace in the introduction. I guess he expected an introduction that would paint a picture of who I am rather than where I work.

You Will Be Judged by your Work

When I moved into a new apartment in one of the estates in the city, I met a neighbour who appeared to be so friendly. We could meet on the stairs and at the rooftop as we did and she was all smiles. One day, she gathered courage and introduced herself (I do not remember her name). She then went ahead asked wha my name was. After I told her my name, she went straight and asked where I worked.

It did not surprise me because it has become a norm among middle-class Kenyan citizens. I told her I work as a tout and since then, we have never talked. It has been three months since we last talked though we meet every day at the stairs. I guess my good neighbour had other expectations. So I kept asking myself, why someone’s work dictate how some people treat them?

How You Should Introduce Yourself

Communication experts discourage introducing oneself using your work unless it is a formal event. Even in a networking event, a simple introduction creates an environment for more meaningful conversation. Wikihow recommends introducing yourself with both names if it is a formal event. It is recommended that during introductions, be attentive to what the other person is saying. If they say something that you can relate with, nick a conversation around it. That creates a connection between the two of you.

Conversation then Name

In her post on Quora, Patti Reece DelGrosso talks of what most men do when they meet new people. She says that she rarely asks for a person’s name when they first meet. According to her, people tense and become less sharing when you ask them what their name is too soon. Her post reminds me of how I make friends. Many times, I find myself interacting with people I know not their names, and it is how most men are. If you happen to hear men calling themselves “bro”, just know none of them know each other’s name.