Next time you're out and you meet some interesting new people, tell them you're the bartender at the hottest club / bar in town. Compare their reaction to the

Next time you're out and you meet some interesting new people, tell them you're the bartender at the hottest club / bar in town. Compare their reaction to the one you see after you tell them "I'm a computer programmer." I stopped telling people I was a computer programmer a long time ago. It KILLS the conversation. It's not 1998 anymore. Now I either tell them "I own a software company" or "I do special projects for legal/finance/whatever industry". The difference in how people open up is tremendous. It's not my fault people have preconceived notions about what I do, but I'm not going to be a social victim of their ignorance. Other professions do this all the time. Insurance salesmen and accountants say "I work in finance." People who sell light bulbs and toilet plungers say "I own a distribution company". Do you think they tell people they "sell toilet plungers" at a cocktail party?