A Day in the Life

[Resha Caner]

When my niece was trying to decide what to do after highschool, she asked me some questions about engineering - she thought she might like to be an engineer (and that's the program she'll now enter in the fall).

One question she asked was: What is a typical day at work like for you? It was actually a hard question to answer. I sometimes wonder myself where all the time goes, but at least I have problems out in front of me that can be defined and solved.

Other professions just baffle me. Several times I've been offered a chance to go into management, and I declined. I honestly look at them and think: What do they do all day? I just don't get it.

So, if you have one of those "people" jobs, could you explain to me what your day is like?

 

[quatona]

When my niece was trying to decide what to do after highschool, she asked me some questions about engineering - she thought she might like to be an engineer (and that's the program she'll now enter in the fall).

One question she asked was: What is a typical day at work like for you? It was actually a hard question to answer. I sometimes wonder myself where all the time goes, but at least I have problems out in front of me that can be defined and solved.

Other professions just baffle me. Several times I've been offered a chance to go into management, and I declined. I honestly look at them and think: What do they do all day? I just don't get it.

So, if you have one of those "people" jobs, could you explain to me what your day is like?

Just to clarify whether I´m part of the target group of your question: What do you mean by "people" job - an "ordinary" 9-5 job, a job where you interact with people, something else?

 

[juvenissun]

When my niece was trying to decide what to do after highschool, she asked me some questions about engineering - she thought she might like to be an engineer (and that's the program she'll now enter in the fall).

One question she asked was: What is a typical day at work like for you? It was actually a hard question to answer. I sometimes wonder myself where all the time goes, but at least I have problems out in front of me that can be defined and solved.

Other professions just baffle me. Several times I've been offered a chance to go into management, and I declined. I honestly look at them and think: What do they do all day? I just don't get it.

So, if you have one of those "people" jobs, could you explain to me what your day is like?

A lot of paper work. They have to collect data too. So, what his people do become data on his paper. May be he would do a few analyses too.

I am just guess. I talk to people, but they are not part of my work.

 

[Resha Caner]

Just to clarify whether I´m part of the target group of your question: What do you mean by "people" job - an "ordinary" 9-5 job, a job where you interact with people, something else?

I meant a job where interacting with people is the primary task. I was thinking specifically of managers, but I'd also be curious to hear from sales people, counselors, lobbyists, etc.

I guess I'm also thinking of jobs that don't structure their tasks. For example, a school teacher is a "people" job, but the day is structured into classes, so I get what they're doing - 50 minutes to the students in first period, then 50 minutes to the students in second period, ...

 

[cXXo]

As a manager, you're generally given a group of front-line employees to supervise and manage.

You are responsible for the performance of these employees, and your primary task is to ensure that they are doing their job up to standards.

Essentially, you need to have an understanding of what the job that they are doing is, which is why it is very common for employees to be promoted from within into management positions.

Let's say, for example, that your team (the employees you are supervising) are selling insurance packages over the phone. There are several criteria through which you can gauge their performance. Sales, customer service, handle time.

An employee that makes a sale on every call is good, but not if those calls are 7 hours long, or if they treat their customers poorly.

You need to coach your team members on how to do their job best, by evaluating their performance, identifying problem areas, and giving them criticism that takes them down the path of betterment while motivating them as well.

You need to collect data on the performance of your team and present that to YOUR managers. You also need to take into account things like attendance, adherence to policies such as dress code, etc. You are also sometimes responsible for reconciling your employees payroll. You are the medium between your team and upper management, so you are responsible for communicating with the higher-ups in the company and delivering any information they give you to your team.

Something like that anyway.