talkmagic.co.uk

I was out with a group of friends earlier in the week who all have different side-lines apart from their regular day jobs.

The discussion turned rather quickly to our various side-lines and it was interesting to hear that when asked "what do you do for a living?! by people that they are introduced to, the majority answered by NOT revealing what they actually did as their day job and instead made out that their side-line was their job.

Example - I have a good friend who is a bus driver and in his spare time he teaches people to play the piano but if asked, he always tells people that he's a piano teacher.

The common view was that they would much rather talk about what interested them and not about their work given that most were fed up with their main jobs anyway.

So, how many of you with a regular day job when asked what you do for a living tell people that you're a magician first and foremost?

Well I'm a full-time mentalist/psychic so this doesn't really apply, but I tell people I'm a magician just because it's easier than trying to explain. Then they tell me that their friend is looking for someone to do their 4 year old's party and I die a little bit inside.

I have never mentioned to anyone that I perform magic. If someone I've just met asks me what I do for a living, I tell them what I do for a living. I don't perform magic for money so I don't mention it. (In any case, everyone at work knows I'm into magic, anyway). If my magic was bringing in an income, however small, then I would probably mention that I was a magician. But seeing as it's just a hobby for me, so of course I don't mention it.

It seems a bit odd that your friend would tell people that he is a piano teacher. I can understand his reasons for doing so, but if asked what do you do for a living?, then surely he is a bus driver? I'm presuming here that he earns more from driving a bus than he does from being a piano teacher. If the reverse is true, then fair enough, he's a piano teacher.

In a nutshell, I think that whatever brings in the most money and pays your bills, mortgage, etc. is what you do for a living as your day job. Everything else is a hobby, an interest, a side-line, whatever.

I agree with Replicant here but I do understand why the urge to make oneself seem more interesting and to forget about the day job for a while.

On the other hand I'd hate to say "I'm a magician" to someone today and "Welcome to McDonalds may I take your order?" tomorrow.

Being a mentalist is not something that i "do". It's something that i am.

Though i would not refer to myself as either a magician nor a mentalist if the conversation was about that kind of thing. I would say a psychic entertainer, or someone who has a profound interest in the esoteric.

As pretentious as i could make it sound basically.

We discussed this and his reason is that he gets well and truly fed up with people complaining to him about a bus ride that they took two years ago and how do you get to x,y and z type questions......

He avoids these by telling people that he teaches piano which earns him only a small amount. Yes it would be embarrasing if people got on the bus and recognised him

Another friend (yes, I have more than one - honest ) is a mechanical engineer and he's disillusioned about his job. He restores classic cars in his spare time which is his passion, and he often tells people that this is what he does.

Mid life crisis maybe

I tell them the truth of course... I'm an international jewel thief.

I always say that I do magic part time with a wish to go pro in the near future.
I would say to anyone who gets the odd gig here and there or indeed wants to start that line of work to mention it.
You never know the person you have just met may have an opportunity for a paid job.

On the other hand I personally would find it rather dishonest to suggest you are a full time magician if this isn't the case. If you dont earn the large majority of you income through performance you are still a part time professional no matter how much your ego says you are

I hardly ever mention magic if someone asks what I do, I tell them what I am. Even though I do earn a small amount of money from it, I still think of magic as a hobby and usually crops up when talking about those.

Although I have got into a habbit, after a few drinks of telling people that I'm an exotic dancer. The reactions that can get just make me laugh.

I suppose you've heard about the girl from the IT Department who made extra money in her spare time working in a club? She was a laptop dancer....

Mandrake wrote:I suppose you've heard about the girl from the IT Department who made extra money in her spare time working in a club? She was a laptop dancer....

I went to a laptop dancing club once but it was rubbish. The screensavers kept coming on but there was a no touching policy.

Tomo wrote:I went to a laptop dancing club once but it was rubbish. The screensavers kept coming on but there was a no touching policy.

Here's your coat, Tomo

Well, I proofread puzzle magazines and am not embarrassed to admit it! I find it interesting work, and apparently so do other people, more often than not.

If the conversation turns to magic tricks I'll talk about that. If it turns to computer gaming I'll talk about that. Or animal behaviour. Medicine. Whatever.

When I worked at the British Council, the head of the art department said he was fed up telling people he was a designer because they tended to think it's a glamorous job. They kept pestering him about it, trying to show him their drawings, etc. So he would just say he worked for the civil service. Nobody ever wanted to follow up on that.

I tell people, quite truthfully, I sell industrial gas valves. Immediately their eyes glaze over and they seek the nearest exit...

My actual job appears to be more interesting to other people than the fact I can do a little (bad) sleight of hand. Dammit.