When you meet someone in a social setting, resist the temptation to ask what they do for work.

Why?

That person might:

• Have a crappy job.
• Be unemployed.
• Be someone you should have known.
• Make less money than you.
• Make more money than you.
• Be a student.
• Be something you don’t understand.

Whatever it is, neither of you really want to talk about it.

Put work in the same category as politics and religion.

In social settings, there are MUCH better things about which to ask.