I have an idea of what skills my character uses in her job, but I'm not sure what the actual job is. Any ideas?
She's an introverted person at home, but people are surprised that she is more outgoing at work. She's not a manager but she maybe does something that coordinates with or trains other people, or maybe just talks to them on the phone. But there has to be some sort of defined positions or a script or something - because she's terribly shy outside of her job. I think she comes out of her shell when there's a task at hand, but if the conversation is the only thing to focus on she starts thinking too much about it and clams up. Some sort of multitasking - where she's making something, or looking something up on the computer, or watching something, while she talks to people.
Any idea what job this could be? She's pretty smart - she went to college, because all her former classmates are lawyers and doctors now, but I'm not sure whether this job makes use of her education or not.
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55,232 / 50,000
May 7, 2008 - 15 44
What if she was a teacher? It would definitely allow her to come out of her shell.
----------2006: Dance of the Mamed (about 18000 words)
2007: Project I-12 (WINNER AND FINISHED!)
Cups of caffinated drinks consumed: Too many to count.
If it's in the forum, and it doesn't make sence, then I probably posted it.
21,155 / 50,000
May 7, 2008 - 15 59
High school band teacher
Flight instructor
Karate sensei
0 / 50,000
May 7, 2008 - 18 22
Maybe a librarian or a librarian's assistant? Pointing people towards books and discussing them may be the key that unlocks her shyness.
60,560 / 50,000
May 7, 2008 - 19 42
Landscaping. No, seriously. I've met some of the shyest people, and then I bump into them at my landscaping job and they are the most energetic, outgoing people ever, but if you see them on the street, you'd never think it. Actually, there are three girls coming to mind right now.
----------The real hero is always a hero by mistake; he dreams of being an honest coward like everyone else.
- Umberto Eco
14,160 / 50,000
May 7, 2008 - 21 20
A small retail shop.
I am really shy. Stupid shy. I hate going up to people to ask for something. Even teachers. I work at a small yarn shop. There are seven people that work there, and that is including the owner and her husband, the accountant. I have to answer the phone, help people find the right yarn, teach classes, help people that just come in with a problem, and I do register. I can ask people if they need help, show them where the yarn is that they are looking for, fix mistakes for people, whatever. But I am really shy.
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May 8, 2008 - 06 07
Anything in hospitality or where she has to plan or coordinate events. Like a hotel events manager or someone who is in charge of events at a banquet hall.
That will force you out of your shell in a hurry, and you need great multitasking skills.
50,718 / 50,000
May 8, 2008 - 16 48
Acting? Johnny Depp is very shy in real life, but you would never guess it from his movies. Maybe she could be in film or theater.
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May 8, 2008 - 17 49
To go with what Stellameredith said, I used to be horribly shy, even into my late teens/early twenties and then I got my first real job as a Reservations Co-ordinator at a hotel, where the phone never stopped ringing and I was forced to talk to people all the time (and some could be very nasty). I'd have to be talking to the person on the phone, at the same time checking the computer for availability, booking it, then I'd be trying to check their confirmation fax and the phone would be going again, or the receptionists would be whinging because they couldn't find a booking so I'd have to go and help them, then I'd have to check details with management, or people would want to visit the hotel and check the rooms before they made a large booking, greet coach loads of 40+ people every month... gah, after a couple of months, I was too busy to remember to be shy. But I was (am) still my usual quiet, introverted self outside of work ...
As for going to college, I'm sure some places do Hotel and Catering Management programmes or similar
----------Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars
Kahlil Gibran
50,742 / 50,000
May 9, 2008 - 04 53
I'm going to echo the hotel statements. I'm a desk clerk at a hotel. Normally, I am quiet, but I'm sort of forced to be outgoing and cheerful here at work.
----------Your Service,
Ket Makura
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May 9, 2008 - 09 45
Hey, that's interesting. I would've thought a hotel would be the worst place for a shy person, because you always have to be "on" and a little phony. But maybe a shy person is better able to fake it than an outgoing person, since they usually have to do some faking in everyday conversation anyway.
So what would be involved in a hospitality job? I like this front desk position. Is that pretty much a minimum wage position or can it pay more? Is there any downtime in the position when my character can be drawing things in her sketchbook? And what does a "night auditor" do? Is that a busy position?
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May 9, 2008 - 18 17
I'm gonna be honest and let you know that the first thing that popped into my head was "hmmm... stripper?".
Not even kidding. I don't meant to say that it's the best option out of the above but its pretty funny.
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I have no W key.
13,402 / 50,000
May 11, 2008 - 18 41
The first thing that I thought of is someone who answers phones all day, maybe like a hotline or a helpline. It's probably easier for shy people to talk to others when they're not face to face. What I immediately immediately thought of was this episode of Psych and these people working at a help hotline that talks to people who are depressed.
50,742 / 50,000
May 11, 2008 - 18 50
I've already answered most of the other questions in your other post, but about the pay: Yeah, it's pretty much around minimum wage, as far as pay. You could get more in a more high-end hotel, most likely.
----------Your Service,
Ket Makura
0 / 50,000
May 14, 2008 - 11 03
To some this may seem silly, but i first thought about acting.
Theres this girl at my school who is the quietist, most shy girl you'd ever meet. But, whenever she has to read aloud (my language arts teacher forces us to pay attention by calling on us to start reading), she has so much energy, you'd never know she was shy. Same goes for plays I've seen her in.
Maybe your character is shy because she's uncomfortable with herself, but when she can be someone else, she's fine?
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May 14, 2008 - 13 30
Heh, yeah, that's very true. If you listen to interviews with a lot of the most acclaimed Hollywood actors, a lot of them report having been shy as a kid (and some at least pretend to continue being shy today). It doesn't fit what I need my character to do, but I think you're very very right. Maybe I'll throw it into her backstory somewhere...
50,268 / 50,000
May 14, 2008 - 14 29
I would second teaching or work with children. I'm very shy with people I don't know. When I made my first sarcastic comment after three months in my last office job my colleagues were so shocked. Now I'm back working with children I'm forced to be outgoing, enthusiastic and all the rest for six hours a day. I have no choice. I'm much more nervy with my colleagues than I am with the kids. I work with rowdy teenagers but little kids might be less threatening for her.