Sooooo, that has something to do with computers, right?
Couldn’t you just say something like “our data isn’t getting from A to B correctly, and I have to troubleshoot it”?
As a SQL Server DBA, I too am familiar with what you’re talking about; but when I try to explain it to my wife all I get is the glassy eyed stare. 
I was able to teach her her counting in hex though; so all is not lost.
Most likely that you’ll be out of work soon.
Hehe , here is how the usual discussion of what I do goes like.
Some person: “So what do you do?”
Me: “I’m a programmer"please don’t ask, please don’t ask
SP: “What kind of programming do you do?”
MeDammit"Well I don’t do much actual programming anymore, I’m more of a technical project lead these days”
SP: Blank stare"You’re a manager"
Me “Nope I don’t deal with people stuff”
SP pause “are you a Project manager?”
Me “Nope, I don’t give a crap about the budget,or application scope function-point complexity to man-hours ratio”
SP; “So what do you do?”
Me: “well mostly I over see a project and look for everything everyone else is doing wrong”
SP: “So you’re a tester?”
Me “Not even close. Basically every large project has about 20 groups involved; Enterprise architects, analysts, Security, Project managers, release managers,Business,DBA, Operations, Corporate standards, Programmers, testers etc. None of whom know a damn thing about any other piece of it. So I translate, fix,negotiate,threaten,beg, redesign,recode, optimize, or throw away and everything else you can think of involved in making sure we end up with a useful, reality-based,maintainable, standardized application, somewhat close to the estimate I pulled out of my ass 18 months earlier”
SP:" Ohhhhhhhh… umkay’
After I tell people I’m a trader they never believe I have no opinion on what Apple stock is going to do.
Hell, that’s easy to understand. Power markets is where you buy the food to make power lunches.
I have no idea what you all are writing about. I almost fell asleep a few times reading.
I do have 2 brother in laws who work with computers - I have not a clue what they do, and I would not understand.
One brother in law sent us all used laptops when his company was switching over to new ones. We just had to pay $25.00 for shipping. I got 4, 2 still work pretty good. He must have shipped out around 40 (I have a big family). There was no information or anything like that on them.
I am a glorified secretary, with a very boring life. I have had fun jobs over the years, like working on a dinner cruise ship, working at a printing press, made christmas lights, worked in retail. Unfortunately, the money sucks and you get no benefits. So, that is what I do. They call me a Financial Analyst, I just laugh and laugh. I am not even sure what that is. Oh well, the pay is good.
One of my first tech leads used to answer with “I organize ones and zeros into useful patterns.”
SAP?
In a previous life I worked with immunoconjugates to design antibody-drug conjugates to supplement monoclonal antibody therapies.
I’m a proposal writer, and in casual conversation I don’t even bother to try to explain what I actually do – because sometimes I’m a proposal coordinator, sometimes I’m more like a proposal manager, sometimes I also write white papers and RFI responses, etc. I usually leave it at “I write proposals for a federal contractor” and ignore any blank stares. (Though I will admit that “proposal writer” is easier for the average person to understand than “technical writer,” which is what I did for ~15 years before changing careers to business development.)
Trying to explain DRFPs, Capture, and pre-proposal work to friends/family members always results in polite smiling and nodding. I show mercy by refraining from mentioning terms like “Section L”…
I actually know what all of those acronyms stand for!
Yeah, I do that, too. 
Now you’re just making words up.
And I learned all of those doing proposals for NIH projects. LOL!
When you mentioned SBA classifications and NAICS codes, I had a feeling proposals might be involved…
Sorry I took so long to reply.
Pretty much. I run a machine that places very tiny electrical components on circuit boards.
Exactly!
Ever have to run one? Serious pain sometimes.
Impressive to watch when it runs. Pain when it decides to stop. Since you have many hours on the factory floor, I’m sure you know what I mean.
Not real sure about that, we are a small company and are buying a second machine. (and a second headache)