When you tell someone you are a development officer, how do they respond? I get a fair amount of "Oh I could NEVER do that. I HATE asking people for money." I usually mumble something about how it's-not-actually-as-horrible-as-I-guess-it-seems and then I sort of change the subject.

What I would rather say is that my career allows me to help make the world a better place. I get to partner with donors to create a game plan for making the best and highest use of their philanthropy. I work with organizations to develop opportunities for donors to do so in support of their greatest priorities. It's more than asking people for money--that happens, of course, but the value I bring is my ability to work side-by-side with donors and organizations to answer the why/how/how much/when questions.

If my job was just asking people for money, that would be totally AOK. Amazing causes need money to achieve their missions and I have the skillset to make that happen. That is a fact. I'm grateful, though, that being a development officer is so much more than that. I love thinking about the individuals and families involved with major philanthropic projects over the years--why they gave, how they gave, when they gave, and how much they gave. I play a small role, but an important one.

How do you describe your job to people?