How's the non-profit job going?

[Anonymous]

I think it’s the main/first thing she remembered about you—that you moved to a nonprofit. I think you are not just over sensitive but also very defensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do people always assume bad intent like this? Do you all just go around making shady comments to your acquaintances and assume everyone else does?

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ran into someone I know that I haven't seen in about a half year. We are both lawyers, only she is an associate at a small firm, and I am at a civil rights organization. The first thing she said to me was, "How's the non-profit job going?" Not even, "Hi, how are you?"

I think she knows where I work and the nature of my work so I found it odd that she phrased it as "non-profit job." Like, that's so broad. It's like me asking her, "So, how are you liking your business job?" The more I thought about it, the more I think that she was making a mild dig at me implying that working in the non-profit sector is somehow beneath working for a small firm. Maybe nothing about my role registered with her except that it was at a *gasp* non-profit?

Am I being overly sensitive and her question was a normal question? FWIW, I love my job and its mission, my co-workers, the flexibility, schedule, and decent pay (albeit not high-paying).

"How is life at the firm? " is a completely normal question.
Your insecurity is getting in your way. Your last sentence clinches it, fretting over the pay.

[Anonymous]

Depending on how well you know each other, she was probably just excited that she remembered something about your job and could ask you about it.