For Professional Readers

Hi everybody,

I'm a professional Tarot reader. I make a good living and enjoy what I do. However, for personal reasons I don't want everybody to know what I do for a living.
To Professional Readers: when acquaintances ask what you do for a living what do you say? I sometimes say "Consultant" or "Independent Contractor". But then they usually want me to give more details.

Any help would be appreciated!

I use "Intuitive consultant" but I've seen plenty of people use the term life coach. I just explain to those who are curious that I am a consultant who helps my clients see their options and form ways to achieve their goals.

Life_Vibrantly said:

I sometimes say "Consultant" or "Independent Contractor". But then they usually want me to give more details.

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But that doesn't mean you have to give them more details.

Just politely say you are not looking for additional business and you like to keep your professional and personal life separate. Then move the conversation on to another topic.

I go to school, and read to help pay the bills. I just tell them I'm a student and talk about my studies.
I realize that that's not at all helpful for you, and that I too will soon need to find an answer to this question. For now, though, it works for me.

I just say "I'm retired," which leads off into "Oh, what did you used to do?" and away from more delicate questions. When it somes back around to "What do you do all day?" I either say "Whatever I want" (well, in truth I point to my wife and say "Whatever she wants . . .") or make up some generic bs. I'm still waiting for the day when someone I know shows up for a reading. That should be fun.

I tell them I am an entertainer. Which I am. Of course, then they want to know more, but they asked for it, so they get it. And yes, some have actually inched away from me, but I won't (and DON'T apologize) for what I do. I am what I am.

My experience is after a few minutes we go on to other topics. And that is that.
barb

A helpful thing I've done when someone is asking questions I don't necessarily feel comfortable answering is, in response to their question, I just say something pleasant but not revealing too much, and then say "Why do you ask?" Sometimes I go straight for "why do you ask?" That works very well in cases where someone is being extra nosey. It brings the focus back to them and off of whatever it is they were wanting to know.

I'm retired and that's handy to reply with, but if questioned further after I've said I'm retired, I can give one or more of a handful of answers and none of them have to include Tarot or reading cards if I don't want to bring that up.

You could answer that you're an entertainer because we really are that, in many respects.

I'm sitting in one of the common areas of the apartment building I'm living in and on the wall in front of me is a bold, colorful invitation to join the Blessed Hope Christian Fellowship on Sunday. That gives me a heads-up that I probably will consider carefully before revealing to just anyone that I'm a fortune teller, but I'm not ashamed of it or afraid to bring it up like I was at an earlier time in my use of the cards. I just don't see any reason to flaunt something in the faces of people who might find that a sign of sinfulness or some such thing.

I rarely say to people who are asking what I do that I am a Tarot reader. If it comes apparent that they are open to this kind of stuff and are interested in intuition and the spirit world, I disclose it...but in the most cases, I keep it to myself...

I'm hesitant to say to people I'm a Tarot reader, too. It isn't my main source of income, though. If Tarot reading WAS my main source of income and paid all my bills I would probably shout it from the rooftops.

I do sometimes say I'm a metaphysical consultant, if they ask for details then I would go into more of what I do which isn't only tarot.

( But I'm also a life coach, so I'm not sure why a tarot reader would give that as their occupation. If someone was actually expecting to get a life coaching session, they would be very surprised to get a tarot reading, they are very different things.)

I sometimes say "I am a couselor. I talk with a client and help him or her find out what's really happening and how to overcome the obstacles."