jobs and work

so i had a very interesting conversation with a good friend the other night. she is a doctor and is a single woman. and dating can be very tricky for her. we talked about how sometimes it might be nice for her to date a guy without him knowing what her job is. cuz like it or not, there are all sorts of assumptions and whatnot that go along with the dr. title, as with anything else in the world (and you wouldnt believe the stories this girl has from dates-people completely alter their boundaries of what is "normal" and "acceptable" behavior and conversation on a first date when they know you are a doctor). but the thing is, how much of who we are is our job? most of us spend more of our waking hours there than anywhere else. its a huge part of our identity. but its just a job, right? to pay the bills, to live. but all the qualities that we have, who we are is developed and shaped by that job. we have to step into different roles and do things that we maybe wouldn't normally do, because the job requires it. so then we become the person that we need to be at work-but is that now the new us? or just a part we play to excel in our profession? they say you can't compartmentalize your life and that you have to be the same person (i think mostly referring to values and integrity, so maybe it doesnt completely apply to what i am speaking of) in all settings. but i dont know if thats the case. and going back to my friend who said she would like to date without guys knowing she is a doctor; can you really get to know her without knowing that? so much of who she is, her drive, dedication, discipline, intelligence, etc, is very much tied to the fact that she is a doctor. so that is incredibly impressive and attractive. but is it attractive because our society glorifies the occupation, the title...or because she herself has worked so hard to accomplish her goals? and on a side note, i think its weird that we do spend such a huge percentage of our lives at work, with people who may be good friends, but aren't really a huge part of our lives. and that those we love and care about the most, usually never see us in our work roles, doing hopefully what it is we do best. weird.