[JohnFen]

> it will tell you so much about the person

But only if you know the person well enough to have the context of it. What a person's job says about them is very different, for example, if they love their job vs hating their job.

[DougN7]

Love or hate the job, knowing what it is gives you insights/guesses into skillsets, education level, economic level, possibly the type of people they mingle with, etc, etc.

[JohnFen]

Perhaps, but talking with them for 15 minutes will do the same in any case.

[DougN7]

That is true, and if it does the same, then asking about a job gets you there 15 minutes sooner. It’s an optimization.