I personally have never found it a problem. I just say I work with computers. They usually swiftly move onto another subject or if they're a geek too we end up talking shop way too long
When I meet new people I make a point of not asking what they do for a living until I know them a little better. We're lucky in the uk because we can always talk about the weather if we're struggling for something topical to break the ice. (no pun intended)