How do I stop people from asking personal questions I don't want to answer?

How do I deal with people asking questions like “Where are you from, what do you do for a living, do you work?” etc? I don’t feel like explaining stuff or if I don’t feel comfortable with a stranger asking. What’s a polite way to brush it off but not seem rude? Sometimes I feel like it’s too rude for me to respond “It’s not important to know.” I feel it’s really nosy but at the same time I know people are just being polite and want to make small/talk and conversation.