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What's the difference between a "career" and a "job"?
What makes one any more important than the other?
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9 Answers
Caty, an interesting question. Everyone has a different perspective, I suppose.
For me, a job is work that I do, but have no particular passion about. If I strive to get to the next level, it is probably about money.
A career is a direction with passion and joy! It is wanting to learn more, be more, do more because it is energizing. HR is that for me.
The difference between a career and a job in my opinion has to do with time. For example, most careers are things you do with passion where the time simply fades away while jobs are things that if you got paid more would quit in a heartbeat.
Bagging fries at McDonalds is a job that has little in the way of reward, mental stimulus or autonomy while a career lets you become the best you can be...
I had a job (no direction, just took what was available). Over time it turned it into a career (loved what I did, wanted to do more, and looked at long term goals).
I agree with Iris' statement concerning perspective. A career to me, is not to you and visa versa.
Why isn't McDonalds a career? Because it isn't considered "professional" or "unionized".
Any job that you aspire to, regardless of station or hierarchy is a career. A quick point of reference, in the 50's and 60's a career girl could be a Secretary or a Teacher, today, they run for President of the United States.
Funny how that perspective thing changes... :)
a job is part of a career, at any point in time. I think of of all jobs and roles and professional experiences I had as jobs that I got done (or not) with the means I had and under specific constraints of the situation that's given. I look at my career as the collection of experiences, learnings, memories and future aspirations that I hope my current job is contributing to. Today I have a job at hand, tomorrow in the same exact position/ company/ role i will have another job at hand. Example: every single client I take care of is to me like a new or different job.
The others have said it well but the first thing I thought was what is the difference between just living and having a life.
Caty,
For me my career is the summary of my experiences and positions. A job is a particular position that I am performing. You need to balance both. Don't get so caught up in your "career" that you forget to do your job.
Too many times I hear people talk about their "careers" in the abstract. Unless you work for yourself managing your career is your primary responsibility, employers hire you to perform a job or role. When the "job" meshes with your career objectives you have a great fit, but you need to remember organizations don't exist to fulfill employee's career aspirations- that is icing on the cake- not the cake...
A job is a one time event such as digging hole for a foundation. It is the job of the excavator operator to dig the hole.
A professional designs what goes in the hole.
Professionals seem to create the jobs after the finance guys do their work.
Yes, without the excavator the hole doesn't get dug quickly but it can be dug by hand if necessary.
A job is what you do today. A career is what you do with your life.
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