Expert: Torski Dobson-Arnold - 1/12/2009

Question
Hi, can you tell me what is the difference between job an d career. I started working as a legal and tax advisor. What should I do if I want to call this career? I like my work here, but if career means promotion, I think in our small company there is practically no chance to get promoted. So how can I make a career? Is it important to have not just a job but a career? When is a certain employment a career and not just a job? Thanks!!

Answer
Anabel:

I wrote an article on this very topic  that I believe can provide insight on this important topic.  I would like to share it with you.  MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

Is it a Job or a Career?
By Torski Dobson-Arnold, PHR

It depends on who and how you ask it.  Most people respond to the age old question of “So, where are you working now?” by saying “Ooh, I’ve got a job down at the sanitation department” or “I recently started a new job as a waitress at the local eatery”, or even “I work for state government now”.  All of these people may be correct; but I doubt they want to be.

As you read, one may also think, “Really, what does it matter, anyway?”  Believe it or not, your response to this question can determine the likelihood of your next opportunity and when it will come knocking.  According to Koon Mei Ching at Jobstreet.com the difference in the two terms is vast and distinct.

“According to the dictionary, a "job" is defined as "a paid position of employment and something one has to do, a responsibility." Interestingly enough, the root word for "job" is, humorously, an Old English word that means "a lump." The reference is to a quantity, a "lump" of work, so to speak. As it applies to our topic, it is one distinct and unrelated period of employment in a series of jobs one may have.

A "career," on the other hand, comes from Middle French and stems from an earlier word for "car" -- and then "street." So, a career is a path. The dictionary defines it as "an occupation, a way of making a living, especially with opportunities for advancement or promotion, and progress through life." It is a journey - a career pathway.”

With this understanding, tell me, who do you know that wants to refer to themselves as doing “a lump of work” for a living?  If this doesn’t sound very exciting you to, imagine how a prospective employer would feel if you refer to yourself as “just having a job”.  There is even certain slang terminology that defines “a job” as an acronym, “J.O.B.” meaning “Just Over Broke”.  I know; this doesn’t sound very inspiring to me either.

In order to develop the confidence you need to move your career to another level, career seekers, both active and passive, need to rethink their perspective on whether or not they have a job or a career.  If your employment experiences do not reflect the path of a distinct occupation or vocation, you may want to consider taking more training and/or professional development classes to tailor your career on a path that you enjoy and find most rewarding.  

Other options to explore might be job placement and personality testing to determine what career options might be best suited to fulfill both personal and professional career goals.