Job vs. Career

[Der Alta]

IN a recent conversation with my boss, we talked about wives, and what they did. His wife had a career, my wife has a job.

As we talked more about how our wives view the work we do, I realized that my wife viewed my work as "a job", whereas I viewed it as "a career". This has caused a few discussions about how I view the hours I put in vs. the hours she sees me put in.

I'm wondering how others view their work. Do you have a job, or a career? What makes you consider it a job or a career?

 

[Delirious]

I am in school to work at a church, that could be considered how you would say a "career"

I am currently working at krogers as a "job" to support myself so i can advance to the "career" i want to be apart of

 

[Kylehnat]

I have a "job." A "job" is something you do only for money. A "career" is work in an area that interests you. That's my take.

 

[Ev0]

I'm currently studying Mechanical Engineering, and I consider this part of my upcoming (hopefully) career in this field. I'm definitley in for the long haul.

Job = short term
Career = long term

 

[Event]

IMO, Jobs are for making money for the now, Careers are for making money for the future.

 

[Pupik]

Now that I own a Lexus, being a service manager is a career. The parts and labor are much cheaper that way.

Although, I have to admit I never really thought much about my job being a career. After 3 years, it's what I know. It's comfortable knowing that many variables aren't changing every day, so you have more and more confidence in your work.

I learn a little each day, I meet nice people, I get love and respect. Sure, I get some dung from it all, but it's nice having a job that makes people ask more questions about your job. I have enough money and stability for the present, some the immediate future, and a foundation for retirement. Since I've recently dealt with the disasters of hurricanes and health problems of my wife, I've really changed my outlook on how I'm providing for my family.

So it's a career for me...even if I was still driving the beige Corolla.

 

[Mike Rotch]

My first employment out of university was a ‘job’. Its sole function was for me to earn money, get marketable experience and make contacts such that I could find a career. I am now in that career as a financial engineer at a yanky consulting firm.

For me, the distinction is clear. If you get up in the morning and think “mofo, time to go and kill braincells for the next 7/8/9 hours”, it’s a job. If you get up in the morning and you look forward to getting into the office, it’s a career. A job earns money to pay bills. A career enriches your life in more ways then simple monetary terms.

 

[Lee]

A "job" is something you do only for money. A "career" is work in an area that interests you. That's my take.

Agreed. 👍

I think careers are something you want to do because A) It generally intrests you and B) Because it can lead to bigger and brighter things. I.E. The armed forces.

Job's are just a way of getting money and will probably not be in your picture the older you get. I.E. A shelf stacking job at a supermarket.

 

[Touring Mars]

I consider myself on a career path, because my current job has a definite lineage to what I've done previously - by the same token, it will hopefully be projected into the future (the ever elusive 'career path')...

I've often considered the benefits of my particular 'career' (Academic/Research Scientist) and the disadvantages too... I could (in theory) earn alot more money by switching jobs... by taking a job that had no connection to my immediate past (i.e. in the financial sector, possibly as an analyst) or even a job in a related discipline, (i.e. the pharmaceutical industry) and see if either could later develop into a career in their own right...(with increasing experience etc.)

But I personally feel that I want to stick with the career path am I on since it has already developed to a large extent, and also (importantly) because I feel I have influence over which precise direction it takes (i.e. by being in the privileged position of being able to select a relevant job)... I fear that if I switched jobs (and careers), that this power of influence would be the first thing that I'd lose... but, the incentive could potentially be more job security (if there is such a thing, that is!) and more money... so far, I'm merely going on the premise that I enjoy my job, and enjoy my life on the money I get paid for it, and that there are 'career' prospects too...

 

[Duke]

I think, as others have mentioned above, it depends more on the attitude than the job itself.

If it's what you see yourself doing 10 years from now, in the same location or not, it's a career. If you see you doing something else, it's a job.

Many people have serial jobs all their lives without ever actually making a career out of it. My sister, for one, and my brother-in-law for another. They've always had a job, sometimes better paying, sometimes not. But when they get bored or laid off, they go get another job that may or may not have anyhting to do with their previous one. My wife's sister has always been an office-type worker bee; it's just through the years she's worked for a telecommunications company, an outfit that sells bowling supplies, a regional health care administrator, and several other distinctly unrelated companies.

My wife has had the same full-time, professional job for 15 years... but it's not quite a career, because the step up from where she is is management, and she doesn't want to manage people. It's not like she's uncommitted to her career, but she's not interested in advancing where it leads. So she's in the hinterlands between "job" and "career". For that matter, I am too, at this stage - in fact, I've been trying to decide how much that bothers me in recent years. I've turned down a couple of moderate advancements over the last few years because they would disturb my comfortable routine a bit too much. Right now, there's a bit of a vacuum into which I could move if I felt like pushing for it, but I'm trying to decide if I really feel like pushing for it.

 

[Danoff]

A career is about the feild, a job is about the money.

What distinguishes a career from a job is the skill set involved and whether you focus on developing that skill set as you go along. Careers are about the long term, but not necessarily about the same company or position within that company. You can hop around from company to company and as long as you're using the same core skills you're following a career.

Careers require education, and they follow a particular feild with a cohesive set of skills.

I have a career and my wife has a career.

 

[THE ED3]

A job is something you do to fund your racing. A career is something you have when you cant drive...

 

[MagpieRacer]

Job is something unspecific, could be anything, career is something youve chosen yourself that you want to do your whole life.

 

[THE ED3]

like street walker or crackhead

 

[Dave A]

I have a job and a career, but they arn't the same thing. I think Duke said it well, it's how you view your work. My job is just where I go to earn enough money to gaurentee I can pay my bills each month regardless of what I earn that month in my career, my career is working for myself but if Iay for two or three weeks, I won't earn much that month, so for now I still have a job. I don't agree with danoff that a career requires education though,you canhave a career in the post office starting off delivering mail, you can have a career in call centers (why you'd want to is beyond me, but you can), and thoes places will take anyone on ect.

 

[Der Alta]

OK, so can a job turn into a career, and a career into a job?

At what point do you decide that you have a job or you have a career? Someone noted that education is the difference. Then would Pupik be wron g in his assesment?

One of the guys I work with started as a laborer (yes, you'd consider it a job). 9 years later he's still here, but does significantly more than what he used to do. Plus, he's got a Company truck and AMEX. He doesn't plan on leaving and likes where he's at.

He's been offered more money and better equipment elsewhere, but feels that his relationship with the company is worth more than a few bucks more. So would you consider his employment a job, or a career.

Now on the flip side, I feel that I am in a career. I work long hours, get nice bonus' and benefits. but I have no loyalty to the company I'm in. I have a loyalty to the current project and would like to see it through, but have no question that as soon as this project is done, I'm going to keep an eye on the next step up.

Can you do that in a career? or am I simply working at a job, till the next one comes along? Is live4speed right, in that a career is a job that not everyone can get? For instance, an old friend worked in the Audio department at Circuit City. He's now moved all the way up to store manager. He's opening one the newest version of the store in a few months. Yet, he looks forward to getting home to his wife and daughter everyday.

 

[X5.]

Whether an individual's work is viewed as a Job or a Career will pre-dominantly depend upon the individual in question and how he/she views the work that they are in.

I don't think there is a wrong or right answer as this is a very subjective issue which will vary between different employees, cultures etc. For example i'm currently in University studying Economics and Accounting, in future i would like to be an Accountant (hopefully*), in my view that will be my career. At the moment i'm working in a marketing consultancy part-time, purely for the extra cash. I have been here for a few months now and i view this 'work' as a job. Whilst on this job however i met a woman who has been working here for close to 6 years and she views this work as her career as she absolutely loves it and says she cannot see herself doing something else, however i view her career as my job.

I have also worked for my University in raising money from Alumni for financially ill-equipped students who wish to enter university etc. In doing this work i met a lot of lovely people on the phone who told me about their time at the University and their current work. I met this one chap who is in Investment Banking. In his life he has done a fair amount of work like accountancy (my hopeful career), consultancy, sales executive and the like. He viewed all his previous jobs as adding to his career and as not just jobs as without them he would not be where he is today. Also shows how my career can be viewed as a stepping stone for someone else.

Consequently i have seen that a career may be viewed as a final working goal or as the entire process by which you build up experience, skills and abilities (through jobs etc). That's just my opinion

 

[FoolKiller]

OK, so can a job turn into a career, and a career into a job?

I definitely think a job can turn into a career. I know plenty of people who started out as a minimum wage employee while in college but while still in college they proved their worth and earned a promotion. Before long they were managers and making more than a straight out of college job in their field of study would earn them. What they thought was just a job became a career and they just start moving up through management.

I don't know if a career can turn into a job unless you decide this is not what you want to do and never do that again. I definitely believe ina career change but if you work at something for ten years and then switch it didn't go from career to job because you always considered it a career until that last bit.

Then there is my position. I took a job just out of college where a friend recommended me because he got a bonus. Before long we were both promoted and despite the murmurings of nepotism we have done well together. He is now head of a department and I am a project coordinator within that department. We both started with the intent of a job until something better became available, but we proved to be good at the job and started moving up. The health benefits are great and I get a good match on my 401(k).

I have a health condition and a health plan that covers preexisting conditions withouta percentage deductible is hard to come by. All kinds of jobs that I qualify for pay better but none of them have the healthcare plan to match. I have decided to hang around and see where this goes. I have begun to consider this a career, or career step. If nothing else it will give me managerial experience to help me achieve my next stage in my career.

No matter how you look at it, it pays the bills and pads the resume within my career field of choice without making me miserable and that is all I care about.

 

[194GVan]

lol wow I dont think too deeply on that.

I call it my job, but Ive been at it for 3 years, went to school for it, and am transferring to another company to further my experience and learn some new things (and a fatter paycheck). Eventually, I would like to get enough training to get state licensing for my work experience and knowledge. But that would be a different job than what I do now in the same field. So would that make what I am doing now a job and what I end up doing later a career? Or is this all part of my "career" experience?

Enough with the technicalities! I dont care what you call it, its what I do!

 

[FoolKiller]

Enough with the technicalities! I dont care what you call it, its what I do!

In other words, it's all work, right?

 

[Poverty]

I think of a job as a kind of dead end movement but career is something in which you advance up the ranks to your chosen job.

 

[VIPFREAK]

I have "job"s at the moment but I'd like to have a "career" in design or computers ideally (based on kylehnat take).

 

[TwinTurboJay]

My job has kind of evolved into a career...almost out of my control. I started at the company I am currently a little over 5 years ago. Got my foot in the door as a receptionist ( I had just finished a 18 month dead end contract with IBM and was looking for some side money ) From there after three months moved into data entry and then parts desk and now I am currently in Sales, and Marketing...also some technical assistance for design. I make more than double when I started, and while it maybe a career for now, I am thinking a career change in the future. ...to a stay-at-home-dad!👍

My wife on the other hand has been working on one goal since grade 10 in highschool. She has so far put in 7 years post highschool education into accounting. She is two courses away from being a CGA. She started as an accounting clerk and is now a Office / Accounting Manager, overseeing 15 employees. Another 2-1/2 years and she will have her BA and MBA and her CGA. She will be making 6 figures and I will be dad at home ! .....lol, and I am ok with that!

 

[Gil]

When your profession is what you are, then it is a career.
I am a registered nurse. Not, I work in nursing. Though both statements are true.
Do I always love what I do! No. But it is the place where I can make the biggest difference, and help the most people.

My wife works as a social worker, and has for the last 16 years. But she wants to be a full-time stay-at-home mom, and eventually grandma.
She is very good at her job, and continues to accept advancements as long as they don't impinge on her "mom-ness".

As Duke said, it pretty much comes down to your attitude about your work/chosen profession.

 

[194GVan]

In other words, it's all work, right?

Yep, gotta pay the piper. Make ends meet. Bring home the bacon. And so on and so forth......

 

[Danoff]

I don't agree with danoff that a career requires education though,you canhave a career in the post office starting off delivering mail, you can have a career in call centers (why you'd want to is beyond me, but you can), and thoes places will take anyone on ect.

Careers require education, but that education doesn't necessarily have to come from a university. It can be job experience that gets you into a career. A career can have its roots in minimum wage jobs - but it doesn't start there. You can work at the same place as a janitor and get promoted to something that constitutes a career eventually, but that doesn't mean the janitorial work was a career.

One of the guys I work with started as a laborer (yes, you'd consider it a job). 9 years later he's still here, but does significantly more than what he used to do. Plus, he's got a Company truck and AMEX. He doesn't plan on leaving and likes where he's at.

He's been offered more money and better equipment elsewhere, but feels that his relationship with the company is worth more than a few bucks more. So would you consider his employment a job, or a career.

Now on the flip side, I feel that I am in a career. I work long hours, get nice bonus' and benefits. but I have no loyalty to the company I'm in. I have a loyalty to the current project and would like to see it through, but have no question that as soon as this project is done, I'm going to keep an eye on the next step up.

You can stay with a job and have loyalty to the company, but that doesn't turn it into a career. Likewise loyalty to a company isn't required for a career. Your career is about you, not the company. A career is a LINE of work that you're working on mastering. It's about the refinement of your own skills... skills that you plan to use regardless of whether you work for a particular company.


Here's another take though. What would you call a guy who drops out of high school to become an auto mechanic? A career man? Someone who is working a job? What if he plans to do that for the rest of his life and focuses only on the skills of auto repair? I'd call that a trade .

 

[Poverty]

My career is kinda coming to a standstill. Im gonna have to sidestep a bit to get the experience to get the job I want.

 

[194GVan]

My career is kinda coming to a standstill. Im gonna have to sidestep a bit to get the experience to get the job I want.

You gotta do it man. I just quit my job 2 weeks ago to take a new one which I start next monday, exact same situation as yours