Career vs job: following your passion

There is a considerable difference between just holding down a job and developing a career. However, people can hold several jobs during the course of their career, if the jobs all involve the same or related fields of work.

Working hard in a field of employment that you are passionate about over the course of your working life is considered your career while working hard in a job you don’t care much about can be stressful and discouraging. A job you have no passion for is just a means to a pay packet. For many, a job is about survival, not growth.

So, what is the difference between a job and a career?

A career is where someone can pursue their passion and progress in their chosen field or profession, whereas a job is just a position of regular employment that provides a regular wage.

If we examine the parameters of the job, we can recognize certain typical characteristics.

It is a means to earn an agreed rate of regular wages, to earn a livelihood

Some job-related training may be required

Is often considered a boring grind and unfulfilling

This can build resentment and dissatisfaction with the job

The worker may do the bare minimum required to get through the shift

It is usually short term in duration

The worker is often looking for a new job

While the job is a means to earn income by trading your time for money, it often doesn’t instill a great sense of loyalty or dedication. Work you don’t enjoy or you find boring can cause stress. Workers are often on the lookout for a better opportunity and don’t hesitate to switch to a new position elsewhere.

Exploring the features of a career, however, builds a different picture. A career is a profession or occupation that often follows specialist field education and training and becomes a person’s life work.

Building a lifelong work history in the same field

Is viewed as a long-term employment proposition

Provides a pathway of progression towards lifelong goals

Often requires education in a specialist field

Is an ongoing process of collecting experience

Work is often a happy and invigorating experience

The person strives to go above and beyond the basic role requirements

Offers plenty of potential for promotion and advancement

Remuneration is often a salary rather than wages and increases with years in the field

Provides room for contribution with your discoveries and innovations

Is usually perceived as the pursuit of a lifelong ambition

A person’s career is an occupation that spans a significant period of their working life. It can be a series of jobs in the same field, that work towards fulfilling their long-term goals and ambitions. It is not just about making money to survive, it’s something more. It is usually built around someone’s passion and their dedication to a particular field of interest. In a devoted career path, the person is more interested in enjoying job-satisfaction than just the money.

In conclusion, a dedicated career is a journey, not a job. People invest their time and devotion in following their dreams and their goals. A career gives the individual a path to do what they love during their working life while gaining satisfaction and fulfillment along the way.