Main Body

2 What do you want? A Job or a Career?

Job vs. career

Gloria San Jose Daims

Learning Objectives

  • Review some of the many motivations students have for entering college.
  • Identify your personal motivation as a pathway to achieving goals.

Job vs. Career

What is the difference between a job and a career? Do you plan to complete college work to help you seek one or the other?

There is no right or wrong answer, because motivations for being in college varies from student to student. Still, it is important to develop a clear plan for what you want to accomplish academically and/or  professionally. The table below shows some differences between a job and a career.

JOB

CAREER

Definitions

A job refers to the work a person performs for a living. It can also refer to a specific task done as part of the routine of one’s occupation. A person can begin a job by becoming an employee, or by volunteering, for example, by starting a business or becoming a parent.

A career is an occupation (or series of jobs) that you undertake for a significant period of time in your life—perhaps five or ten years, or more. A career typically provides you with opportunities to advance your skills and positions.

Requirements

A job you accept with an employer does not necessarily require special education or training. Sometimes you can get needed learning “on the job.”

A career usually requires special learning—perhaps certification or a specific degree.

Risk-Taking

A job may be considered a safe and stable means to get income, but jobs can also quickly change; security can come and go.

A career can also have risk. In today’s world, employees need to continually learn new skills and to adapt to changes in order to stay employed. Starting your own business can have risks. Many people thrive on risk-taking, though, and may achieve higher gains. It all depends on your definition of success.

Duration

The duration of a job may range from an hour (in the case of odd jobs, for example,) to a lifetime. Generally a “job” is shorter-term.

A career is typically a long-term pursuit.

Income

Jobs that are not career oriented may not pay as well as career-oriented positions. Jobs often pay an hourly wage.

Career-oriented jobs generally offer an annual salary versus a wage. Career-oriented jobs may also offer appealing benefits, like health insurance and retirement.

Satisfaction and contributing to society

Many jobs are important to society, but some may not bring high levels of personal satisfaction.

Careers allow you to invest time and energy in honing your crafts and experiencing personal satisfaction. Career pursuits may include making contributions to society.
  • In summary:
  • A job lets you enjoy at least a minimal level of financial security, and it requires you to show up and do what is required of you. In exchange, you get paid.
  • A career, on the other hand, is more of a means of achieving personal fulfillment through the jobs you hold. In a career, your jobs tend to follow a sequence that leads to increasing mastery, professional development, and personal and financial satisfaction.
  • A career requires planning, knowledge, and skills, too. If it is to be a fulfilling career, it requires that you bring into play your full set of analytical, critical, and creative thinking skills. You will be called upon in a career to make informed decisions that will affect your life in both the short term and the long term. A career also lets you express your unique personality traits, skills, values, and interests.

The following video gives explicit, textbook-style distinctions between the terms job, work, and career.

Let’s Practice!

For your own reflection: Motivations for Attending College

  • Review the table below, which lists various motivations cited by other students
  • Identify your main motivations, and rank your top five.
  • Reflect on your selections in terms of how they connect with short-term and long-term plans for the future.

Understanding your motivations is essential to helping you not only prioritize your plans for the future but also gain inspiration about directions you may not have yet charted. Ultimately, your motivations for being in college align you with roadways to fulfilling your goals and ambitions.

MY TOP FIVE

MOTIVATIONS FOR ATTENDING COLLEGE

Gain more qualifications in my field

Increase my earning potential; make more money

Challenge myself

Show others that I can succeed

Start an independent life

Satisfy my curiosity

Have fun

Change my career

Do what my parents were not able to do

Find a better lifestyle

Build my confidence

Expand my social contacts; bond with new friends

Improve my network of business associates

Gain exposure to a wide array of topics

Attend campus events

Make my family happy

Fulfill my dreams

Take classes at home or work or anywhere

Take advantage of campus resources like the library and gym

Join a sports team

Join campus organizations

Spend my time during retirement

Have continued support via alumni programs

Learn to study and work on my own

Gain access to professors

Link up with people who already excel in the ways I aspire to

Get sports spirit

Gain more access to entertainment like theater and bands

Be more productive in life

Explore myself

Become well versed in many subjects

Dig deeper into learning than I did in high school

Expand my knowledge of the world

Others?

Licenses and Attributions:

COURSEHERO & LUMEN LEARNING AUTHORED CONTENT:

Adaptations: Relocated learning objectives.

License

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What do you want? A Job or a Career? Copyright © 2021 by Gloria San Jose Daims is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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