Just What is the Difference Between Your Career and a Job?

Understand the difference between a job and your career

By Selipha Kihagi

Do you refer to what you currently do as your career or do you call it a job? You may have talked at length about your job when answering a question about your career, because to you, these two mean the same thing.

But did you know that your job is not necessarily your career? There exists a huge difference between the two and the aim of this post today is to clarify this aspect for you.

The Job concept

When it comes to a job, this is the work you do in exchange for money. It doesn’t have to be what you studied in school or even something you were trained to work on. A job is any role you pick up for the main purpose of earning money. For instance; if you are looking for a role to help pay bills as you continue your studies, build your business or chase your dream job, that will be considered a job. There is no much thought about where a job will lead next.

The Career concept 

A career on the other hand, has everything to do with your passion, your dream job and achieving your long-term ambitions. Your career  is a collection of all the roles and jobs done in order to learn new skills, amass knowledge in your field of study and network your way into becoming the best in your profession. And unlike in a job where you trade your time for money, your career demands that you trade in time to achieve your dream.

How to know if you are in a job or your career

Now that you know the major differences between a job and your career, let us decode which of the two you are currently chasing. Do you sometimes ask yourself why some colleagues work too hard in their roles? Why they clock-in hours before reporting time and leave hours after the official leaving time? Are you always looking at the clock asking when the day will be over so you can leave and get involved with more important matters?

If you have asked yourself these questions, you are in the perfect definition of a job. According to you, doing your work entails showing up to work on time, completing given daily tasks and leaving after your 8 hours are up. You do not feel the need to work extra time and when you do, you constantly feel the need to be paid overtime. When this does not happen, you tend to feel used and consider addressing the issue with management.

These are the characteristics of someone who is in a job. You always look forward to the day you will leave the organization and focus on what you really enjoy. But the opposite is true for those already in their career.

If you are always chasing a promotion at work and are really concerned about how things run in your organization, then you are in your career. According to you, your work entails getting recognition for great work done, earning a reputation in your department , getting promoted to higher roles, sitting and dining with executives and one day making it to top level management or CEO. You probably even want to join the board of directors in the company you work for. And if not that specific company, probably a similar organization with better pay and benefits.

These characteristics define someone who is in a career. You definitely love what you do and consider yourself going up the ladder of titles in that particular industry. You have no intentions of pursuing anything different.

Bottom-line

So if you have been using the terms job and career to mean the same thing, from today onwards, remember the key differences. A job just exists to help you earn money so you can be in a position to pursue what you really want in life. But your career is that journey towards your ambitions and will require your time input. By understanding these major distinctions, you will be able to make more informed decisions in your career journey.

For instance; if you are in a job, do not allow yourself to become emotionally involved like you would in a career. Just do what is asked of you and wait for the paycheck at the end of the month. But if you are serious about what you do and are looking forward to a promotion or a similar role that pays better, understand you are pursuing your career and choose to be more involved in your daily tasks. Turn on your passion and become the best employee you can be.

Do you have any queries about your current job…or career? Engage us in the comments below.

6 Comments

  1. Hello,Thank you for the wonderful piece.I have 5 years experience in the ICT world and am pursuing my degree right now.Am I fit to apply for jobs that require a minimum of a Bachelors Degree?

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