Career VS Job

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary a job is the work that a person does regularly in order to earn money (Merriam-Webster, n.d). A career is a field of consecutive progressive achievement especially in public, professional or business life (Merriam-Webster, n.d). While there are many similarities in a job and a career there are apparent differences. A job requires minimum to no education or special training while a career requires an education and or individualized training that may pertain to the career. Careers are long term and may include benefits such as medical and dental 401K whereas jobs may be short term and most likely will not include benefits. Individuals that hold jobs are compensated with wages, yet individuals that hold careers are commonly compensated with a salary.

A person will hold many jobs in their career building up to their desired position. Typically a person will work in jobs that pertain to their career in order to gain experience in their career of choice, though not always. Many times people take jobs that are unrelated to the career of choice for different reasons often to pay the bills. Many times a person does not necessarily know what they want to do as a career so they take odd ball jobs to pay the bills or earn money, however many job skills are interchangeable and can be used throughout many careers such as communication and the ability work well with others. Depending on how long a person has been at a job they may consider it a career. Too often people get complacent in jobs and become used to the status quo and are unwilling to step out from what are used to and create a change. Often life gets in the way and careers are put on hold or forgotten.

It is imperative that one create personal goals and holdfast to their goals to ensure that they find themselves in their career of choice instead of working many odd jobs and getting older and wondering where did the time go. Personal goals must be related to one’s interest. Taking interest test are helpful; they give ideas or create a start for where one must go in their journey. Knowing your interests is critical, they create a starting point, such as those that enjoy helping others may do well in the healthcare field, and those that enjoy drawing may do well in architecture or graphic designs. Finding a career that interests you instead of working a job to pay the bills will benefit you in the end because not only will it make you feel accomplished, but also happy or excited to go to work. It creates a sense of being; it makes going to work more important because you are working towards a goal instead of working for a paycheck.

Obtaining a job is great, yet staying motivated and putting in the work to achieve goals towards working in your career of choice is the ultimate goal. Though many may have strayed from their goals and became content in their lives having a career will ensure that you enjoy what you want to do. What do you want to do?

                                                                 References

Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 2014. <http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/job>.