a career or a job ~ what is the difference?

Wow. I completed a course over the fall semester in which this is one of the topics we had to discuss. What I learned from it was that while every career (profession) is a job, not every job is a career. Whether or not you like your job or not does not really matter when trying to decide if a job is a career. One of the resources we used was Styles's 5 qualities of a profession (Styles, M.M. 1982). These 5 qualities must be present for a job to be considered a profession (career) - 1.Extensive university education 2.Unique body of knowledge 3.An orientation of service to others 4.Autonomy, self-regulation, code of ethics 5.Professional society. (I realize I did not reference according to APA format, I hope you guys don't mind.)

I think you're right about your thoughts. I think that career is something you're happy to do and a job is something you hate to do. I think that jobs pay so little because you set your sights too low and you don't believe in yourself enough to do better. So employers think you'll except a lower paying job because you're desperate enough just to do the job. But a career is something that you put 100% of your energy into trying to do better. But I think that it invigorates you too, when you do something that you love it reenergizes you. It makes you feel good when you have something you love to do and I think it helps with the rest of your life too.

I think that covers all the bases of it. Because that is what I believe also.

A job is what you have to do to earn money for the momoent. You can change your job many times in life but it is not so easy to change your career unlees you are reeducated or learn a new technique. A career is what you are good at or what you can do to make a living.

Yes,career is what you are good at and interested in while work is what we live on and have to do.Career and work have same meaning when we get a work that we are interested in and good at. At first time we went for a work we usually could not find the career.But after several year some people might change their work into a career.

A career is more stable than a job. A career becomes a life long responsibility. A job is a temporary way to earn money for the moment. I know for me, I want a career that I love to do! You know what they say, if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life. And thats exactly how I want to live

I have to agree with that also. A career is something you set out to learn to do and work hard at it and enjoy it. A job is just something you have to do to make a living.

Woke yourself up, huh? Yes, I would agree that a job is something you have to do as well. A career could be your dream job. That would be the hope anyway. I do agree although I have had jobs where I was excited to get up and get to work. It wasn't the job though, it was the people in which I worked with.

hi cookiecrumbles, thank god once again you are in mylot,i think career and job mostly one and equal,but job linked with career,career is an intention to be some thing,by choosing good career,we my fulfil our dreams,desires and achieving goals etc etc,for my little knowledge this is correct i think?have a nice day

I think that you are so right. what I do to earn my living is a job that I loathe but I am glad to still have a job. I have published before as a writer of short stories but between my full time job and my part time job - there is not room for my imagination to take flight and writer like I want to again. One day - perhaps - if I ever retire

I think career is a broader term where as a job is just a part of your career. You can transfer from one job to another while your career continues. You can end a job but you can maintain your career by finding another much better. If you are jobless however and continues to be you'll be losing your career. So good jobs make a better career.

I agree totally with you. A job is something you usually don't like and its hard to get up to go to everyday. Where a career that you went to school for and are doing now and you love it is a "career". Sometimes on rare occasions you find a job that you really love and are good at. However, I think for the most part people just don't like their jobs and they are doing it only to pay the bills and have food on the table for their families. If only we all knew what we wanted to do when we were young life would have been so much easier. When you grow up knowing your passion that is a great gift from God.

I think of a career being a job that you do for a long time. In my opinion there is no difference in the amount of job satisfaction or money, just the length of time doing the work over the years. Not sure if I am right, just what the word career means to me.

haha this was a good question and i think the only thing i leant in my English calss lol. well. to me i say "job what you get to pay the bill." fastfood .etc.. and and career job is when you have degree or something that allow you to get into that job . doctor dont have a job they have a career. i love money . so i wanna lean busniness and be rich one day :D able to buy waht i want at any price :D

Hello cc. I think that a job is something that we have to do for us to make money to support our life whether you like it or not, but a career is something different, one that you like and strive to make it better and better trying to fulfill your dream and make you feel proud of your achievements ever made. Thank you for the discussion.

To me a job is something that has to be done and there are some rules attached to it. Career on the other hand is working on something so that we may improve or better ourselves and also gain recognition and money at the same time.

I think there are jobs which we do solely for money out of necessity whether we enjoy then or not, a career is an occupation which has the opportunity to advance and improve the status within the company along with hopefully a better salary. A passion is doing what makes your heart sing and getting paid for it! People who have found the latter are very fortunate! There is a passion for all us I believe and the trick is to find some way to get paid for doing what we love!

my line of thinking is almost the same as yours but i want to point out also that i think a job is something that you do without the possibility of growth or even a promotion. whereas a career is something that you do but is a stepping stone to something higher...

It is estimated that an average worker will have n number of jobs in his or her working lifecycle,it is no longer a bad thng to chnage jobs,but that doesnt mean that u wander aimlessly from company to company.If u know the differnce between career and job and thnk long term u will prosper whereever u go a job is : a regular activity performed in exchange for payment. a position in which one is curently employed. a career is : a chosen pursuit;a profession or occupation a general course of progression of one's working life or one;s professional achievement bottomline: your job is what u r doin today.your career is what u hav done in the apst years and u gonna do in the future so when u thnk career u have to thnk long term and when u thk long term you begin to realize the following: everythng u do counts everythng u do needs to have a reason behind it you hav to make a good decision always thnk whats my next step what u do today determines your tomorrow mistakes can potentially haunt u for a long tyme you should pay serious attention to your CAREER.your job feeds you an your family today.your career will feed you and your family today tomorrow and beyond for eg:even a part time job is a job but it cannot be a carrer atlest for me i mite be a computer graduate bt i mite feel like doin a job in a pizza hut or mcdonalds in my holidays bt dat cannot be my career :) thankyou and a very happy and prosperous new year :)

I found it in Oxford dictionary.It says career is a profession or occupation with opportunities for advancement or promotion and job is a regularly paid position or post.I think it is the best if your job be your career.If not try to love your work heartily.