Jobs vs. Careers

While both a job and a career involve getting up and going to work in the morning, there is a huge difference in the mindset of a person holding a job and the mindset of a person with a career. The major difference between a job and a career comes from how you look at your work and how much you like doing your work.

Examples
Job - Many high school and college students get part-time jobs at department stores such as Macy’s. For the majority of these workers, their time at Macy’s is only a job. They will work there for a couple of years to pay for school or a car and then quit. They generally do their work well, but punch out time is best time of the day. These students all hold a job.

Career - Conversely, the same high school student may start out part-time at Macy’s because she is interested in fashion and marketing. In addition to her work there, she enrolls in an arts college and pursues degree in fashion. She puts in more hours at the store, moves up the managerial ladder, and uses her work experience as part of her thesis project. When she is done with school she stays with Macy’s but as a buyer, rather as floor sales. For this girl, her job at Macy’s is the first step in her career.

	Career	Job
About:	A career is the pursuit of a lifelong ambition or the general course of progression towards lifelong goals.	Job is an activity through which an individual can earn money. It is a regular activity in exchange of payment.
Requires:	Usually requires special training	Education or Special training may or may not be required
Risk taking:	A career may not mean stability of work as it encourages one to take risks	A job is “safe” as stability of work and income is there.
Time:	Long term	Short term