While graduation brings a sense of accomplishment and thrill, it can also fill you with a sense of dread about your professional life. Among many other questions, deciding between a career and a job often rears its head as a massive challenge.
At first glance, you may see no difference between a career and a job. But even though the words are often used interchangeably, they hold vastly different meanings at their core. When you understand this difference, you can also determine how it may affect your goals and make an informed decision about your life ahead.
To help you through this journey, here’s an overview of building a career vs. doing a job.
How do jobs differ from careers?
A job is an employment opportunity that helps you earn money and support your immediate goals while also building certain skills that are specific to your job description. In contrast, a career is a long-term professional path that lets you climb the ladder in a specific field while also opening doors to higher wages and specialized skills in the future.
While searching for employment opportunities, you can keep these differences in mind to stand out from the crowd and learn how to write clever LinkedIn summaries that fit your goal of finding a job or building a career. This can help you narrow down your search for employment offers.
How to decide between a job and a career?
If your most pressing concern is generating immediate income, you might want to take up a job that fits your general skills. But if you want to create a balance between earnings and professional growth, you may want to start a career through steps like completing an automotive technician program.
In most cases, starting a job vs. pursuing a career comes down to your current level of skills and education. For example, if you have just started college, you might want to take up a job to support you through your semesters. In such a case, it can be better to wait until you complete your degree to start a career that suits your qualifications.
Other factors that might play a role in your decision include your life aspirations, work-life balance, growth opportunities, and job security. You can also use a job hunting app to explore your options, understand the market, and decide what works best for you long-term.
Benefits of Building a Career vs. Doing a Job
If you’re confident in obtaining the required level of education and resources associated with building a career, it can prove to be a more preferable way to earn a living and build your resume as compared to a job. But if you feel torn about following this suggestion, considering the following benefits of building a career can help you make the right choice for yourself:
Long-Term Growth
If you are one to plan the trajectory of your life with tools like a vision board maker, the long-term growth opportunities of a career can be a better fit for you as opposed to the short-term earning boost of a job.
Professional Development
Whether you use a goal-setting platform or not, a career can help you carve a proper road to professional development. This can help you hone your skills, advance your education, and gain more knowledge about your chosen field as opposed to a job.
Specialized Paths
If you have certain aspirations, like helping people as a doctor or wanting to become a lawyer, a career can unlock these specialized paths for you through targeted education. If you’re looking to go into a trade like plumbing, trade school helps you specialize your skills. This can also help you learn how to ask for more money at job offers using your qualifications.
How do you know if your goals match your field?
In order to know your life goals and see which route they match the most, you need to do some introspection. This involves taking some time to yourself, assessing your current needs to earn money, and determining whether you will be able to go through the continuous training and development that is associated with building a career.
This little exercise can act as the first beam of guiding light for the rest of your professional life. This can help you choose a path that fits your aspirations like a glove and goes in line with what you want from life, in the present and future alike.
