Difference Between Job, Work, and Career

Difference Between Job, Work, and Career

A lot of English learners confuse the words job, work, and career. Today, we’re going to
learn how to use each one correctly – as well as various collocations (typical phrases) in
which you can use these words.

 Job, noun
A job is a regular and official activity that you do, and receive money (a salary) for your
activity. It is also called a profession or an occupation. You can have a full-time job (40
hours per week) or a part-time job (around 25 hours per week).
When someone is looking for a job, this is sometimes called the “job hunt” or “job
search.” If you have a friend who’s looking for a job, you can ask them, “How’s the job
hunt going?”

To find a job, you can check the job listings online or in the newspaper – these are small
advertisements about job openings (job opportunities). The process of trying to get a
specific job – when you send your resume or CV to a company – is called applying for a
job. If the company offers you the job and you say “yes,” then you have gotten the job!

To describe a person’s job, you can say it is:

1. a demanding job (requires a lot of effort)
- Being an emergency surgeon is a demanding job － you have to be on call 24 hours a
day.
2. a fulfilling / rewarding job (it makes you feel good)
- Working with refugee children was one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve had.
3. an entry-level job (a job that can be done by someone who is just beginning their
career, which doesn’t require much experience or many skills)
- Daniel got an entry-level job as an administrative assistant.
4. a dead-end job (a job that has no opportunities for advancement or promotions)
- Being a truck driver is a dead-end job.
5. a high-powered job (a dynamic and important job)
- After she published her book, she got a high-powered job as director of a national
newspaper.
6. a lucrative job (a job where you earn a lot of money)
- My mother wants me to marry a guy with a lucrative job － like a doctor or lawyer.

The word job is a countable noun:

1. Right after graduating from college, I worked two jobs so that I could pay off my
student loans faster.
2. Terry has had seven jobs in the past five years.
3. The company plans to shut down four factories and cut 10000 jobs.

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Difference Between Job, Work, and Career

 Work, noun and verb

The word work is more general than “job” – whereas “job” is a specific occupation /
profession, “work” refers to general efforts and activities done to accomplish a goal.
“Work” can be done both inside an official job and outside a job!
1. You can say you work at / for (a company):
- I work at General Motors / Asus / Oppo.
2. You can say you’re working on (a project / task):
- I’m working on a market analysis.
- I’m working on improving customer satisfaction.
3. You can say you work with (people / objects):
- I work with special needs children.
- I work with hazardous chemicals.

The word work also refers to the context of your place of employment － so we can say:
1. I start work at 7 AM. (not “I start my job at 7 AM.”)
2. I finish / leave work at 4:30. (not “I finish my job at 4:30.”)
– An informal way to say “leave work” is “get off work”
3. We go to work by car. (not “We go to our job by car.”)
4. I went to the bar with some friends from work.
5. I can’t access Facebook when I’m at work. (not “at my job”)

 [Grammar] Comparison
 Work: In this meaning, work is always an uncountable noun.
You say:
- It may be hard for older people to find work.
- ✗ Don’t say: find a work

 Job: Job is a countable noun.

You say:
- I applied for a job as a reporter.
- ✗ Don’t say: I applied for a work.

You say:
- Her first job was in London.
- ✗ Don’t say: Her first work was in London.

“Work” is an uncountable noun, so it is not used in the plural:

1. I have three works to do this week.
I have three projects to do this week.
2. I have three things / tasks to do this week.
3. I have three assignments to do this week.

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[Exception] when talking about works of art / literature:

1. The museum has many works by Picasso as well as other modern painters.
2. The gallery is staging a special exhibition of Monet’s early works.
3. Beethoven composed his greatest works in the latter part of his life.
4. The town hall is exhibiting works by local artists.

 Career, noun
Your career is the total progression of your professional life. It can include many different
jobs over the years. You can have a career in (a field) – for example, a career in politics /
journalism / teaching / finance.

Here are a few more collocations with career:

1. embark on (= launch) a career = begin a career
- After leaving college, Lucy embarked on an acting / a sporting career.
- So, what inspired you to embark on a career in the media?
2. pursue a career = make an effort to have a career
- Why would you want to pursue a career in politics / nursing?
- If you want to pursue a teaching career, you should take courses in psychology and
social science as well as courses in the subject you want to teach.
3. a promising career = a career with good future potential
- The most promising career in the near future will be the online shopping because of
the development of Internet.
- The medical field is one of the most promising career fields you can work in.
4. a varied career = a career with jobs in many different areas
- Do you think a varied career path is a good thing / beneficial?
- Having a varied career rather than following a specific career path and working your
way up, may have been considered unfavorable in the past. It suggests to some that
you are not committed and get bored easily.
5. career prospects = career opportunities
- Jane was jealous of her sister’s intelligence and her career prospects in journalism.
- I’m hoping the English course will improve my career prospects.
6. switch your career / a career switch = change your career
- How do I switch career from manufacturing engineering to IT?
- A mid-life career switch is a great opportunity for those willing to embrace change
and embark on a new journey of self-discovery.
7. career takes off = when someone’s career starts to become very successful
- Her singing career had just begun to take off when she was killed in a plane crash.
- My career didn’t take off until I moved to Los Angeles.
8. at the height / peak of your career = at the most successful point in your career

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Difference Between Job, Work, and Career

- He seems to have reached the height of his tennis career.

- When he retired at the peak of his powers in 1993, Michael Jordan had topped the
NBA in scoring for seven consecutive seasons and had been named Most Valuable
Player three times.
9. ruin your career = when your career is destroyed
- The scandal ruined his political career.
- Jake was blacklisted and his former boss tried to ruin his career.

Now try the quiz on the difference between job, work, and career!

§ Quiz
Choose the best word to complete each sentence.

1. He retired in 1980 after a brilliant __________ as a motivational speaker.

A) career B) job C) work

2. My boss always gives me too much __________ to do, and expects me to do it all
immediately.
A) career B) job C) work

3. We’ve made 300 sales today thanks to Dana’s hard __________.

A) career B) job C) work

4. At the peak of her __________, she was managing a company with five international
branches.
A) career B) job C) work

5. I didn’t think my interview went very well, so I was surprised when they offered me
the __________.
A) career B) job C) work

6. Gary’s not home yet. He’s still at _________.

A) career B) job C) work

7. Brad was fired because his _________ was often sloppy and full of errors.
A) career B) job C) work

8. I’ve applied for a few _________ in the non-profit sector.

A) careers B) jobs C) works

9. He didn’t take the teaching _________ because he felt it wouldn’t advance his
________ in politics.
A) career B) job C) work

10. This graphic designer has done some excellent freelance _________ for us - I think we
should offer him a permanent ________.
A) career B) job C) work