To undertake a rational career planning approach, we need ask ourselves and acknowledge the answer to the following two similar questions.

• Are words career and job synonyms of each other?
• Does looking for a job mean the same as charting your career path?

The answer to both the above questions is a big ‘No’. The terms career and job cannot be used interchangeably. Searching for a job and charting ones career does not mean the same thing. Let us try and appreciate the differences.

The Differences Between Career and Job

1. Career and job are two different concepts. Career is an all encompassing, broader concept whereas job is a narrower approach.
2. The search of a job begins when you complete your education or when you need one, whereas a career needs to be managed. It needs to be planned right from the stage of high school.
3. It is not necessary that a job or for that matter a good job may be a stepping stone towards achieving your career goal. Extending it further, it is not necessary that the promotions in your job may take you closer to your career goal.
4. Both career management and job search require a network. Practically, these days’ networking is very essential. In the case of a job the network is very superficial. Your interest in the network and the networks interest do not have a depth. On the other hand, in case of a career, your network comprises of strong relationships. In a career you and your network add value to each other.
5. In the case of a career, you would time and again do a SWOT analysis (analysis with effort or determination) of skill set. You aspire to enhance your skill set and continuously work on yourself. Working on your skill set takes you closer to your career goal. On the other hand in the case of a job, you try to acquire skills which help you perform your job better, or help you to seek a promotion.
6. In a job your success is governed by what other people think and perceive but in the case of a career, you measure your success in your own terms. You measure your success against the time line that you decided for yourself.

Rational career planning goes hand in hand with understanding, but most of all acknowledging, these differences. People who have a job and are hired to accomplish a task set to accomplish someone else his goal. when the task is done, the job is done. People who have a career, work on it ever day. It is an ongoing process.

Just look up the descriptions of both terms in a dictionary.

Career

“an occupation or profession, especially one requiring special training, followed as one’s lifework“

Job

“a piece of work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one’s occupation or for an agreed price“