Job and Career
2020-11-07
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1Today we answer a question from Soheila in Iran. She writes:
2What's the difference between job, occupation, career and profession? - Soheila, Iran
3Dear Soheila,
4Thank you for asking this question.
5The four words you named have small differences.
6I will start with "job," the simplest of the words.
7A "job" is work people do, usually for money.
8It can mean work a person does for a single employer.
9That work might last for years or a much shorter period, as in this example.
10The shortest job I have ever had lasted three weeks.
11We may also use the word "job" to talk about unpaid work, as in housework:
12Mother said, "Cleaning your room is your most important job today."
13The word "occupation" is more general, and means the kind of work a person does. For example,
14I left my previous occupation to be a professional artist.
15We also use "occupation" to talk about things people enjoy spending a lot of time doing, as in this example:
16Hai's favorite occupation is playing tennis.
17But note that this use of the word has become less common over time.
18A "career" is what people do over a longer period of time.
19We use the word "career" to talk about a series of jobs over a person's lifetime.
20Some people plan a career while others simply try for better jobs.
21You can also use "career" to talk about what someone does in school, the military or performing arts.
22General George Patton had many victories in his military career.
23A "career" depends on your goals and the path you want to take through your working life.
24It does not always require that you have special training.
25However, a "profession" is a kind of occupation that requires special training, knowledge or skills.
26For some occupations, you must successfully complete a study program at a college or university.
27Or you must pass a test and practice in your field of expertise for some time before you can become a professional.
28Here are two examples:
29Magazines can be about any profession like medicine, law, engineering, teaching and so on.
30I have spent years learning my profession and I will not quit easily.
31Finally, let us compare all four words in Soheila's question:
32A job is work you do, sometimes for pay.
33An occupation is something you spend your time on.
34A career is the path you follow through your working life.
35A profession is a career that requires special knowledge or skills.
36I hope this helps to answer the question. And that's Ask a Teacher.
37What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
38I'm Jill Robbins.
1Today we answer a question from Soheila in Iran. She writes: 2Question: 3What's the difference between job, occupation, career and profession? - Soheila, Iran 4Answer: 5Dear Soheila, 6Thank you for asking this question. The four words you named have small differences. 7Job 8I will start with "job," the simplest of the words. A "job" is work people do, usually for money. It can mean work a person does for a single employer. That work might last for years or a much shorter period, as in this example. 9The shortest job I have ever had lasted three weeks. 10We may also use the word "job" to talk about unpaid work, as in housework: 11Mother said, "Cleaning your room is your most important job today." 12Occupation 13The word "occupation" is more general, and means the kind of work a person does. For example, 14I left my previous occupation to be a professional artist. 15We also use "occupation" to talk about things people enjoy spending a lot of time doing, as in this example: 16Hai's favorite occupation is playing tennis. 17But note that this use of the word has become less common over time. 18Career 19A "career" is what people do over a longer period of time. We use the word "career" to talk about a series of jobs over a person's lifetime. Some people plan a career while others simply try for better jobs. You can also use "career" to talk about what someone does in school, the military or performing arts. 20General George Patton had many victories in his military career. 21A "career" depends on your goals and the path you want to take through your working life. It does not always require that you have special training. 22Profession 23However, a "profession" is a kind of occupation that requires special training, knowledge or skills. For some occupations, you must successfully complete a study program at a college or university. Or you must pass a test and practice in your field of expertise for some time before you can become a professional. 24Here are two examples: 25Magazines can be about any profession like medicine, law, engineering, teaching and so on. 26I have spent years learning my profession and I will not quit easily. 27Comparing all four words 28Finally, let us compare all four words in Soheila's question: 29A job is work you do, sometimes for pay. 30An occupation is something you spend your time on. 31A career is the path you follow through your working life. 32A profession is a career that requires special knowledge or skills. 33I hope this helps to answer the question. And that's Ask a Teacher. 34What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com 35I'm Jill Robbins. 36Jill Robbins wrote this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. 37________________________________________________________________ 38Words in This Story 39profession - n. a paid occupation or calling 40previous - adj. existing or happening before the present time 41practice - v. to do something again and again in order to become better at it 42quit - v. to resign from a job; to leave a place permanently 43Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com.