Job vs. career: finding the right path

You’ve heard of a dream job, but what about a “dream career”? What’s the difference between a job and a career? Put simply, a job would be like deciding you are going to drive for 10 hours, stop your car, and the first business you encounter will be the place you want to work. A career involves planning out the journey, picking up the necessary skills along the way to be successful, and purposely deciding on the places to interview based on your interest, skills, and work values.

The choices you make now about continuing your education or going straight into the working world may affect your entire life. The correct career choice will bring personal as well as professional satisfaction and afford you the lifestyle you want. The wrong choice can leave you frustrated. Some people never pick a career. They end up drifting from job to job, without considering where the drifting will lead. Not making a career decision is actually a decision — a choice to let life happen instead of taking charge yourself.

Career: an organized series of related jobs in an occupational area that you select. A dream career matches your interests (what you like to do), skills (what you are good at doing) and your work values (what is important to you).

Job: a group of specific tasks assigned to a person employed to do the work. You may have experience with jobs like a newspaper route, babysitting or lawn care. These types of jobs teach valuable lessons about getting along with others, handling money, and being responsible.

Teens may change their career interests or goals over time, but a well-chosen career usually leads to more advanced and challenging opportunities. And let’s face it — you’re likely to be working most of your life, so why not enjoy what you’re doing? Choose your career carefully because it will influence how much money you earn, your work environment, and whether you are happy and successful.

Developing a career plan isn’t a one-shot deal. It’s more of a lifetime project, and you’ll need to work at it. You may know people who lost their jobs. Finding a new career requires making a career choice. In fact, it’s common today for people to change jobs or careers several times during their lifetime. Workplace opportunities and trends change rapidly, and you have to be flexible to take advantage of changes.

The best place to start preparing for your career is in high school. Look for electives related to your career interests. For instance, if you’re interested in the fine arts, take a drama class or help with a play to learn the essentials behind production.

Work-based learning experiences such as internships and cooperative education are available in many high schools. They allow students to check out possible careers, develop work skills, and gain valuable experience. Remember: employers notice appli¬cants who have practical experience in the career area for which they are applying.

After high school, the education and training you receive throughout your working life is called continuing education. That education includes technical and specialized schools, apprenticeships, community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, courses provided by employers, adult education and independent studies.

If you are applying to college, don’t overlook the most basic concept of career planning: apply to schools that provide the courses and training for the career you want. This should be the most important consideration when choosing a school, not the size of the dormitory or the record of the football team. A few years down the road, you don’t want to be one of those students who come to the career counselors in a panic. “Now that I’ve graduated with a degree in widget-making, what can I do with it?”

If you want a cool career, not just a job, take action now and get organized. Follow the career-choice process and plan. The next stage of your life will happen whether you are ready or not!

Summary
While a job can help you pay the bills, a career will pad your wallet AND utilize your skills, talents and interests. To land your dream career, you’ve got to plan ahead and start exploring career options right now. Make sure to take a few high school courses that relate to your career interests and study up on what career training your school offers.

Next Steps
Ready to launch your career? The first step is to get educated about what’s out there and how you can get involved (reading our career guide is a great way to start). After you’ve got an idea of what you’d like to do, check out classes, internships, cooperative learning activities and apprenticeships that can help you get in the door. Once you’ve found an opportunity of interest, check out our sample résumé for tips on making yourself look good on paper.