the difference between a career and a job

8/11/2019 The Difference Between a Career and a Job

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The Difference Between a Career and a Job

Thursday, 10th July 2008 (by J.D.) 52 comments

This article is about Career

hat is the di!!erence bet"een a career and a #ob$ Trent at The %im&le Dollar recently su''estedthe !ollo"in' dichotomy

#ob is somethin' you do sim&ly to earn money* a career is a series o! connected

em&loyment o&&ortunities.

#ob has minimal im&act on your !uture "or+ li!e, "hile a career &roides e-&erience

and learnin' to !uel your !uture.

#ob o!!ers !e" net"or+in' o&&ortunities, but a career is loaded "ith them.

hen you "or+ at a #ob, you should do the minimum "ithout annoyin' the boss. hen

youre in a career, you should 'o the e-tra mile, doin' tas+s beyond your minimum #ob

descri&tion.

Thou'h / a'ree "ith Trent on many thin's our !inancial &hiloso&hies are ery similar /dont a'ree "ith him on this. / beliee that all#obs desere your best e!!ort, and / beliee the

distinction bet"een a #ob and a career is arti!icial.

Doing my best

Durin' the summer a!ter my !reshman year o! colle'e, / "or+ed as a busboy at the oliday /nn. /"as the best busboy / could be. hile the other 'uys stood around durin' slac+ times, / loo+ed

!or "ays to hel& in the +itchen or to &re&are !or the lunch rush.

s a result, / 'ot better ti&s !rom the "aitresses. The mana'er trained me to run the cash re'ister.

%ometimes / een 'ot to hel& the&antry che!./ "asnt loo+in' !or a career in !ood serice, and /"asnt tryin' to bro"nnose. ut / en#oyed the "or+ and 'ae it all / had. This made the #ob !un,

and earned res&ect !rom &eo&le "ho mattered !rom my boss, and !rom hisboss, the hotel

mana'er.

3entually / "as 'ien a chance to "ait tables. Thou'h / tried, / "asnt &articularly 'ood "iththe mornin' brea+!ast cro"d o! businessmen and tourists. 4n the other hand, / "as a"esome at

%unday brunch. Thebluehairsloed me. e!ore lon', / "as ma+in' more money "or+in' #ust

si- easy hours on %unday than / had been "hile "or+in' 5 di!!icult hours durin' the rest o! the"ee+. nd the busboys "ho used to stand around all the time "erestillstandin' around doin'

the minimum (and earningthe minimum).
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/10/the-difference-between-a-career-and-a-job/http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/10/the-difference-between-a-career-and-a-job/#commentshttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/10/the-difference-between-a-career-and-a-job/#commentshttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/category/work/http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/07/07/the-difference-between-a-job-and-a-career/http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/07/07/the-difference-between-a-job-and-a-career/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garde_mangerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garde_mangerhttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bluehairhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/10/the-difference-between-a-career-and-a-job/#commentshttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/category/work/http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/07/07/the-difference-between-a-job-and-a-career/http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2008/07/07/the-difference-between-a-job-and-a-career/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garde_mangerhttp://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=bluehairhttp://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2008/07/10/the-difference-between-a-career-and-a-job/


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Doing the minimumT"o years later, / had a "or+study #ob "ith the cam&us %ummer 3ents de&artment. 3erya!ternoon !rom !our to !ie, a!ter my boss had le!t !or the day, it "as my #ob to ans"er the &hone.

nd thats all / eer did. / neer as+ed !or more "or+. / neer sho"ed any enthusiasm !or the

#ob. / #ust ans"ered the &hone.

nother student coered the &hone !or an hour eery mornin'. e, ho"eer, did more than he"as as+ed. 6uch more.

7either o! us realied it at the time, but our boss had &ull. s a result, the other student landed a

&lum #ob "ith the admissions o!!ice, but my o"n a&&lication to #oin residence li!e "as denied. /

!ound out later that my lac+ o! initiatie in that seemin'ly meanin'less "or+study #ob had&layed a si'ni!icant role in the decision not to hire me. 9or better or "orse, this chan'ed my

destiny.

Lessons learned

/n my li!e, /e held a be"ilderin' array o! #obs. The t"o listed aboe are #ust re&resentatiee-am&les. 9e" o! my #obs hae been related in the sense o! a traditional :career;, but almost all

o! them hae &roided resources, s+ills, or connections that / could use in the !uture. /m

coninced that

Every job is a part of your career.%ome "or+ers s&end !orty years in the same

de&artment at the same com&any. This is a career in the traditional sense o! the "ord. utmy !athers "or+in' li!e "as also a career een thou'h his #obs "ere lar'ely unrelated

landsca&er, !li'ht instructor, bo- salesman. ich %lo"ly. / learned that it neer hurts to as+. / learned ho" to deal "ith re#ection

and ne'atie !eedbac+. hile "or+in' at the bo- !actory, / learned ho" to communicate
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/09/15/the-worst-job-i-ever-had/http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/09/15/the-worst-job-i-ever-had/http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/09/15/the-worst-job-i-ever-had/http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/09/15/the-worst-job-i-ever-had/http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/09/15/the-worst-job-i-ever-had/http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2006/09/15/the-worst-job-i-ever-had/


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"ith a hu'e ariety o! &eo&le. 6y brie! stint as a com&uter &ro'rammer hel&ed me

deelo& techni?ues / no" use to !ocus "hile "ritin'. 3en my #ob as a busboy o!!ered

lessons about the alue o! hard "or+ and a &ositie attitude.

Every job offers networking opportunities.


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the difference between a career and a job

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