Two Meanings of the Word Career and Paths You Can Take

Two Meanings of the Word Career and Paths You Can TakeTwo Meanings of the Word Career and Paths You Can TakeTry this little experiment. Go to yourfavorite search engine and type in the absolut career. Your results page likely lists more than two billion items. Among them,you will find pages containing different occupations along with details about each one, job listings, and career and job search advice. Why has your simple search turned up such a variety of resources? The reason is that there are multiple definitions of career. The search engine doesnt know which one you mean when you type in the word. Here are two meanings. Although they are related to one another, there are substantial differences between them. Definitions of Career A Synonym for Occupation We often use the word career as a synonym for occupation, trade, profession, or vocation. This definition refers to what a person does to earn a living. There are thousands ofcareers. They range from those that require exte nsive education and training to others for which you need hardly any preparation. Examples of careersareengineer, carpenter, doctor,??veterinary assistant, cashier, teacher, and hairstylist. A Series of Jobs or a Career Path The second meaning is much more complicated. It concerns an individuals progression through a series of jobs over his or her lifetime and includes that persons education and unpaid work experiences, such as internships and volunteer opportunities. When it is defined in this context, it covers everything related to career developmentincluding career choice and advancement.Your career can take a variety of paths. Next, well examine three possibilities. 3 Career Paths Which One Will You Take? You may find yourself on one of these three career paths. The first involves a string of entirely unrelated jobs the second, a series of increasingly responsible positions that are relatedto one another and finally, the third, a path filled with different jobs in the same industry, each, possibly, with more responsibility than the one before it. Path 1 Yourcareer might be made up of a bunch of random jobs that are unrelated to one another. For example, you may first work as a cashier in a grocerystore, then as a server in a restaurant, and next as a home care aide. With suchdisparate occupations in your work history, it is impossible to predict what your next job will be. These careers dont have a lot in common, so your experience in one position will rarely lead you to a subsequent one that pays more, or carries with it, more responsibilities. Path 2 The second path involves moving up within the same occupation. If you continue to work as a cashier, whether in different establishments orthe same one, your experience will grow. Doing this will allow you to move up the ranks in the same organization or get better jobs in others. Perhaps you will be promoted to a position at the customer service desk. Eventually, you may be eligible for a job that invo lves supervising other cashiers. As you move into increasingly responsible positions, your salary should go up as well. Path 3 The third scenario has you moving up the corporate ladder through a variety of positions in the same industry, but not in the same occupation. If your ultimate goal is to become a retail store manager, for example, begin your career as a cashier. This wont be a difficult job to get. Because there is a lot of turnover in that field, openings are easy to come by and little training is required. With your experience in the retail industry, you may next qualify for a job as a salesperson. After gaining more experience, you may become an assistant department manager, then a department manager, an assistant store manager, and maybe eventually a store manager. You may not see your specific career path represented here. It would be impossible to cover in depth all the situations that exist. For example, lateral career moves- when an individual transitions between j obs with different, but not necessarily greater, responsibilities- havent been discussed. Neither havecareer changesthat involve moving to an entirely new occupation for which additional training or education is necessary. When you enter a new profession, as would be the case here, you may have to start at the bottom. Careers, as demonstrated here, take on many different forms. Make careful and well thought out decisions to increase your chance of success.