Job, Work, and Career

What Is the Difference between "Job," "Work," and "Career"?

"Job," "work," and "career" are easy to confuse because they all relate to earning money and they are close in meaning. However, they are not true synonyms (i.e., they do not mean exactly the same as one another).

• A "job" is a regular and official activity where you receive money.
• "Work" is a place of employment or general efforts and activities done to accomplish a goal.
• "To work" means to be engaged in physical or mental activity in order to achieve a result. It also means to function correctly.
• A "career" is the total progression of a professional life.

More about "Job," "Work," and "Career"

A lot of English learners confuse the words "job," "work," and "career." All three words are common, so it is worth learning their precise meanings.

Job

The noun "job" is a regular and official activity where you receive money (a salary). Job is a countable noun.

Example sentences with "job":

• Being a truck driver is a tough job.
• If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur. (Firefighter Red Adair)
• Be thankful for problems. If they were less difficult, someone with less ability might have your job. (Astronaut Jim Lovell)

Work

As a verb, "to work" has two meanings. Work means to be engaged in physical or mental activity in order to achieve a result. It also means to function.

Example sentences with "work":

• I don't think you work hard enough.
• My phone doesn't work since it got wet.

"Work" is commonly seen with the following collocations:

• Work for
• Do you work for your sister?
• Work at
• I work at the law firm.
• Work with
• I work with two scientists.
• Work on
• I need to work on my project today.

The noun "work" refers to general efforts and activities done to accomplish a goal. Work is more general than job. It is a non-countable noun.

Example:

• I can't access Facebook when I'm at work.
• Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. (Physicist Stephen Hawking)

Career

The noun "career" denotes the total progression of a professional life. It may include many different jobs over the years.

Example sentences with "career":

• He has just started out on a career as a photographer.

You might also like...

Help us improve...