Think about one position and a longer working life.

The idea

A job is a particular paid position. A career is a working life or progress in a field over time.

Patterns to compare
WordFocus
joba particular paid position
careerworking life over time

Examples

  • My job is at a small bakery.
  • This job starts on Monday.
  • The shop offers a part-time job.
  • Her career in medicine began ten years ago.
  • A career can include several different jobs.
  • He wants a long career in music.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic English voice on your device. Quality and availability vary; it does not assess pronunciation.

Watch out

A career can include several jobs; it does not mean only your current position.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the correct word. The café has a new ___ for a cook. (job / career)

    Show answer or example answer

    job

    job: the café is offering one position.

  2. Choose the correct word. After thirty years of teaching, her ___ is still important to her. (job / career)

    Show answer or example answer

    career

    career: the sentence looks at many years in teaching.

  3. Choose the correct word. What is your current ___ at the hotel? (job / career)

    Show answer or example answer

    job

    job: the question concerns one current position.

Use it today

Describe a job you would like and a career you might pursue.