Career vs. Profession — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 5, 2023
A career encompasses one's progression through various jobs over time, while a profession refers to a specific field requiring specialized training and skills.
Difference Between Career and Profession
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A career is the journey an individual takes through various jobs and roles in their lifetime. In contrast, a profession denotes a particular occupation, usually one that requires formal education, training, and a recognized qualification.
The term "career" paints a broader stroke, encapsulating a person's entire work history, progression, and experiences. Profession, on the other hand, refers to a narrower scope, indicating a specialized field, often bound by ethics, standards, and formal qualifications.
One can have multiple professions within one career. For example, someone might start in the teaching profession and later move to the counseling profession, all under the umbrella of an educational career.
Career growth and development involve acquiring new skills, climbing the corporate ladder, or branching into different roles or industries. Profession growth typically focuses on deepening expertise in a specific field, obtaining higher qualifications, or achieving greater recognition in that field.
While someone's career might span various industries and roles, a profession is more static, rooted in specialized knowledge and skills in a specific domain.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Progression through various jobs over time.
A specific field requiring specialized training/skills.
Scope
Broad, encompassing all work experiences.
Narrow, bound by specific knowledge or qualifications.
Flexibility
Can span multiple industries and roles.
More static, focused on a particular domain.
Growth
Involves branching into roles or industries.
Involves deeper expertise or higher qualifications.
Examples
A person's journey from an intern to CEO.
Fields like medicine, law, engineering, etc.
Compare with Definitions
Career
A lifelong journey of professional development.
She considered switching careers after a decade in finance.
Profession
A vocation founded on specialized educational training.
Engineering is a profession that merges science and innovation.
Career
One's progression in the professional world over time.
Her career in marketing spanned over two decades.
Profession
An occupation requiring formal education or qualifications.
Medicine is a respected profession with rigorous training.
Career
The sum total of jobs and roles one has held.
His career includes stints as a writer, editor, and publisher.
Profession
A field of work demanding expertise in a specific domain.
Accountancy is a profession dealing with financial records and taxation.
Career
An occupation undertaken for a significant period of one's life.
Her acting career took off after a blockbuster hit.
Profession
An occupation distinguished by its formal credentials.
As a member of the teaching profession, she was passionate about education.
Career
The career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways.
Profession
A specialized field bound by a set of standards or ethics.
The legal profession upholds the rule of law in society.
Career
An occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress
He seemed destined for a career as an engineer like his father
Profession
A profession is an occupation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested objective counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain. Medieval and early modern tradition recognized only three professions: divinity, medicine, and law, which were called the learned professions.
Career
Move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way
The coach careered across the road and went through a hedge
Profession
An occupation or career
"One of the highest compliments a child can pay a parent is to choose his or her profession" (Joan Nathan).
Career
A chosen pursuit; a profession or occupation.
Profession
An occupation, such as law, medicine, or engineering, that requires considerable training and specialized study.
Career
The general course or progression of one's working life or one's professional achievements
An officer with a distinguished career.
A teacher in the midst of a long career.
Profession
The body of qualified persons in an occupation or field
Members of the teaching profession.
Career
A path or course, as of the sun through the heavens.
Profession
An act or instance of professing; a declaration.
Career
Speed
"My hasting days fly on with full career" (John Milton).
Profession
An avowal of faith or belief.
Career
Doing what one does as a permanent occupation or lifework
Career diplomats.
A career criminal.
Profession
A faith or belief
Believers of various professions.
Career
To move forward at high speed, often with minimal control
"that lordly car ... How smoothly it ran. In what style they had come careering along the country roads!" (James Joyce).
Profession
Declaration of faith.
Career
One's calling in life; a person's occupation; one's profession.
Profession
(religion) A promise or vow made on entering a religious order.
She died only a few years after her profession.
Career
General course of action or conduct in life, or in a particular part of it.
Washington's career as a soldier
Profession
The declaration of belief in the principles of a religion; hence, one's faith or religion.
Career
(archaic) Speed.
Profession
Any declaration of belief, faith or one's opinion, whether genuine or (as now often implied) pretended.
Despite his continued professions of innocence, the court eventually sentenced him to five years.
Career
A jouster's path during a joust.
Profession
Professional occupation.
Career
(obsolete) A short gallop of a horse.
Profession
An occupation, trade, craft, or activity in which one has a professed expertise in a particular area; a job, especially one requiring a high level of skill or training.
My father was a barrister by profession.
Career
(falconry) The flight of a hawk.
Profession
(collective) The practitioners of such an occupation collectively.
His conduct is against the established practices of the legal profession.
Career
(obsolete) A racecourse; the ground run over.
Profession
The act of professing or claiming; open declaration; public avowal or acknowledgment; as, professions of friendship; a profession of faith.
A solemn vow, promise, and profession.
Career
To move rapidly straight ahead, especially in an uncontrolled way.
The car careered down the road, missed the curve, and went through a hedge.
Profession
That which one professed; a declaration; an avowal; a claim; as, his professions are insincere.
The Indians quickly perceive the coincidence or the contradiction between professions and conduct.
Career
Synonym of serial
A career criminal
Profession
That of which one professed knowledge; the occupation, if not mechanical, agricultural, or the like, to which one devotes one's self; the business which one professes to understand, and to follow for subsistence; calling; vocation; employment; as, the profession of arms; the profession of a clergyman, lawyer, or physician; the profession of lecturer on chemistry.
Hi tried five or six professions in turn.
Career
A race course: the ground run over.
To go back again the same career.
Profession
The collective body of persons engaged in a calling; as, the profession distrust him.
Career
A running; full speed; a rapid course.
When a horse is running in his full career.
Profession
The act of entering, or becoming a member of, a religious order.
Career
General course of action or conduct in life, or in a particular part or calling in life, or in some special undertaking; usually applied to course or conduct which is of a public character; as, Washington's career as a soldier.
An impartial view of his whole career.
Profession
The body of people in a learned occupation;
The news spread rapidly through the medical community
Career
The flight of a hawk.
Profession
An occupation requiring special education (especially in the liberal arts or sciences)
Career
To move or run rapidly.
Careering gayly over the curling waves.
Profession
An open avowal (true or false) of some belief or opinion;
A profession of disagreement
Career
The particular occupation for which you are trained
Profession
Affirmation of acceptance of some religion or faith;
A profession of Christianity
Career
The general progression of your working or professional life;
The general had had a distinguished career
He had a long career in the law
Career
Move headlong at high speed;
The cars careered down the road
The mob careered through the streets
Career
An individual's work trajectory, often in a particular field.
His career in the arts began with street performances.
Common Curiosities
How does career growth differ from profession growth?
Career growth often involves moving into varied roles or industries, while profession growth focuses on deepening expertise in a specific field.
Can one have multiple professions within a single career?
Yes, an individual can transition between different professions within their broader career journey.
Is every job part of a profession?
Not necessarily; while all professions involve jobs, not every job is associated with a formal profession.
Is a career the same as a job?
No, a career encompasses multiple jobs and roles over time, while a job is a specific position of employment.
Does a profession always require formal education?
Most professions require formal education or training, but there are exceptions depending on the context.
Can a hobby evolve into a career or profession?
Yes, with dedication, training, and opportunities, hobbies can transition into careers or even professions.
Are freelancers considered to have a career?
Yes, freelancing can be a career choice encompassing various projects and roles over time.
How long does a career typically last?
A career usually spans an individual's working life, from their first job to retirement.
Are all professionals experts in their field?
While professionals have specialized training, expertise can vary and is often gained with experience.
Is the term "profession" limited to just high-income jobs?
No, a profession refers to specialized fields requiring training, not necessarily tied to income.
Can someone change careers midway in life?
Yes, many people change careers for various reasons, including passion, opportunities, or work-life balance.
How is career satisfaction typically measured?
Career satisfaction can be based on factors like work-life balance, income, personal growth, and job challenges.
How does one choose a profession?
It often involves considering one's interests, skills, educational opportunities, and market demand.
Does a profession guarantee job security?
Not necessarily; while professions offer specialized skills, job security can vary based on market demand and other factors.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
