Position vs. Occupation — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Maham Liaqat — Updated on April 14, 2024
Position refers to one's role or status within an organization, focusing on function and rank, while occupation is a broader term describing a field of professional activity or employment.
Difference Between Position and Occupation
Table of Contents
ADVERTISEMENT
Key Differences
Position often denotes a specific role or job within a company or organization, highlighting one's duties and level of responsibility. On the other hand, occupation encompasses any form of paid employment, regardless of position or rank, and is used more generally to indicate a person's profession or type of job.
A position is usually associated with a particular rank or hierarchy within an organization, such as 'manager', 'technician', or 'executive'. Whereas, occupation refers to broader categories like 'engineering', 'teaching', or 'medicine', which include various positions.
Individuals typically have a single position at any given time, reflecting their specific job responsibilities and status in an organization. Conversely, they may have multiple occupations throughout their career, which represent different fields or types of jobs they engage in.
Positions are often clearly defined within organizational structures, accompanied by specific job descriptions and requirements. In contrast, occupations can be broader and less defined, encompassing a variety of roles that share common skills or goals.
Understanding one's position is crucial for defining intra-organizational relationships and responsibilities. Meanwhile, knowing one's occupation provides a broader socio-economic context, useful for understanding educational and professional qualifications.
ADVERTISEMENT
Comparison Chart
Definition
Role or status within an organization.
Type of job or profession.
Scope
Specific to a company or organization.
General, applicable across various fields.
Focus
Individual responsibilities and rank.
Field of professional activity.
Example entities
Manager, clerk, CEO.
Teaching, engineering, medicine.
Change frequency
Changes with job change within the organization.
Changes with career shifts.
Compare with Definitions
Position
A job or role considered in terms of status or rank.
She applied for a higher position in a different department.
Occupation
The general field or career someone is involved in.
Her occupation involves various forms of artistic expression.
Position
The specific role or job title one holds within an organization.
She holds the position of Chief Financial Officer at the company.
Occupation
A broad category encompassing various jobs within the same field.
Medicine is a highly respected occupation.
Position
The function or duties associated with a particular role.
Her position involves overseeing all regional sales.
Occupation
The act of holding or filling a position of employment.
Her occupation as a teacher began right after graduation.
Position
The place or location someone occupies within a formal structure.
He moved to a new position in the marketing department.
Occupation
The kind of work someone does regularly to earn a living.
His occupation as a journalist keeps him very busy.
Position
A designated rank or level within an organizational hierarchy.
His position as a senior manager comes with many responsibilities.
Occupation
A form of employment or the act of occupying a position.
Carpentry has been his occupation for over twenty years.
Position
A place or location.
Occupation
A job or profession
People in professional occupations
Position
The right or appropriate place
The bands are in position for the parade's start.
Occupation
The action, state, or period of occupying or being occupied by military force
The Roman occupation of Britain
Position
A strategic area occupied by members of a force
The troops took up positions along the river.
Occupation
The action of living in or using a building or other place
A property suitable for occupation by older people
Position
The way in which something is placed
The position of the clock's hands.
Occupation
For the sole use of the occupiers of the land concerned
An occupation bridge
Position
The arrangement of body parts; posture
A standing position.
Occupation
An activity that serves as one's regular source of livelihood; a vocation.
Position
In ballet, any of the five arrangements of the arms and feet in which the legs are turned out from the pelvis.
Occupation
An activity engaged in especially as a means of passing time; an avocation.
Position
An advantageous place or location
Jockeys maneuvering for position.
Occupation
The act or process of holding or possessing a place.
Position
A situation as it relates to the surrounding circumstances
In a position to bargain.
Occupation
The state of being held or possessed.
Position
A point of view or attitude on a certain question
The mayor's position on taxes.
Occupation
Invasion, conquest, and control of a nation or territory by foreign armed forces.
Position
Social standing or status; rank.
Occupation
The military government exercising control over an occupied nation or territory.
Position
A post of employment; a job.
Occupation
An activity or task with which one occupies oneself; usually specifically the productive activity, service, trade, or craft for which one is regularly paid; a job.
Position
(Sports) The area for which a particular player is responsible.
Occupation
The act, process or state of possessing a place.
Position
The arrangement of the pieces or cards at any particular time in a game such as chess, checkers, or bridge.
Occupation
The control of a country or region by a hostile military and/or paramilitary force.
Position
The act or process of positing.
Occupation
The act or process of occupying or taking possession; actual possession and control; the state of being occupied; a holding or keeping; tenure; use; as, the occupation of lands by a tenant.
Position
A principle or proposition posited.
Occupation
That which occupies or engages the time and attention.
Position
A commitment to buy or sell a given amount of securities or commodities.
Occupation
The principal business of one's life; the principal work by which one earns one's livelihood; vocation; employment; profession; calling; trade; avocation; as, these days many people continue to practice their occupation well into their seventies.
Absence of occupation is not rest.
Position
The amount of securities or commodities held by a person, firm, or institution.
Occupation
The principal activity in your life that you do to earn money;
He's not in my line of business
Position
The ownership status of a person's or institution's investments.
Occupation
The control of a country by military forces of a foreign power
Position
To put in place or position.
Occupation
Any activity that occupies a person's attention;
He missed the bell in his occupation with the computer game
Position
To determine the position of; locate.
Occupation
The act of occupying or taking possession of a building;
Occupation of a building without a certificate of occupancy is illegal
Position
A place or location.
Occupation
The period of time during which a place or position or nation is occupied;
During the German occupation of Paris
Position
A post of employment; a job.
Position
A status or rank.
Chief of Staff is the second-highest position in the army.
Position
An opinion, stand, or stance.
My position on this issue is unchanged.
Position
A posture.
Stand in this position, with your arms at your side.
Position
(figurative) A situation suitable to perform some action.
The school is not in a position to provide day-care after 4:00 pm.
Position
(team sports) A place on the playing field, together with a set of duties, assigned to a player.
Stop running all over the field and play your position!
Position
(finance) An amount of securities, commodities, or other financial instruments held by a person, firm, or institution.
Long position
Naked position
Position
(finance) A commitment, or a group of commitments, such as options or futures, to buy or sell a given amount of financial instruments, such as securities, currencies or commodities, for a given price.
Position
(arithmetic) A method of solving a problem by one or two suppositions; also called the rule of trial and error.
Position
(chess) The full state of a chess game at any given turn.
Position
(poker) The order in which players are seated around the table.
Position
To put into place.
Position
The state of being posited, or placed; the manner in which anything is placed; attitude; condition; as, a firm, an inclined, or an upright position.
We have different prospects of the same thing, according to our different positions to it.
Position
The spot where a person or thing is placed or takes a place; site; place; station; situation; as, the position of man in creation; the fleet changed its position.
Position
Hence: The ground which any one takes in an argument or controversy; the point of view from which any one proceeds to a discussion; also, a principle laid down as the basis of reasoning; a proposition; a thesis; as, to define one's position; to appear in a false position.
Let not the proof of any position depend on the positions that follow, but always on those which go before.
Position
Relative place or standing; social or official rank; as, a person of position; hence, office; post; as, to lose one's position.
Position
A method of solving a problem by one or two suppositions; - called also the rule of trial and error.
Position
To indicate the position of; to place.
Position
The particular portion of space occupied by a physical object;
He put the lamp back in its place
Position
A point occupied by troops for tactical reasons
Position
A way of regarding situations or topics etc.;
Consider what follows from the positivist view
Position
Position or arrangement of the body and its limbs;
He assumed an attitude of surrender
Position
The relative position or standing of things or especially persons in a society;
He had the status of a minor
The novel attained the status of a classic
Atheists do not enjoy a favorable position in American life
Position
A job in an organization;
He occupied a post in the treasury
Position
The spatial property of a place where or way in which something is situated;
The position of the hands on the clock
He specified the spatial relations of every piece of furniture on the stage
Position
The appropriate or customary location;
The cars were in position
Position
(in team sports) the role assigned to an individual player;
What position does he play?
Position
The act of putting something in a certain place or location
Position
A condition or position in which you find yourself;
The unpleasant situation (or position) of having to choose between two evils
Found herself in a very fortunate situation
Position
An item on a list or in a sequence;
In the second place
Moved from third to fifth position
Position
A rationalized mental attitude
Position
An opinion that is held in opposition to another in an argument or dispute;
There are two sides to every question
Position
The function or position properly or customarily occupied or served by another;
Can you go in my stead?
Took his place
In lieu of
Position
The act of positing; an assumption taken as a postulate or axiom
Position
Cause to be in an appropriate place, state, or relation
Position
Put into a certain place or abstract location;
Put your things here
Set the tray down
Set the dogs on the scent of the missing children
Place emphasis on a certain point
Common Curiosities
What is a position in a company?
A position in a company refers to a specific role or job title one holds within an organizational structure, defined by unique duties and responsibilities.
Is it possible to change one's occupation frequently?
Yes, individuals can change their occupations, though it often requires additional education or training depending on the breadth of the change. Frequent changes might occur in early career stages or in dynamic industries.
Does occupation relate to one's education?
Yes, often one's occupation is closely related to their field of study or the educational qualifications they have obtained.
How does one advance to a higher position?
Advancing to a higher position typically involves gaining experience, demonstrating competence, furthering education or training, and showing leadership qualities.
How do I know what my occupation is?
Your occupation is determined by your field of work or the general category of your professional activity, such as teaching, engineering, or healthcare.
What is more specific, a position or an occupation?
A position is more specific as it pertains to a distinct role or rank within an organization, whereas an occupation is a broader term that describes a field of professional activity.
Why is knowing one’s position important?
Knowing one’s position is important for understanding specific responsibilities, workplace hierarchy, and career progression within an organization.
How does an occupation differ from a job?
An occupation is a broad category that can include many different jobs within the same field, while a job is a specific position or employment situation.
Can a person have multiple positions within the same occupation?
Yes, a person can hold various positions within the same occupation, each with different responsibilities and titles.
What factors influence someone’s position within a company?
Factors influencing one's position can include education, experience, performance, internal networking, and organizational needs.
How do positions and occupations impact one's identity?
Both positions and occupations significantly shape one’s professional identity, influencing how others perceive them and how they view their own skills and career trajectory. Positions often emphasize status within an organization, while occupations align with broader societal roles and economic sectors.
Can the same occupation have different positions in different companies?
Yes, the same occupation can have different positions in different companies, as job titles and responsibilities can vary based on company size, culture, and industry specifics.
Share Your Discovery
Previous Comparison
Luxury vs. Elegance
Next Comparison
Warrior vs. FighterAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Maham Liaqat
