Careers: An Overview

• Author: Judith Chiri
• Pages: 78-80

Page 78

The concept of careers ranges from descriptions of jobs, occupations, or vocations to the pattern of work and work-related activities that develop through a lifetime. Career is defined in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (1999) as "a field for or pursuit of consecutive progressive achievement especially in public, professional, or business life."

The perception of a career has various connotations. A career could be a job. A job, as defined in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (1999), is "a regular remunerative position; something that has to be done: task." A job might be washing dishes or typing reports. In other works, a job is a task.

An occupation, as defined in the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary (1999), is "an activity in which one engages; the principal business of one's life: vocation." An occupation may mean practicing law, teaching school, and so forth. In other words, an occupation is a vocation.

Careers are the patterns of work and work-related activities that develop through a lifetime. Having several careers during a lifetime is not uncommon. One may train to become a business teacher—a satisfying occupation (vocation) for years. After that, one may leave teaching and train to become a financial planner (a second vocation).

Also, having more than one job within a career is common. A business teacher might begin teaching middle school general business subjects (a first job), then progress to teaching secondary-level business subjects (another job). While teaching secondary business subjects, the same person might supervise the publication of the school's yearbook (still within the career field of education).

CHOOSING A CAREER

To be successful in a vocation, it is first necessary to obtain knowledge about choosing a career and then to acquire the education needed to grow in that career and in the job(s) pursued within that career.

The Myers-Briggs Personality Test, available at employment offices, at school career/college centers, or on the Internet, could be a first step in choosing a career. Based on the work of Karl Jung, the test was developed by Katherine Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, to determine whether someone was primarily extroverted or introverted, sensing or intuitive, thinking or feeling, judging or perceiving. Combining these traits, they formed sixteen distinct personality types, known as the Myers-Briggs Personality Types. Understanding one's own personality type, as well as that of other people, can help in finding the "perfect" job and make it easier to manage personal and professional relationships.

Along with the Myers-Briggs Personality Test, a person should consider the following when choosing a...