Career Development

Understand the difference between profession and career

admin • 17 Sep 2023

Knowing the difference between profession and career is essential for good life planning.

After all, one of the most important decisions a person has to make is choosing the right profession.

The two terms are similar but have some crucial differences. Know what they are.

What is a profession?

Profession is an activity for which an individual has prepared himself. It's the same as work. That is, the opportunity for a person to obtain resources necessary for a healthy livelihood.

There are other definitions for the highlighted term, but the explained definition is the one we should pay attention to.

What is a career?

A career is every profession that extends the paths toward progress in the face of hierarchical positions.

Other career definitions point to something related to the path, which brings a consolidated understanding of the meaning of this term.

That is, we are discussing a path to follow within a profession.

Differences between profession and career

The profession results from studies in an area that enables us to perform a task with broad responsibility.

All the technical knowledge needed to do a job comes from professional knowledge.

An example of a profession is the neurologist. He must study medicine and specialize in neurology to achieve this horizon.

We correctly state that the neurologist can determine his profession and specialization previously without difficulties.

The example professional needs to focus his studies in this area, pass tests, and achieve the necessary preparation.

However, the range of opportunities is more comprehensive when pursuing a professional career.

If the same doctor defines his path to working with the neediest population, he can do that and maybe even become part of the Doctors Without Borders program.

But, you can also decide to have your own practice and own your business, dedicate yourself to medical research, focus on other possibilities or try to lead more than one career simultaneously.

In this way, it is clear that the difference between profession and career is the same between tools and multiple jobs.

Is having more than one profession wrong?

The different professions can captivate many students and create doubts about what to follow.

Therefore, it is common for trained people to give up their professions/careers to start everything from scratch in another area.

This also happens to students throughout a course. This is the reason for many locked enrollments.

However, having more than one profession and combining all this baggage is possible in one career.

You could, for example, be a doctor with an MBA in business and work in the administrative sector of a renowned hospital.

Indeed, the resume of this professional will stand out among others.

So, having more than one profession is highly valid; it's perfect. Ideally, you should dedicate yourself to professions related to each other.

Choose professions that can be added to a single career and provide extensive and reliable know-how.

What to choose first, career or profession?

This is a ubiquitous question: What to choose first, career or profession? It is essential to think about future paths and plan them very carefully.

But, it is essential to understand that a career depends on many variables.

A career is derivative in several ways. In other words, it is a molded product strongly linked to established objectives.

Therefore, you do not choose the exact career you will pursue. Who knows, a percentage of it consciously, but in the end, ramifications will lead you.

A practical example

An example is the musician Kiko Loureiro, guitarist for the band Angra, currently in the band Megadeth.

In interviews, Kiko said he knew he would be a professional guitarist, as he dedicated hours to the instrument with focus and passion since childhood.

He studied the theoretical and technical parts with great dedication and never doubted that this was what he should do.

Throughout his studies, he was always captivated by the music of Megadeth and other heavy metal bands.

However, Kiko did not decide that he would be Megadeth's guitarist after making a name for himself in Angra when he reached the peak of his career.

The only thing he could control was setting himself up for a successful future in music.

A career is not decided within the framework of preparing for a profession. What everyone must understand is that career opportunities will arise.

You may have a better job opportunity than you expected.

Things can take one direction or another; everything will depend on focus, determination, knowledge, and many other variables.

Choose your profession

If you are in doubt about which profession to follow, know that there are vocational tests that can help you in this regard.

First of all, you must define the profession you want to follow.

If in doubt, then focus all your energies on finding a profession that makes you get up early and sleep late. Something you feel passionate about doing.

To better elucidate this search, research the job market among some of the most captivating professions.

Remember, it is possible to associate some of them to walk the same path.

Therefore, research about career opportunities in a particular profession and dedicate yourself to that goal.