Career meaning of the word

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about a person’s occupational history. For other uses, see Career (disambiguation).

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.

Definitions

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word «career» as a person’s «course or progress through life (or a distinct portion of life)». This definition relates «career» to a range of aspects of an individual’s life, learning, and work. «Career» is also frequently understood^{[by whom?]} to relate to the working aspects of an individual’s life — as in «career woman», for example. A third way in which the term «career» is used describes an occupation or a profession that usually involves special training or formal education,^[1] considered^{[by whom?]} to be a person’s lifework.^{[2][failed verification]} In this case «a career» is seen^{[by whom?]} as a sequence of related jobs, usually pursued within a single industry or sector: one can speak for example of «a career in education», of «a criminal career» or of «a career in the building trade». A career has been defined by organizational behavior researchers as «an individual’s work-related and other relevant experiences, both inside and outside of organizations, that form a unique pattern over the individual’s life span.»^[3]

Etymology

The word «career» ultimately derives from Latin carrus, referring to a chariot.^[4]

The Online Etymology Dictionary claims the semantic extension whereby «career» came to mean «course of one’s public or professional life» appears from 1803.^[5] It is used in dozens of books published in the year 1800, in reference to Goethe’s «literary career,»^[6] other biographical figures’ «business career» and «professional career,» so the phrase likely was in regular use by the year 1800.^[7]

Historic changes in careers

For a pre-modernist notion of «career», compare cursus honorum.

By the late 20th century, a wide range of variations (especially in the range of potential professions) and more widespread education had allowed it to become possible to plan (or design) a career: In this respect the careers of the career counselor and of the career advisor have grown up. It is also not uncommon for adults in the late 20th/early 21st centuries to have dual or multiple careers, either sequentially or concurrently. Thus, professional identities have become hyphenated or hybridized to reflect this shift in work ethic. Economist Richard Florida notes this trend generally and more specifically among the «creative class».

Career management

Career management or career development describes the active and purposeful management of a career by an individual. Ideas of what comprise «career management skills» are described by the Blueprint model (in the United States, Canada, Australia, Scotland, and England^[8])^[9] and the Seven C’s of Digital Career Literacy (specifically relating to the Internet skills).^[10]

Key skills include the ability to reflect on one’s current career, research the labour market, determine whether education is necessary, find openings, and make career changes.^{[citation needed]}

Career choice

According to Behling and others, an individual’s decision to join a firm may depend on any of the three factors viz. objective factor, subjective factor and critical contact.^[11]

• Objective factor theory assumes that the applicants are rational. The choice, therefore, is exercised after an objective assessment of the tangible benefits of the job. Factors may include the salary, other benefits, location, opportunities for career advancement, etc.
• Subjective factor theory suggests that decision making is dominated by social and psychological factors. The status of the job, reputation of the organization, and other similar factors plays an important role.
• Critical contact theory advances the idea that a candidate’s observations while interacting with the organization plays a vital role in decision making. For example, how the recruiter keeps in touch with the candidate, the promptness of response and similar factors are important. This theory is more valid with experienced professionals.

These theories assume that candidates have a free choice of employers and careers. In reality, the scarcity of jobs and strong competition for desirable jobs severely skews the decision-making process. In many markets, employees work particular careers simply because they were forced to accept whatever work was available to them. Additionally, Ott-Holland and colleagues found that culture can have a major influence on career choice, depending on the type of culture.^[12]

When choosing a career that’s best for you, according to US News, there are multiple things to consider. Some of those include: natural talents, work style, social interaction, work–life balance, whether or not you are looking to give back, whether you are comfortable in the public eye, dealing with stress or not, and finally, how much money you want to make. If choosing a career feels like too much pressure, here’s another option: pick a path that feels right today by making the best decision you can, and know that you can change your mind in the future. In today’s workplace, choosing a career doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stick with that line of work for your entire life. Make a smart decision, and plan to re-evaluate down the line based on your long-term objectives.^[13]

Career (occupation) changing

Changing occupation is an important aspect of career and career management. Over a lifetime, both the individual and the labour market will change; it is to be expected that many people will change occupations during their lives. Data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics through the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth in 1979 showed that individuals between the ages of 18 and 38 will hold more than 10 jobs.^[14]

There are various reasons why people might want to change their careers. Sometimes career change can come as the result of a long-anticipated layoff, while other times it can occur unexpectedly and without warning.^[15]

A survey conducted by Right Management^[16] suggests the following reasons for career changing.

• The downsizing or the restructuring of an organization (54%).
• New challenges or opportunities that arise (30%).
• Poor or ineffective leadership (25%).
• Having a poor relationship with a manager(s) (22%).
• For the improvement of work/life balance (21%).
• Contributions are not being recognized (21%).
• For better compensation and benefits (18%),
• For better alignment with personal and organizational values (17%).
• Personal strengths and capabilities are not a good fit with an organization (16%).
• The financial instability of an organization (13%).
• An organization relocated (12%).

According to an article on Time.com, one out of three people currently employed (as of 2008) spends about an hour per day searching for another position.^[16]

Career success

Career success is a term used frequently in academic and popular writing about career. It refers to the extent and ways in which an individual can be described as successful in his or her working life so far.^[17]

During the 1950s and 1960s, individuals typically worked for one or two firms during their career and success was defined by the organization and measured by promotions, increases in salary, and/or status.^[18] Such traditional careers were exemplified by Donald Super’s career stage model.^[19] Super’s linear career stage model suggested that careers take place within the context of stable, organizational structures. Individuals moved up the organization’s hierarchy seeking greater extrinsic rewards.^[20]

Early career success may breed disappointment later, especially when a person’s self-worth is tied up in their career or achievements.^[21] Professional success tends to come early in some fields, such as scientific research, and later in other fields, such as teaching.^[21]

Earnings can be expressed either in absolute terms (e.g. the amount a person earns) or in relative terms (e.g. the amount a person earns compared with their starting salary). Earnings and status are examples of objective criteria of success, where «objective» means that they can be factually verified, and are not purely a matter of opinion.

Many observers argue that careers are less predictable than they once were, due to the fast pace of economic and technological change.^[22] This means that career management is more obviously the responsibility of the individual rather than his or her employing organisation, because a «job for life» is a thing of the past. This has put more emphasis on subjective criteria of career success.^[23] These include job satisfaction, career satisfaction, work-life balance, a sense of personal achievement, and attaining work that is consistent with one’s personal values. A person’s assessment of his or her career success is likely to be influenced by social comparisons, such as how well family members, friends, or contemporaries at school or college have done.^[24]

The amount and type of career success a person achieves is affected by several forms of career capital.^[25] These include social capital (the extent and depth of personal contacts a person can draw upon), human capital (demonstrable abilities, experiences and qualifications), economic capital (money and other material resources which permit access to career-related resources), and cultural capital (having skills, attitudes or general know-how to operate effectively in a particular social context).^[26]

Career support

There are a range of different educational, counseling, and human resource management interventions that can support individuals to develop and manage their careers. Career support is commonly offered while people are in education, when they are transitioning to the labour market, when they are changing career, during periods of unemployment, and during transition to retirement. Support may be offered by career professionals, other professionals or by non-professionals such as family and friends. Professional career support is sometimes known as «career guidance» as in the OECD definition of career guidance:

The activities may take place on an individual or group basis, and may be face-to-face or at a distance (including helplines and web-based services). They include career information provision (in print, ICT-based and other forms), assessment and self-assessment tools, counselling interviews, career education programmes (to help individuals develop their self-awareness, opportunity awareness, and career management skills), taster programmes (to sample options before choosing them), work search programmes, and transition services.»^[27]

However this use of the term «career guidance» can be confusing as the term is also commonly used to describe the activities of career counselors.

Provision of career support

Career support is offered by a range of different mechanisms. Much career support is informal and provided through personal networks or existing relationships such as management. There is a market for private career support however the bulk of career support that exists as a professionalised activity is provided by the public sector.^{[citation needed]}

Types of career support

Key types of career support include:

• Career information describes information that supports career and learning choices. An important sub-set of career information is labour market information (LMI), such as salaries of various professions, employment rate in various professions, available training programs, and current job openings.
• Career assessments are tests that come in a variety of forms and rely on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Career assessments can help individuals identify and better articulate their unique interests, personality, values, and skills to determine how well they may match with a certain career. Some skills that career assessments could help determine are job-specific skills, transferable skills, and self-management skills.^[28] Career assessments can also provide a window of potential opportunities by helping individuals discover the tasks, experience, education and training that is needed for a career they would want to pursue.^[29] Career counselors, executive coaches, educational institutions, career development centers, and outplacement companies often administer career assessments to help individuals focus their search on careers that closely match their unique personal profile.
• Career counseling assesses people’s interests, personality, values and skills, and helps them to explore career options and research graduate and professional schools. Career counseling provides one-on-one or group professional assistance in exploration and decision making tasks related to choosing a major/occupation, transitioning into the world of work or further professional training.
• Career education describes a process by which individuals come to learn about themselves, their careers and the world of work. There is a strong tradition of career education in schools,^[30] however career education can also occur in a wider range of other contexts including further and higher education and the workplace. A commonly used framework for careers education is DOTS which stands for decision learning (D), opportunity awareness (O), transition learning (T), and self-awareness (S).^[31] Oftentimes, higher education is thought of as being too narrow or too researched based and lacking of a deeper understanding of the material to develop the skills necessary for a certain career.^[32]

Some research shows adding one year of schooling beyond high school creates an increase of wages 17.8% per worker. However, additional years of schooling, beyond 9 or 10 years, have little effect on worker’s wages. In summary, better educated, bigger benefits. In 2010, 90% of the U.S. Workforce had a high school diploma, 64% had some college, and 34% had at least a bachelor’s degree.^[33]

The common problem that people may encounter when trying to achieve an education for a career is the cost. The career that comes with the education must pay well enough to be able to pay off the schooling. The benefits of schooling can differ greatly depending on the degree (or certification) obtained, the programs the school may offer, and the ranking of the school. Sometimes, colleges provide students more with just education to prepare for careers. It is not uncommon for colleges to provide pathways and support straight into the workforce the students may desire.^[34]

Much career support is delivered face-to-face, but an increasing amount of career support is delivered online.^[10]

See also

• Job satisfaction
• Employment
• Profession
• Portfolio career
• Anticipatory socialization

References

External links

• United Nations (2002), Handbook on career counseling

I know that when I’m advising students, and they are fretting about career choices, and I ask them, what do you *want* to do with your life — what do you think will make you happy, most of them, I’d say maybe 70% of them, give me this blank stare: as if *happiness* and *career* could have nothing to do with each other. ❋ Delagar (2007)

I have a warm interest in your happiness and career — yes, _career_ — I repeat the word. ❋ Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton (1838)

Madrid Number 9 Youth career 19931995 Andorinha 19951997 Nacional 19972001 Sporting CP Senior career* Years Team Apps ‡ (Gls) ‡ 20012003 Sporting CP 25 (3) 20032009 Manchester United 196 ❋ Unknown (2010)

In light of trying to distinguish true democrats from ‘corporate democrats’ maybe for this Denver mayor’s race, the term ‘career politician’ is actually a good thing in the case of Hancock, Linkhart and Mejia — meaning we know where you have been working, and it has been in a public arena, not in private backroom deals. ❋ Wade Norris (2011)

Romney’s critics point out that he might have earned the label «career politician» had he not lost his 1994 Senate race. ❋ Philip Rucker (2011)

The for-profit industry, which prefers the term «career colleges» or «proprietary» schools, grew rapidly over the last decade amid renewed calls to increase the nation’s college graduation rate and a need to help laid-off workers find new careers. ❋ Unknown (2011)

The word career derives from the French word carrière, meaning a racecourse. ❋ Unknown (2010)

But after Favre had what he called his career-best season for the Vikings last season, leading them to the NFC title game and finishing fourth in the NFL most valuable player voting at age 40, virtually nothing went right this season. ❋ Mark Maske (2011)

My personnal opinion, his career is about to flush. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Taking no risks in your career is the biggest — and worst — risk of them all. ❋ Adele Scheele (2010)

If your career is a hill then the mountain next to it is the rejections accrued. ❋ Unknown (2010)

McCargo, who has battled injuries and inconsistent stretches of play, remains on the roster but his career is at a crossroads. ❋ Unknown (2010)

However, I would venture to say that seeing him in one of the last roles of his career is almost a fleeting concern. ❋ Unknown (2008)

Your career is your job to manage, expecting others to do it for you just proves to me that you are not ready. ❋ Unknown (2008)

Jack: Hey Daniel, [what have you] been doing with your life lately?
Daniel: [Oh you know]… Doing the career thing. (Usually means [giving up] your soul and putting up with a tyrants bullshit just to pay rent because things were never handed to you for free…) ❋ Jack Daniels III (2007)

I was down big, but pulled off the win when [Shaun Alexander] [careered] in the Sunday night game. He had five [TDs] in the first half! ❋ Big Dick’s Halfway Inn (2005)

[liberal arts] career. ❋ Mojo In Sd (2005)

[Britney’s] [performance] was so [awful] that it will probably be career ending. ❋ Action Man (2007)

«[Careers] are a [twentieth century] invention, and I don’t want one» — Christopher [McCandless]: ❋ GenericPseudonym10621 (2009)

Each of the professions means a prejudice. The necessity for a career forces every one to take sides. We live in the age of the [overworked], and the under-educated; the age in which people are so [industrious] that they become absolutely stupid.
— [Oscar Wilde] (1854-1900) ❋ Loki’s Friend (2009)

He totally careered it with her, she’s hot» » He careered it with you, he’ll [never be] [able] to get someone who is [the complete package] like you ❋ PrettyPinkglitter (2010)

Funny how most people who call their job a [career] [don’t stop] to realize [that’s all] a [Career] is — just a really long job. ❋ JamesWeyand (2009)

[Taylor] you just careered that [shot], what were u [thinking]? ❋ HayZues (2006)

After [15 minutes], [the hand] job [turned] into a hand career. ❋ Humpyfister (2010)

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

Mid 16th century, from French carrière (“road; racecourse”), from Italian carriera, from Old Occitan carreira, from Late Latin carrāria based on Latin carrus (“wheeled vehicle”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥sós, from *ḱers- (“to run”); alternatively, from Middle French carriere, from Old Occitan.

Pronunciation[edit]

• (General American) IPA^(key): /kəˈɹɪɹ/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /kəˈɹɪə/
• Homophone (non-rhotic accents only): Korea
• Rhymes: -ɪə(ɹ)

Noun[edit]

career (plural careers)

1. One’s calling in life; a person’s occupation; one’s profession.

   • 1971, John Lennon (lyrics), “Working Class Hero”, in John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band, performed by John Lennon:

     When they’ve tortured and scared you for twenty-odd years / Then they expect you to pick a career

   • 2002, Priscilla K. Shontz, Steven J. Oberg, Jump Start Your Career in Library and Information Science (page 21)

     As I explored the possibility of a library science path, having previously been employed in libraries during my school career and afterwards, I decided that I needed to actually experience work in a library setting full time again […]

   • 2012 January 1, Douglas Larson, “Runaway Devils Lake”, in American Scientist‎^[1], volume 100, number 1, page 46:

     Devils Lake is where I began my career as a limnologist in 1964, studying the lake’s neotenic salamanders and chironomids, or midge flies. […] The Devils Lake Basin is an endorheic, or closed, basin covering about 9,800 square kilometers in northeastern North Dakota.

2. General course of action or conduct in life, or in a particular part of it.

   Washington’s career as a soldier

3. (archaic) Speed.
   • 1648, John Wilkins, Mathematical Magick

     when a horse is running in his full career

   • 1843 April, Thomas Carlyle, “chapter XIII, Democracy”, in Past and Present, American edition, Boston, Mass.: Charles C[offin] Little and James Brown, published 1843, →OCLC, book III (The Modern Worker):

     It may be admitted that Democracy, in all meanings of the word, is in full career; irresistible by any Ritter Kauderwalsch or other Son of Adam, as times go.

4. A jouster’s path during a joust.

   • 1820, Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I, II, or III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC:

     These knights, therefore, their aim being thus eluded, rushed from opposite sides betwixt the object of their attack and the Templar, almost running their horses against each other ere they could stop their career.

5. (obsolete) A short gallop of a horse. [16th–18th c.]
   • Template:RQ:Montaigne Florio Essye
   • 1756, William Guthrie (translator), Of Eloquence (originally by Quintillian)

     Such littleness damps the heat, and weakens the force of genius; as we check a horse in his career, and rein him in when we want him to amble

6. (falconry) The flight of a hawk.
7. (obsolete) A racecourse; the ground run over.

   • a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the page number)”, in Fulke Greville, Matthew Gwinne, and John Florio, editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC; republished in Albert Feuillerat, editor, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (Cambridge English Classics: The Complete Works of Sir Philip Sidney; I), Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1912, →OCLC:

     to think of going back again the same career

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Verb[edit]

career (third-person singular simple present careers, present participle careering, simple past and past participle careered)

1. To move rapidly straight ahead, especially in an uncontrolled way.

   Synonym: careen

   The car careered down the road, missed the curve, and went through a hedge.

   • 2003 October 16, Emma Brockes, quoting DBC Pierre, “How did I get here?”, in The Guardian‎^[2]:

     He likens the story of his 20s to «a fully fuelled jumbo jet just reaching take-off point and having to slam on the brakes. You’ve got this enormous bloody thing careering off the end of the runway, through the fence, through the house next door, bursting into flames and me crawling out and scraping my wounds for 10 years. I won’t be flying that one again.»

   • 2011 September 16, Ben Dirs, “Rugby World Cup 2011: New Zealand 83-7 Japan”, in BBC Sport‎^[3]:

     However, the hosts hit back and hit back hard, first replacement hooker Andrew Hore sliding over, then Williams careering out of his own half and leaving several defenders for dead before flipping the ball to Nonu to finish off a scintillating move.

   • 2021 February 24, Greg Morse, “Great Heck: a tragic chain of events”, in RAIL, number 925, page 39:

     This secondary collision, head-on with a closing speed of 142mph, caused the DVT to veer off to the left. Many of the coaches behind it overturned and careered into an adjacent field.

Translations[edit]

Adjective[edit]

career (not comparable)

1. Synonym of serial (“doing something repeatedly or regularly as part of one’s lifestyle or career”)

   a career criminal

   • 2012, Arthur Gillard, Homelessness (page 38)

     Studies on homeless income find that the typical “career panhandler” who dedicates his time overwhelmingly to begging can make between $600 and $1,500 a month.

Further reading[edit]

• «career» in Raymond Williams, Keywords (revised), 1983, Fontana Press, page 52.

Scots[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From English career.

Noun[edit]

career (plural careers)

1. career

Educalingo cookies are used to personalize ads and get web traffic statistics. We also share information about the use of the site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners.

Download the app
educalingo

My whole career is just terror, from beginning to end. That’s kind of my thing. A lot of happy accidents happened.

Patrick J. Adams

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD CAREER

From French carrière, from Late Latin carrāria carriage road, from Latin carrus two-wheeled wagon, car.

PRONUNCIATION OF CAREER

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF CAREER

Career is a verb and can also act as a noun.

WHAT DOES CAREER MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Definition of career in the English dictionary

The first definition of career in the dictionary is a path or progress through life or history. Other definition of career is a profession or occupation chosen as one’s life’s work. Career is also having or following a career as specified.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO CAREER

PRESENT

PAST

FUTURE

CONDITIONAL

IMPERATIVE

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH CAREER

SYNONYMS OF «CAREER»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «career» and belong to the same grammatical category.

TRANSLATION OF CAREER

Find out the translation of career to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «CAREER»

The term «career» is very widely used and occupies the 2.251 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.

Principal search tendencies and common uses of career

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «CAREER» OVER TIME

10 QUOTES WITH «CAREER»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word career.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «CAREER»

Discover the use of career in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to career and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «CAREER»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term career is used in the context of the following news items.

REFERENCE

« EDUCALINGO. Career [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/career>. Apr 2023 ».