Many people think only professionals—engineers, accountants, teachers, etc.—have careers. Even if you've never had a paid job, you still have a career. Your career is the sum of your life and work. It includes all your activities and experiences. Your schooling, your volunteer work, and even your relationships with your family are all big parts of your career.
During your career, you will have a variety of jobs, occupations and roles. People used to think of a job as full-time, permanent, paid work done for an employer at a work site. But in our changing world, a job is a set of duties or tasks. It can be paid or unpaid Even someone who is self-employed has a job.
An occupation is a group of jobs with similar responsibilities that require a common set of skills. Programmers may have permanent or temporary jobs working for specific employers, be self-employed, work full-time or part-time, be paid for their work or volunteer their services. They may change jobs or hold several jobs at one time but, until they change the type of duties or tasks they perform, they are still computer programmers.
We all play a number of roles in our lives and our roles often change over time. For example, Kris works four days a week as a receptionist in a clinic and takes evening courses in social work. She also sews gymnastic wear for her neighbor who sells it at summer markets. Now Kris has at least three roles.
A. A role is a part you play.
B. Actually everyone has a career.
C. In other words, your career is your life story.
D. For example, computer programmer is an occupation.
E. As a matter of fact, a job is different from a role in some way.
F. It can be completed at a work site, at home, or somewhere else.
G. The following is about your work, your family, and your life story.
