What is a Career?

 
Generally, we tend to think about the career as only the professional life, which starts once we finish our studies and enter the job market and goes till we retire from the professional world. Thus, we tend to think about a career as a series of jobs have during our professional life.
 
The word ‘Career’ comes from the Latin word for chariot or cart (‘carrus’). A cart, of course, is a vehicle that transports you and your belongings from one place to another. With this insight, you can see that the cart can also be a metaphor for where you want to go in life. For most people, that goal is about increasing economic wealth and social standing.

So, from a broader perspective, the career is a vehicle that transports us through life. All the decisions we take, all the actions we make, and the journey of life shape us educationally, socially, economically, and from every angle that impacts our lives and standing in society and develops us overall.
 
However, to keep it simple, here we would talk mainly about the professional career.
 
When we are applying for a new job or embarking on a new one, it often helps to think of the endeavor as a step forward in our professional career. Of course, the word ‘career’ is often a vaguely defined one. Still, the etymology of it gives an important clue as to why it is worth thinking of in every decision we make in our working life and worth keeping in mind when we want to progress professionally.
 
To achieve this, thinking of your work in terms of a ‘career’ is of paramount importance. You will be able to map out the jobs you apply for to increase your chances of success and develop your career. When you think about switching or changing jobs within the meta-picture of a career, it can give you more clarity about the places you’d like to go, the person you would like to be, the impact or difference you can make, and the kind of lifestyle you would like to lead.
 
Everyone should be responsible for deciding what they wish to do in life, but this is often much more complex and easier said than done: there are usually many other factors at play in these situations – environmental, economic, societal, familial, etc. However, the ultimate decision should be yours, where you can make the most of your own potential and talent.
 
To determine your own career trajectory, you have to figure out what your true interests are, as well as your beliefs and values. If you know these and can combine these with your particular skill sets and competencies to meet a need in the job marketplace, then you will have found the sweet spot for embarking on a great career. This is because you will understand what your options are and can make informed choices to navigate your path with purpose.
 
This kind of insight can help define and focus on what it is that you wish to do in terms of your career. It can also prevent you from making a common mistake made by people who wish to progress in their chosen profession: taking on a string of jobs that do not help get them closer to their goals in life. In other words, if you want to succeed professionally, you have to think in terms of “Is this job relevant to the career I want for myself?”

 
According to the Career Industry Council of Australia, there are many advantages to having clear guiding principles when you are thinking of career development. The benefits are enormous: with advantageous career development comes many ‘educational, societal and financial benefits.’ It leads to increased satisfaction in life and greater well-being.

 

One thing to bear in mind is that ‘career development is not just about paid work; it can be a lifelong process that mixes your actual employment and other activities including further education, volunteering, and hobbies. So don’t despair if you think that your own career path isn’t as linear or clear compared to your peers. This is not a static process – it is a continually evolving one that requires adaptation and resilience. The key is never to lose that focus in the context of your ‘cart’ – again, it can help define where you want to go in life, and your career is just that vehicle that will take you there.