By Samuel Rosenberg
WORKING in a job you enjoy and earning the money that matches your value is the difference between selecting a career or a job where you may dislike your occupation and never earn enough dollars for your dream home and your family.
A job is a place you go to, to earn money to see you through until the following week. A career is a collection of jobs, experiences and training programmes that will help you advance throughout ever increasing pay structures and responsibilities.
Where your work experience and education are leading you somewhere, you are on a career path. Where you move from job to job with no particular plan, you will almost never achieve high office and good salaries.
For those lucky enough to be in a job, most people are busy going to their place of work, completing the tasks necessary while there, and going home for a well-earned relaxation. All of this keeps the majority of people extremely busy, especially when you add time devoted to family life, chores that need to be completed and any additional study. Many of the same people are also looking for a new job that pays more, so the competition to find a better position is complicated and difficult.
A job is not limited to providing you with income to meet your basic human requirements. More than just income generation, it should give you a purpose in life and a focus to move towards greater goals throughout your working career.
People who are focused on a long-term career understand and view the bigger picture of durable planning as they work towards attaining their targets and goals that they set for themselves and their family.
When you are so busy working a job, it can be very difficult to see beyond that occupation and find more suitable employment with a better salary. People who are more career- orientated will be more likely to succeed as they take a long-term view of where they wish to be at various stages during their lifetime. Many jobs are just a stepping stone to the next position.
On occasions, you may need to be willing to take a job that pays a lower salary, because it fits in with your long-term planning to enable you to grow in your education and experience. On the other hand, some people will take a job that pays more money, but the growth potential is extremely limited.
When you decide to look for a new job and change your salary, it is important to consider all matters and keep a perspective of how the change will affect your overall career plans now and in the future.
A career orientated individual will look at a job and see how new skills can be learnt and as you climb the ladder of success, you will get closer to your long-term goals.
Learning throughout your lifetime is important because it helps you develop real value and a sense of purpose for yourself. Of course, your goals and targets may change as will your family expectations, so it is important to consistently review your career goals to ascertain where you are compared to where you are going.
A career path rather than a job will help you achieve greater success, but you must be prepared to accept that you may wish to completely change your career path over the years and look towards different results for your targets and goals. Success is not always rewarded with greater financial results. Great success can be achieved by finding rewarding work in whatever field you choose.
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Samuel Rosenberg is the founder and CEO of Axcel Finance Ltd., the leading regional microfinance institution. Share your thoughts and email your questions to [email protected]