Hobbies, Jobs, Careers, and Vocations: What’s the Difference?
Whether you’re just starting out in your career or you are a seasoned professional, it’s essential to clearly understand the terms hobby, job, career, and vocation, as they can significantly impact your professional development and overall satisfaction with your work. They relate to how we spend our time in life. Each is different and largely non-overlapping with the others; they have their purpose and outcomes, and each serves its own need.
In this article, we will take a closer look at each of these terms and explore how they relate to one another, focusing more on the relationship between job, career, and vocation as the main revenue-generating activities. Understanding the pros and cons of each and not confusing them for each other may help us set the right expectations and path forward in our professions.
When I write different articles, I loosely use the words “job” or “career” to describe our professional activities. I also use words such as work, occupation, and employment. These terms are not the same, and while it’s okay to use them concurrently, they have different meanings.
Elizabeth Gilbert, the writer of “Eat, Pray, Love” has a wonderful video about this idea that I recommend people to watch.
Let’s examine these expressions’ meaning, significance, and purpose.
Hobby
A hobby is something that we do for pleasure and enjoyment, usually during our leisure time. Hobbies are a way for us to relax, unwind, and engage in activities that we are passionate about.
Most of us have hobbies, though some may not. Some of our hobbies may be playing a musical instrument (or a sport), doing art and creative work, cooking, or gardening. They may be a form of socializing or simply a way to spend time alone. We only have to enjoy our hobbies; we don’t have to be good at them.
Unlike the following three activities, we don’t get paid for a hobby (most of the time). You also have no boss harassing you to get the work done in time, no mandatory time, and no requirements or pressure for high-quality output. The stakes are low, and you only have to have fun while doing it.
Job
A job is something transactional in nature. It is an agreement between our employer and us where we trade our time, energy, labor, and efforts in exchange for monetary compensation and benefits.
The primary purpose of having a job is to earn income. The job doesn’t have to be fun or joyful; it doesn’t have to fulfill or make you happy. It doesn’t have to be something you like; it has to help you pay the bills.
Most people have jobs before finding their careers. It can be a bridge between graduating from school and finding long-term employment. Or some people may have no desire to have a career and are content with having a job. For some high-level professionals who become experts in their field, a job can be long-term employment without looking for traditional career growth. Or others may not want to be leaders and instead be individual contributors in their profession. You can have a job as a consultant, clerk, or engineer. And that’s completely fine as long as it makes you happy.
Some time back, I used to have a job as a restaurant manager, and everybody that worked there had a job as well. Sometimes, people would quit because they didn’t feel like coming to work when they woke up in the morning. And that was fine; they would get a job somewhere else. And I would quickly find a replacement with somebody who wanted that job a little more.
Career
A career is a job you are passionate about; it is something you love doing. Over the years, you build a career with energy, passion, and commitment. You work long hours, you put in a lot of effort, and you enjoy it. You make short-term sacrifices because you see long-term benefits. You are hungry and motivated for success.
A career is a choice; it is something you don’t have to have. Although rewarding, a career can be demanding and a long-term pursuit.
But if you decide to have a career, make sure you really care about what you are doing. It is okay to hate your job, but you cannot hate your career. If you find yourself in a situation where it appears you have a Career, but you dislike it, re-evaluate your situation immediately! You must change something because you are on a dead-end path. You either love your career or don’t have a career; there aren’t any other options.
“If you’re in a career right now that you hate, that’s terrible. If you’re in a job that you hate, that’s OK.”
Elizabeth Gilbert
Vocation
A vocation is something that is innately calling you. It is a pure desire that is entirely your own, and it is not something that is enforced upon you by outside factors, such as social pressure, team goals, or corporate targets.
A vocation is not given to you, and you don’t choose it; you must search for it and find it deep inside yourself. And at the same time, it is something that cannot be taken away from you. A job can be taken away from you, even a career. A vocation cannot. It is yours forever.
Vocation is what many artists do; singing/ performing/ writing. It is often associated with careers such as teaching, social work, and non-profit. People pursue their vocation as a calling rather than for financial gain. An individual feels intensely drawn to it, and it is often seen as a way to make a positive difference in the world.
Many successful people work early in their careers on their Vocation while having a Job to pay the bills. As they develop their abilities, they may turn their vocation first into a job as they figure out a way to make a small income out of it and later into a successful career that replaces the Job and becomes a vocation.
It is all right not to have or know your vocation; it is better if you have one.
Often during our lives, we transition through these activities; we start with jobs, either before college or just after graduation, and then begin searching for our Careers. Others may not want a career and keep their jobs to pay their bills while they fulfill their vocation, as many artists do. And most of us have several Hobbies along the way.
We don’t have to go through all these steps in order; we can skip some. Few lucky (or wise) ones found a way to make a career out of their vocations and get to do it full-time. Others find themselves launched into their career with their first job. And others may never find their vocation but always find something fulfilling to do in their free time. Everybody is different, there is no right or wrong, and we all follow different paths in life.
Another way to look at the Job-Career-Vocation arch is from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs perspective. A job supports your basic needs, a career satisfies your social and esteem needs, and a vocation is one’s self-actualization and fulfillment.
Once upon a time, I was in a situation where I badly wanted a career, but all that was available was a job. I wanted more responsibilities, learning opportunities, and bigger challenges. I was working as hard as anybody I knew. I wanted to grow, do more, and be more. However, as a primary motivational tool, I received a raise (remember, money is the primary goal of a job), and then I was told that I had to do more of the same. Herzberg’s two-factor theory teaches us that more money doesn’t motivate people with strong extrinsic motivation, and I experienced that for myself.
Though I did not receive more responsibilities or promotions, I was in an environment rich in learning and growth opportunities, of which I did take full advantage. I was able to take on challenging projects and received great support and guidance from my supervisors and colleagues, from whom I learned a lot. In a few challenging years, I was exposed to more high-quality work than others may do during their entire careers.
In hindsight, understanding the difference between a job and a career would’ve saved me much grief during that time. I should have embraced the challenges and extracted value from the many growth opportunities available. My expectations were unrealistic. I wanted a career, but the company I was working for only needed somebody to fill a slot for a job. I should’ve accepted that position for what it was and not for what it was not. I should have learned and grown as much as possible and sought new employment when the time was right.
I didn’t see things clearly until I moved on. When you are inside a bubble, and things deteriorate slowly, you don’t recognize the contrast until you step out of that bubble and look at things with a fresh, unbiased, and objective mind.
Time is a precious commodity. Choose wisely what you want to do in life. Don’t spend time and energy on activities you don’t enjoy or see the long-term benefit. If you are unhappy, move on; better opportunities exist out there. Find ways to align your work with your values, interests, and goals. And don’t mistake a job for a career, or a career for a vocation, or a vocation for a hobby. Be clear about what each one is, what you expect from each one, and what is demanded of you from each one.