Why Should You Be Career-Oriented Instead Of Job-Oriented?

Are you “career-oriented” or “job-oriented”? Being committed to your job doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re a career-minded person.

Your job and your career are two different things. Yes, as similar as they sound, being committed to your career and your job are not the same. They are two different professional mindsets that divide professionals in every industry. Also, they have a significant effect on your career trajectory.

So, who is a career-minded person as opposed to a job-minded person? And why is being career-minded better for your professional growth than being merely job-minded? But before we get to answer that, let us start by describing both mindsets separately. After all, numerous people still might confuse both the terms.

Who Is a Job-Minded Person?

Every company has certain employees that perform their tasks well. They respect deadlines given to them, and the administration never has any complaints regarding their performance. But you would never notice that colleague of yours trying hard to take up new challenges or working too hard for opportunities elsewhere or even a promotion.

This person is content with their job and sees no need to go that extra step professionally. Such a person is, without a doubt, a good employee. But when it comes to career growth and being ambitious and willing to learn new skills, this person is not up there with the most eager.

The kind described above can be called a job-minded person. The added pressure and the responsibilities that come with climbing the corporate ladder is something that they aren’t willing to take.

What’s the flip side to it? Let’s see the cons of being a person concerned only with the current job and not looking forward at all times.

Is Being Great at Your Current Job Enough?

It sounds enough, right? But being good with your current job and not giving your future some thought can prove to be much lesser than enough. Let’s see how.

Your job might be great, and everything about your workplace is perfect. But what if it all changes for the worse — one day? Maybe a new manager to work under or a sudden change in the work culture? What if you no longer find the same amount of contentment in your job and you hadn’t planned for this?

Whenever a job-minded person goes through a sudden change such as the one mentioned above, they’re taken off guard. The fact that they are not prepared for such a change often becomes the cause of their panic. In the absence of a plan B, they run the risk of being thrown into professional chaos and end up making decisions that can cause further damage to their career.

As described above, a job-oriented person will never want to go that extra step to grow in their career. This robs them off of many opportunities that could otherwise have helped them unlock their full potential. Be it a better job opportunity or growing within their own company by taking up new roles, they miss out on everything.

If you’re a job-oriented person, immediate and short-term gains are your priority. But a stagnant career only ends up taking the life out of your job. After a few years, the same job you were content with begins to feel like a burden.

And if your job begins to feel like a burden, it is sure to affect every aspect of your life, from personal relationships to your bond with the people at work. The job’s responsibility will only make you feel worse about your life.

Are you Job-Oriented?

Would you describe yourself as a job-oriented person? Well, if you do, these are the unfavorable situations that you might face. Everything is good enough when you are a job-minded person until it suddenly isn’t. If you’re willing to risk it, fair enough, but let’s see what you get if you choose the alternative and be career-oriented.

Who Is a Career-Oriented Person?

As we described our job-oriented person, there’s always that colleague who is always up for a new challenge. He will be willing to collaborate with colleagues across the department and look through projects out of his niche.

They will often discuss new opportunities within and outside their company. It will appear that they have a sound understanding of what they want from their career.

Even if such a person is happy with their current job, they won’t shy away from better opportunities elsewhere. They’re willing to take up more responsibilities and the stress that comes with a heftier paycheck to unlock their full potential.

The kind of person we are talking about here would be a career-minded or a career-oriented person. Such a person is a good employee where they currently work but offers much more in terms of commitment. They see their career as a journey and are willing to learn new skills every step of their professional way to keep growing.

Why Should You Be Career-Oriented?

As you must’ve noticed, having a career-oriented approach is entirely different from having a job oriented approach. If you’re a career-oriented person, certain things will always be on your mind.

Things such as opportunities might help you reach your desired career goals or the new skills you want to learn. So, without further ado, let us see how being career-oriented can help you excel.

Log term thinking

When you’re a career-oriented person, you opt for long-term planning over short-term gains. What does it mean for your career?

First of all, you are prepared with a plan B to answer any unfavorable conditions that might arise at your workplace. As we discussed earlier, a job-oriented person won’t know how to deal with a sudden change in the administration or the work culture. On the other hand, a career-oriented person is always aware of the options he can switch to.

Better Employability

Career-oriented professionals are what the big companies are looking for. Their commitment and willingness to take up responsibilities that most people don’t make them high on demand. And when they are willing to shoulder the stress that comes with growth, they get to take home the lucrative paychecks as well.

So, if you are a career-oriented person, the hefty paychecks are there for you to take home. And what’s more? You are always in contention when it comes to the newest opportunities within and outside your niche.

Knowledge Expansion

Career-oriented people are always willing to learn more. They are looking for specialization, MBA, a quick course, a seminar, a webinar, or even learning on the Internet.

Long term goals push you more

If you are a career-oriented person, your concentration will always be on the long-term goals that you’ve set. All the short-term gains will come as you continue moving forward on the path you have set out for yourself. But all your focus will be on continually growing in your career and not just being a good employee in your current company.

The hunger for constant growth drives a career-oriented person. It is a significant factor that makes them a lot more marketable. As compared to those who are content with their current jobs, this person will not settle for the mundane. He/She, hence, is always on the lookout for the best opportunities out there.

A Tri-Junction of Talent, Passion, and Marketability

A career-oriented person leaves no stone unturned to hone their skills. Be it something as basic as stepping out of their niche to participate in inter-departmental projects or wanting to learn something they haven’t tried yet. They’re always up for it.

A job-minded person might also be committed to their company’s aspirations but will almost always lack the commitment and the willingness to go out of their usual way to perform a task.

On the other hand, a career-minded person has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and growth. Even if it is a project that is way out of their area of expertise, they will approach it like it is a part of their job responsibilities. They will search for ways to learn fast and accomplish their goals.

This commitment puts career-oriented professionals on the top of the list of most prominent companies—the passion shows.

Furthermore, being in demand by the biggest companies ensures they get their hands on the heftiest paychecks. On the flip side, those who limit their efforts to their assigned responsibilities are rarely noticed by the industry’s big players.

In a nutshell, if you are a career-oriented person, you exercise better control over your choices. Even in the most unexpected situations, you won’t have to decide because you lack options. And in a world plagued with competition, being able to choose your path is a victory.

Career-Oriented Is the Forward Path

Any professional can approach their career in a certain way that suits their mindset. Having said that, there are consequences to the approach a person takes in their career. A job-oriented person might be content for now, but what about the circumstances such as a worldwide pandemic or a global recession? Such an unexpected set of circumstances is sure to throw a job oriented person off.

On the other hand, a career-oriented person who is always willing to grow is sure to be better prepared for such a situation. Be it a sudden change in the workplace or something as bad as a global recession.

A career-oriented person will always have a few tricks up his sleeve. Why? Because they are still on the lookout for opportunities, and it is in such situations that having multiple options comes in handy.

So, you can choose to be a job-minded person who is concerned with only their current job, but the question stays the same. Are you prepared well enough for the unexpected circumstances that can throw anybody off?

Christian T.

Christian has over ten years of experience in marketing agencies.​ ​Currently, he has been dedicating his time to a tech startup and also writing for major publications. He loves podcasts and reading to keep up with the latest trends in marketing.