I think the main difference between a job and career are pretty simple. A job entitles you to a personal life. A career requires you to be your job at all times.
When someone asks what you want to be when you grow up they’re expecting a career answer. Nobody expects you to say “I’m just going to work several odd jobs and spend the rest of my time surfing.”
Personally I’ve been struggling with this dellima for a number of years. Apparently it’s impossibe to be a pro video guy, indie filmmaker and make stupid off the cuff comedy films with your friends. Eventually the lines cross and someone from your pro field finds one of your stupid comedy films done in a single night just for fun without any lighting and takes it as an example of your “work” and “skills”.
Luckily this hasn’t happened to me yet, but I’ve been struggling to figure out just how to go about keeping them separated online.
Just don’t tell the one about the other?
That’s why I love Xanga… no one in real life knows me and knowing that I make better choices oddly.
@Cookstergirl88 –
Thats not so easy. Especially when you use the internet to represent both your professional skills and career as well as your personal life.
I’m sure it’s not true for all professions. But certian professions like my own often involve people who seem to live their career. A lot of thier professional integrity is seen through their corespondence online. If they were to suddenly jump from professional mode to personal mode their professionalism would be called into question.
@roxics – Good point. But they shouldn’t be so quick to judge and know the difference bewteen a film made for fun and one that is seriously made and put out there.
They shouldn’t be ‘attacking’ you with your personal life, that’s your bussiness not for them to judge…I know eaiser said than done.
@Cookstergirl88 –
I think most people would probably understand, but it’s a first impressions thing. I’ve always had a hard time with it because I don’t like living my career. I have too many other interests, as you can probably tell from my various blog entries.
I might spend some time mucking it up with some pros on a video site for a month but then I get bored and go to do something else. A lot of those same guys stick with that one thing day in and day out. They live video. They’re constantly working on new projects. Constantly talking shop. Meanwhile I go off and throw booty contests or get into deep controversial religious debates or who knows what else.
I don’t really have a solution for you regarding your videos, but the beginning of your entry reminded me of something someone once said. He came to my high school to talk to the juniors and seniors about university and work and all that. He said, in a nutshell, that a job isn’t something you want, since job stands for “just over broke” :P
It’s silly but it stuck with me ever since.