Getting the terms straight: changing jobs vs changing professions

There is a lot of advice in the air: "find your purpose", "change your profession", "it's time to change jobs". But what actually sits behind these words? Let's take them one at a time.

Purpose

Purpose is about mission and meaning, which means it can be quite broad.

Sharing knowledge, helping people, creating spaces, leading others. It sounds inspiring, but as soon as you ask "so what exactly do I do?", things get less clear.

Profession

This is where purpose comes down to earth. A profession is the specific field through which you carry out your mission.

• You can share knowledge as a teacher or a team lead.
• You can help people as a doctor, a psychologist, a chef or an architect.
• You can create spaces as a designer or a gamification specialist.
• You can guide people as an interface designer or a childcare educator.

A profession sets the boundaries for how you realise your purpose, but often that is still not enough.

Job

The next level of detail. A job answers the questions: where, how, with whom and under what conditions you practise your profession.

• A teacher: at a school, as a private tutor, as a corporate trainer or as the author of online courses.
• A doctor: a GP, a surgeon or a dermatologist; working with children or with adults; in a private clinic or a public one.
• An architect: freelance or in a firm, on commercial buildings or on housing.

At this level we are talking about place, format and tasks.

Career

A job fits into an even wider context: your career. A career sets the direction. Which position do you want to hold, where exactly, and how will you move on from there? Employment or your own business? A change of format or of industry? Geography?

Why things get stuck

At each of these transitions (from purpose to profession, from profession to job, from job to career) you can get stuck. Lack of clarity is one reason. Fear, insecurity, doubt and fatigue are others.

In my work I help people through all of these stages and make the transitions smoother, so that you are sure of where you are heading and can build a career that fits you.

Frequently asked questions

If I understand my purpose, will I find a job?

No. If you understand your purpose, you understand your purpose. There are still two steps between that and a job: a profession, and a specific place to practise it.

I like my profession, so why is work so hard?

Because a profession is the subject, while a job also comes with conditions: the team, the way the work is organised, the schedule, a specific spot on the map. You can love the subject and still be in the wrong place.

If I leave employment, does that mean I am following my purpose?

Not necessarily. Employment or self-employment belongs to the level of job and career. You can realise your purpose in any format; what matters is that the format suits you.

Is my job my purpose, for good?

No. The same purpose can be realised in different ways. You can change jobs and stay true to what gives your work its meaning.