What are the 3 main types of careers? Understand the difference! 

Could you name the 3 main types of career a person can have? It doesn't necessarily have to be professional, although it is often referred to as just that.

What is the meaning of career?

The word “career” can have different meanings depending on the context in which it is used.

But in a way, we can characterize a career as a path or journey that a person is taking, based on their passions, skills and life choices.

And it's worth saying that a career doesn't always have to be linear, people can change positions, jobs and ideas, changes that require the individual to be good at adapting.

Difference between career and profession

It may seem like the same thing, but in fact when we talk about career and profession, we are referring to different concepts.

A profession is a specific position that requires skills, knowledge and certain specialized training in the area.

It is usually formally recognized and regulated by government authorities or professional associations. 

While a career is focused on a sequence of jobs, occupations and positions that someone has during their professional life. It ends up being much broader by bringing together all the professions that a person has had and their experiences.

A career reflects a person's entire career path, regardless of whether it is in a specific profession. It can involve career changes, seeking different opportunities, and exploring different interests over time.

See what the 3 main types of careers are?

As we showed at the beginning, a career does not necessarily have to be just one type, it can be professional, academic, business and in many other ways.

Each of these careers has its own characteristics and challenges, and the choice between them depends on each individual's interests and goals.

In this article we will learn about the 3 main types of careers and how to pursue each of them:

Professional career

The professional career is what we know best, it is the most common trajectory and refers exclusively to the entire history of jobs and occupations that a person has had.

During a career, professionals seek to develop their skills and experiences in order to occupy higher positions. And this is just one of the possible steps to having a successful career.

But in addition to developing skills and experience, it is important to build a network. With a solid network of contacts from students and other professionals, it is possible to find great opportunities in the future.

To succeed in a professional career, you can also become a proactive and engaged person, who shows interest in work, colleagues and the company.

This can open many doors to opportunities in the future, giving you the chance for both professional and personal growth.

Managing your professional career can involve choices such as changing jobs, seeking promotions, developing skills and balancing your professional and personal life.

Management is generally done through a career plan, which can follow different paths, such as:

• Y-shaped career: proposal by the company to the professional, giving more than one direction within the company in which he works;
• Career in W: professionals can choose to specialize further or explore new areas;
• Online career: this is the most traditional model in which the professional follows a career in a hierarchical manner, advancing gradually.

Academic career

The academic career revolves around teaching, research and administration in higher education institutions.

It is aimed at professionals who will dedicate themselves primarily to research and teaching in educational institutions.

The purpose of dedicating oneself to this career is to contribute to the advancement of science and education.

To enter this career, it is common to pursue more advanced levels of education, such as master's and doctorate degrees, to develop a deep mastery in a field of study.

In this environment, professionals need to develop research-related skills such as analysis, critical thinking and writing in particular.

In this type of career, it is also interesting to create connections with other people who can help in the research area.

Many academics also serve as mentors, guiding students in their research and careers. In addition, some take on administrative roles at universities, such as department chairs or deans.

This area covers several areas such as humanities, exact sciences, arts and others. However, those who pursue this career need to know that there are many challenges and obstacles, such as lack of funding, resources or publications.

Entrepreneurial career

An entrepreneurial career is a journey focused on creating, operating and managing your own business.

It is important to know that to be an entrepreneur the individual must be prepared to face risks and always seek new opportunities.

And one of the main characteristics of an entrepreneurial career is the independence and freedom that individuals have to shape their professional paths.

Entrepreneurs often introduce new products, services or concepts to the market, seeking to meet customer needs by bringing innovations to the markets.

An entrepreneurial career can bring rewards, but it is also a path full of challenges.

Being an entrepreneur can involve many different careers and sectors, ranging from technology to consulting, there are many different paths that can be followed in this area, 

Other types of career

Today we mentioned only 3 types of career, there are many others such as political, artistic, protean, multidirectional career and many more.

Furthermore, many people choose to combine elements of more than one career, seeking to undertake while maintaining a professional or academic career, or even migrating between these areas throughout their professional lives.

Is it possible to change careers?

In the past, the concept of a career involved something you chose for the rest of your life.

But nowadays, we can talk about career as something that is fluid and can change at any time, according to a person's opportunities and choices.

Many people still feel afraid of changing to technical courses, graduation, post or any other type of study at a more advanced stage in life.

However, there are individuals with motivational stories to inspire us to go after what we want professionally.

So now that you know the 3 main types of careers, remember that there are many others. And that we can change at any time.