career
The job or series of jobs that you do during your working life, especially if you continue to get better jobs and earn more money
پیشه، حرفه
My career as a teacher started forty years ago.
كار من به عنوان معلم چهل سال پيش آغاز شد.
Oxford Essential Dictionary
career
noun
a job that you learn to do and then do for many years:
He is considering a career in teaching.
His career was always more important to him than his family.
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
career
I. ca‧reer1 S2 W2 /kəˈrɪə $ -ˈrɪr/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: carrière, from Old Provençal carriera 'street', from Latin carrus; ⇨ ↑car]
1. a job or profession that you have been trained for, and which you do for a long period of your life
career in
a career in journalism
a teaching career
He realized that his acting career was over.
career development/advancement/progression etc
Career prospects within the company are excellent.
a physiotherapist who wanted to make a dramatic career change by becoming an author
Nurses want an improved career structure (=better opportunities to move upwards in their jobs).
2. career soldier/teacher etc someone who intends to be a soldier, teacher etc for most of their life, not just for a particular period of time:
a career diplomat
3. the period of time in your life that you spend doing a particular activity:
She had not had a very impressive school career up till then.
My career as an English teacher didn’t last long.
Beating the defending champion has to be the highlight of my career.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ a successful career David had had a successful career in banking.
▪ a distinguished/brilliant career (=very successful) She retired last year after a distinguished career as a barrister.
▪ a glittering career (=very successful, especially in sport or acting) Winning the gold medal was the highlight of her glittering career.
▪ a promising career (=likely to be successful) She gave up a promising career in advertising in order to look after her children.
▪ a political/medical/military etc career The scandal ruined his political career.
▪ a teaching/acting/sporting career Her acting career lasted for more than 50 years.
▪ a professional career You have to be outstanding to have a professional career in music.
▪ sb’s chosen career His parents encouraged him in his chosen career as a scientist.
■ verbs
▪ have a career All my sons had careers in education.
▪ make a career It isn’t easy to make a career in journalism.
▪ pursue a career (=try to make a successful career) She left teaching to pursue a career as a psychologist.
▪ begin/start out on/start a career Jacobson started his banking career in 1990.
▪ launch/embark on a career (=start one) Rita went to New York where she launched her dancing career.
▪ build a career (=make it develop) She built her literary career by writing about crime.
▪ change career People may change careers as many as seven times in their lives.
▪ revive/resurrect your career (=make it successful again) The singer is seeking to revive his pop career.
▪ sb’s career takes off (=starts to be successful) His career took off and he started making a lot of money.
■ career + NOUN
▪ career development/advancement/progression A good job offers a programme of training and career development.
▪ career opportunities Students often know little about the career opportunities available to them.
▪ career prospects (=opportunities to get a good job or a better position) Good computer skills will improve your career prospects.
▪ a career path (=a way of making a career) There’s no fixed career path for becoming an actor.
▪ a career structure (=a system for making progress in a career) Teaching offers a clear career structure.
▪ the career ladder (=the way to higher positions in a career) Having children can disturb your progress up the career ladder.
▪ a career change/move After ten years in the job, I realized that I needed to make a career change.
▪ a career woman (=one whose job is very important to her) Career women tend to marry later.
▪ careers advice/guidance Most universities offer professional careers advice.
▪ a careers officer (=someone who gives careers advice) If you’re not sure what to do, why don’t you talk to a careers officer?
■ phrases
▪ a career in journalism/politics/teaching etc At the age of 15, he knew he wanted a career in politics.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ job noun [countable] the regular paid work that you do for an employer: a full-time job | John got a job in a car factory.
▪ work noun [uncountable] activities that you are paid for doing – used either when you work for an employer or when you work in your own business: I started work when I was 18. | He graduated from college last year and is still looking for work.
▪ profession noun [countable] a job for which you need special education and training: There are now a lot more women in the legal profession. | Many teachers are leaving the profession.
▪ occupation noun [countable] formal a job, or a type of job – often used on official documents: Please give your name, age, and occupation. | a traditionally male occupation
▪ career noun [countable] the work you do or plan to do for most of your life: I’m interested in a career in journalism.
▪ position noun [countable] formal a particular job within an organization: I am writing to apply for the position of technical assistant. | We regret that the position has already been filled. | Please state the position which you are applying for.
▪ post noun [countable] formal a job, especially an important one in a large organization: She has held the post of managing director for two years. | He applied for the post of Senior Manager.
▪ vacancy/opening noun [countable] a job that is available for someone to do: The hospital has been unable to fill the vacancy. | There are very few openings in scientific research.
▪ appointment noun [countable] an important job which someone is asked to do: He took an appointment as US trade ambassador in Geneva.
▪ posting noun [countable] a situation in which someone is sent somewhere to do a job for a period of time by the organization they work for: This was his first posting outside the UK. | an overseas posting | His next posting took him to the Ministry of Defence.
▪ trade noun [countable] a job that involves using your hands, and for which you need special training: Most of the men had worked in skilled trades such as carpentry and printing.
▪ employment noun [uncountable] the fact of having a job: The factory will provide employment for local people. | She was offered employment in the sales office.
Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary
career
car·eer [career careers careered careering] noun, verb [kəˈrɪə(r)] [kəˈrɪr]
noun
1. the series of jobs that a person has in a particular area of work, usually involving more responsibility as time passes
• a career in politics
• a teaching career
• What made you decide on a career as a vet?
• She has been concentrating on her career.
• a change of career
• That will be a good career move (= something that will help your career).
• a career soldier/diplomat (= a professional one)
• (BrE) a careers adviser/officer (= a person whose job is to give people advice and information about jobs)
2. the period of time that you spend in your life working or doing a particular thing
• She started her career as an English teacher.
• He is playing the best tennis of his career.
• My school career was not very impressive.
Word Origin:
mid 16th cent. (denoting a road or racecourse): from French carrière, from Italian carriera, based on Latin carrus ‘wheeled vehicle’.
Thesaurus:
career noun
1. C
• a career in journalism
profession • • occupation • • vocation • • work • • employment • • job •
have/pursue (a/an) career/profession/occupation/vocation/work/employment
find (a/an) career/occupation/vocation/work/employment/job
go back/return to (a/an) career/profession/work/employment/job
2. C
• the best tennis of his career
life • • lifetime •
in/of/during sb's career/life/lifetime
sb's school career/life
a career/life/lifetime of doing sth
Collocations:
Jobs
Getting a job
look for work
look for/apply for/go for a job
get/pick up/complete/fill out/ (BrE) fill in an application (form)
send/email your (BrE) CV/(NAmE) résumé/application/application form/covering letter
be called for/have/attend an interview
offer sb a job/work/employment/promotion
find/get/land a job
employ/ (especially NAmE) hire/recruit/ (especially BrE) take on staff/workers/trainees
recruit/appoint a manager
Doing a job
arrive at/get to/leave work/the office/the factory
start/finish work/your shift
do/put in/work overtime
have/gain/get/lack/need experience/qualifications
do/get/have/receive training
learn/pick up/improve/develop (your) skills
cope with/manage/share/spread the workload
improve your/achieve a better work-life balance
have (no) job satisfaction/job security
Building a career
have a job/work/a career/a vocation
find/follow/pursue/ (especially NAmE) live (out) your vocation
enter/go into/join a profession
choose/embark on/start/begin/pursue a career
change jobs/profession/career
be/ (both especially BrE) work/go freelance
do/take on temp work/freelance work
do/be engaged in/be involved in voluntary work
Leaving your job
leave/ (especially NAmE) quit/resign from your job
give up work/your job/your career
hand in your notice/resignation
plan to/be due to retire in June/next year, etc.
take early retirement
Synonyms:
work
employment • career • profession • occupation • trade
These are all words for the work that sb does in return for payment, especially over a long period of time.
work • the job that sb does, especially in order to earn money: ▪ It's very difficult to find work at the moment.
employment • (rather formal) work, especially when it is done to earn money; the state of being employed or the situation in which people have work: ▪ Only half the people here are in paid employment.
career • the job or series of jobs that sb has in a particular area of work, usually involving more responsibility as time passes: ▪ He had a very distinguished career in the Foreign Office.
profession • a type of job that needs special training or skill, especially one that needs a high level of education: ▪ He hopes to enter the medical profession.
The profession is all the people who work in a particular profession: ▪ the legal profession. The professions are the traditional jobs that need a high level of education and training, such as being a doctor or lawyer.
occupation • (rather formal) a job or profession: ▪ Please state your name, age, and occupation.
trade • a job, especially one that involves working with your hands and requires special training and skills: ▪ Carpentry is a highly skilled trade.
in/out of work/employment
(a) full-time/part-time work/employment/career/occupation
permanent/temporary work/employment
(a) well-paid work/employment/profession/occupation
(a) low-paid work/employment/occupation
to look for/seek/find work/employment/a career/an occupation
to get/obtain/give sb/offer sb/create/generate/provide work/employment
Example Bank:
• He did a film for Hollywood to boost his flagging career.
• He had a distinguished career as a diplomat.
• He has had a somewhat chequered career.
• He made a good career for himself in football.
• Her stage career spans sixty years.
• His performance as Al in the movie was a career high.
• She achieved a lot in her chosen career.
• She had a long and prolific career as a director.
• She has spent her entire career in education.
• She pursued a successful career in medicine.
• She started her working career as a waitress.
• She was at the peak of her career when she injured herself.
• She won many awards during her acting career.
• The movie revived his flagging career.
• The profession has no clear career structure.
• a brilliant career with the Royal Ballet
• a car crash which wrecked his career
• a career break to have children
• a career in computers
• a move higher up the career ladder
• a smart career move
• the album that launched his recording career
• the first golfer to surpass $2 million in career earnings
• young actors just starting out on their careers
• After a brief career in journalism, she trained to be a teacher.
• Career women often find they do more than their fair share of domestic work.
• He had a very distinguished career in the Foreign Office.
• His career spanned four decades.
• I didn't think it was a very good career move.
• I never wanted a military career.
• It's time for a career change.
• John began his career as a psychiatric nurse.
• Kelly's career took off when she was spotted at a talent contest.
• She was on the first step of the career ladder.
• Students can get free careers advice between 6.30 and 8.30 each evening.
• The course focuses on your career development.
• a career soldier/diplomat
• career advice
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
career / kəˈrɪə r / / -ˈrɪr / noun [ C ]
B1 the job or series of jobs that you do during your working life, especially if you continue to get better jobs and earn more money:
He's hoping for a career in the police force/ as a police officer.
When he retires he will be able to look back over a brilliant career (= a working life which has been very successful) .
It helps if you can move a few rungs up the career ladder before taking time off to have a baby.
I took this new job because I felt that the career prospects were much better.
Elaine has become a real career woman/girl (= is interested in and spends most of her time on her job) .
Judith is very career -minded/-oriented (= gives a lot of attention to her job) .
© Cambridge University Press 2013
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary
career
/kərɪə(r)/
(careers, careering, careered)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A career is the job or profession that someone does for a long period of their life.
She is now concentrating on a career as a fashion designer...
...a career in journalism.
...a political career.
N-COUNT
2.
Your career is the part of your life that you spend working.
During his career, he wrote more than fifty plays...
She began her career as a teacher.
N-COUNT
3.
Careers advice or guidance in British English, or career advice or guidance in American English, consists of information about different jobs and help with deciding what kind of job you want to do.
Get hold of the company list from your careers advisory service.
ADJ: ADJ n
4.
If a person or vehicle careers somewhere, they move fast and in an uncontrolled way.
His car careered into a river...
He went careering off down the track.
= hurtle
VERB: oft cont, V prep/adv, V prep/adv
Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary
1ca·reer /kəˈriɚ/ noun, pl -reers [count]
1 : a job or profession that someone does for a long time
• I want to make teaching my career. = I want to have a career as a teacher. [=I want to be a teacher]
• She hopes to pursue a career in medicine.
- often used before another noun
• He was a career diplomat/soldier. [=he was a diplomat/soldier for all or most of his working life]
2 : a period of time spent in a job or profession
• My career as a waitress lasted one day.
• During his long career in advertising he won numerous awards and honors.
