A job, or occupation, is a person’s role in society. More specifically, a job is an activity, often regular and often performed in exchange for payment “for a living”Many people have multiple jobs e.g., parent, homemaker, and employee. A person can begin a job by becoming an employee, volunteering, starting a business, or becoming a parent. The duration of a job may range from temporary e.g., hourly odd jobs to a lifetime e.g., judges.
An activity that requires a person’s mental or physical effort is work as in “a day’s work”. If a person is trained for a certain type of job, they may have a profession. Typically, a job would be a subset of someone’s career. The two may differ in that one usually retires from their career, versus resignation or termination from a job.
Types of jobs
Jobs can be categorized, by the hours per week, into full time or part time. They can be categorized as temporary, odd jobs, seasonal, self-employment, consulting, or contract employment.
Jobs can be categorized as paid or unpaid. Examples of unpaid jobs include volunteer, homemaker, mentor, student, and sometimes intern.
Jobs can be categorized by the level of experience required: entry level, intern, and co-op.
Some jobs require specific training or an academic degree.
Those without paid full-time employment may be categorized as unemployed or underemployed if they are seeking a full-time paid job.
Moonlighting is the practice of holding an additional job or jobs, often at night, in addition to one’s main job, usually to earn extra income. A person who moonlights may have little time left for sleep or leisure activities.
The Office for National Statistics in the United Kingdom lists 27,966 different job titles, within a website published 2015.
