A job and career are two words often used interchangeably, but are they the same? From the moment I chose to start my journey to as an esthetician, I knew that practicing skin care was not going to be another “job” to fulfill. Being an esthetician was going to be more than just clocking in and clocking out – it was going to be a long term investment in what I was passionate about. I truly believe that for both estheticians and business owners, understanding the distinction between a job and career is crucial.
The difference is simple – a job is short term and a career is long term. As an esthetician, your mindset should be to work for a business that has career opportunities available to you, and where you can demonstrate your passion. As a business owner, you should focus on providing your employees with a work environment where the employees do not view their position at your business as a temporary gig until something better comes along. Constantly turning over employees is bad for business. It is costly and reflects negatively on your brand. New staff coming in means investing more time and money to train. Regular clients may also become bothered and potentially choose to venture elsewhere if they have to keep experimenting services with new employees – no one likes inconsistency.
So how do you find the best fit for you? Whether you are the interviewer or interviewee career opportunities and growth should be discussed. What do I mean by career opportunities? There are many things that can make businesses more attractive and seen as places for potential careers (not just jobs). For example, if you are a business owner do you offer:
- Employee benefits/perks
- Formal training procedures and educational opportunities for employees
- Formal evaluations and goal setting practices for employees
As an esthetician these are things to look for when deciding on where to work. As a business owner, these are things to implement into your business to obtain the best employees (who are the most important asset of your business I might add!) As I like to say, “Hire slow, fire fast.” Hiring slow is crucial to obtaining the best talent for a business – and estheticians, this shows that the business you are seeking is not just trying to have a duty fulfilled, but they are committed to taking the time necessary to ensure who they welcome on board will last.
Regardless of which end you fall onto, comprehending and separating these two terms are critical to the success of your career or business in the long run. How do you distinguish a job versus a career? Tell me in the comments below!
