When starting work as a live-in carer you may have been asked if this is a new career or a vocation, the answer which may not be as clear as you would think.
There is a vast difference between a career and a vocation. In fact, there are some glaring differences between the two.
The definition of a vocation is to do what you strive to in your life while the definition of a career is to be what you want to be. A career may mean a series of different jobs which get one to the result of what they want to be.
Using the words interchangeably is not the right thing to do because even though they both play a significant part on our lives they have two entirely different meanings.
So, what’s a vocation?
The word originates from the Latin ‘vocare’ which means ‘to call.’ A person who follows a vocation has listened to a call from within and chosen a path to follow.
Often a vocation may be started well after a person has finished studying and raised a family. They may then make the decision to do something entirely different to what they set out to do.
Many people go through their entire lives in a profession that they may not genuinely enjoy. One day they suddenly switch – they may be labelled as going through a ‘mid-life crisis’ when what they are really doing is fulfilling a vocation. This is often the case when a beloved hobby becomes a profession.
Here is an example:
Take the person who works as an accountant. They receive a good salary and support their family more than adequately.
Because they may have come from a family where money was scarce, they feel they need to stay in that profession. However, what they really wanted to become was an artist.
Even though the person earns a good salary they may not be truly happy at work. The strong desire they had was to become an artist. This would be a vocation. Accountancy was never the vocation.
And what is a career?
The word career comes from the Latin meaning ‘cart or racetrack.’ While these days a career may have little to do with a racetrack, a career is a series of jobs which a person does in order to get to the final job they desire.
Careers may have many different jobs along the way. In fact, most people who reach their career choice have switched jobs several times along the way.
Careers have changes along the way, as well as ups and downs. A career is not just one job then, it is a series of jobs which lead to a particular job in the future.
Here is an example:
A person who plans on becoming a doctor will first study and then perhaps take a position as a general physician. They may study further to become a surgeon. They could then go on to become a lecturer in the field of study they have chosen.
The result was always to be at the top of the medical path. For that person it was to lecture about their field of expertise.
The difference then between a vocation and a career:
A career may be a series of jobs until you reach the end position, while a vocation is a calling to do what you love in your life.
Vocation or career in live-in care
If you plan on making a career out of live-in care, you will have plans to gain experience from your placements and then move on to perhaps become an instructor in an agency where students are trained. You may even start your own agency.
You can do this over several years, always seeking to move on to a better position to become closer to your end goal, gaining relevant experience along the way.
Should you choose caring, or live-in care, as a vocation you may never strive to be anything other than a live-in carer. You may decide to work in a care home facility as a carer but as a ‘calling’ you will always feel the desire to work with people. This will be where you are happiest.
People who work as live-in carers are often humble, although strong. They are guided by an inner voice to help those who are weak and take care of those who cannot help themselves.
Can both be satisfying?
To be satisfied with your career, you may need to change jobs several times until you are satisfied, while with a vocation you will gain satisfaction from being in the field you have chosen.
Final thoughts
A career can take different paths until the result is achieved, while a vocation does not exist in multiple forms. Most people only ever have one vocation.
The job of live-in carer is not what most people think of as a career unless you want to move into the admin side of the industry.
People who have been live-in carers for some time should be regarded as having a vocation instead of a career. They love their work, and (most of the time) they enjoy their clients, even forming long relationships with family.
Live-in care is not for the faint-hearted, but it is one of the true vocations – one that will reward you every day you work in the knowledge that you are doing what you love and making a difference in another person’s life.
Tags:
© 2025 EJOBBOARD LTD. All Rights Reserved.