Vocation vs. Job — What's the Difference?

A vocation (from Latin vocatio 'a call, summons') is an occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained, or qualified. People can be given information about a new occupation through student orientation.

A job, employment, work 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").

A strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation

A regular activity performed in exchange for payment, especially as one's trade, occupation, or profession

A regular occupation, especially one for which a person is particularly suited or qualified.

A position of employment

An inclination or aptness for a certain kind of work

A task that must be done

(Theology) A calling of an individual by God, especially for a religious career.

A specified duty or responsibility

An inclination to undertake a certain kind of work, especially a religious career; often in response to a perceived summons; a calling.

(Informal) A difficult or strenuous task

An occupation for which a person is suited, trained or qualified.

A specific piece of work to be done for a set fee

A call; a summons; a citation; especially, a designation or appointment to a particular state, business, or profession.

The object to be worked on

Destined or appropriate employment; calling; occupation; trade; business; profession.

Something resulting from or produced by work

A calling by the will of God.

An operation done to improve one's appearance, or the result of such an operation. Often used in combination

The bestowment of God's distinguishing grace upon a person or nation, by which that person or nation is put in the way of salvation; as, the vocation of the Jews under the old dispensation, and of the Gentiles under the gospel.

(Computers) A program application that may consist of several steps but is performed as a single logical unit.

A call to special religious work, as to the ministry.

(Informal) A state of affairs

The particular occupation for which you are trained

(Informal) A criminal act, especially a robbery

A body of people doing the same kind of work

(Informal) An example of a specified type, especially of something made or constructed. Often used in combination

A jab.

See Table at Bible.

To work at odd jobs.

To work by the piece.

To act as a jobber.

To purchase (merchandise) from manufacturers and sell it to retailers.

To arrange for (contracted work) to be done in portions by others; subcontract.

To transact (official business) dishonestly for private profit.

To jab or make a jab.

A task.

An economic role for which a person is paid.

(in noun compounds) Plastic surgery.

(in noun compounds) A sex act.

(computing) A task, or series of tasks, carried out in batch mode (especially on a mainframe computer).

A sudden thrust or stab; a jab.

A public transaction done for private profit; something performed ostensibly as a part of official duty, but really for private gain; a corrupt official business.

Any affair or event which affects one, whether fortunately or unfortunately.

(colloquial) A thing (often used in a vague way to refer to something whose name one cannot recall).

The police as a profession, act of policing, or an individual police officer.

(intransitive) To do odd jobs or occasional work for hire.

(intransitive) To work as a jobber.

To take the loss.

To buy and sell for profit, as securities; to speculate in.

To subcontract a project or delivery in small portions to a number of contractors.

(intransitive) To seek private gain under pretence of public service; to turn public matters to private advantage.

To strike or stab with a pointed instrument.

To thrust in, as a pointed instrument.

To hire or let in periods of service.

A sudden thrust or stab; a jab.

A piece of chance or occasional work; any definite work undertaken in gross for a fixed price; as, he did the job for a thousand dollars.

A public transaction done for private profit; something performed ostensibly as a part of official duty, but really for private gain; a corrupt official business.

Any affair or event which affects one, whether fortunately or unfortunately.

A situation or opportunity of work; as, he lost his job.

A task, or the execution of a task; as, Michelangelo did a great job on the David statue.

A task or coordinated set of tasks for a multitasking computer, submitted for processing as a single unit, usually for execution in background. See job control language.

The hero of the book of that name in the Old Testament; the prototypical patient man.

To strike or stab with a pointed instrument.

To thrust in, as a pointed instrument.

To do or cause to be done by separate portions or lots; to sublet (work); as, to job a contract.

To buy and sell, as a broker; to purchase of importers or manufacturers for the purpose of selling to retailers; as, to job goods.

To hire or let by the job or for a period of service; as, to job a carriage.

To do chance work for hire; to work by the piece; to do petty work.

To seek private gain under pretense of public service; to turn public matters to private advantage.

To carry on the business of a jobber in merchandise or stocks.

The principal activity in your life that you do to earn money;

A specific piece of work required to be done as a duty or for a specific fee;

The performance of a piece of work;

The responsibility to do something;

A workplace; as in the expression

An object worked on; a result produced by working;

A state of difficulty that needs to be resolved;

A damaging piece of work;

A crime (especially a robbery);

A Jewish hero in the Old Testament who maintained his faith in God in spite of afflictions that tested him

Any long-suffering person who withstands affliction without despairing

(computer science) a program application that may consist of several steps but is a single logical unit

A book in the Old Testament containing Job's pleas to God about his afflictions and God's reply

Profit privately from public office and official business

Arranged for contracted work to be done by others

Work occasionally;

Invest at a risk;