Spanish uses this cognate ‘carrera’ to focus on schooling, especially university.

Whereas, the English word for receiving a certification for education is degree.

So, what does career mean in English then?

English uses the word career to talk about what happens after you get your degree at university, and before you retire: all those years of work.

What makes a career different from work, however, is that work encompasses everything one does, while career focuses more on skilled labor and the slow, steady climb to the top.

After spending 20 years focusing on his career and becoming regional vice president, Jim now wants to slow down and focus on his family now.