Understanding キャリア
The word キャリア is a loanword from English "career" and is widely used in Japanese to refer to one's professional experience or career path. It can mean the total work history, the advancement in a profession, or specifically a career government employee (キャリア官僚).
Common Uses
- Describing work experience: 長いキャリア (long career), キャリアを積む (to build a career).
- Career advancement: キャリアアップ (career advancement), often used when talking about gaining new skills or qualifications.
- Career bureaucrat: キャリア官僚, a specific term for government officials who have passed special exams and have a professional career track.
Collocations and Patterns
- キャリアアップ: career advancement, used when discussing improving one's job position or skills.
- キャリアを積む: to build or accumulate career experience.
- キャリア官僚: career bureaucrat, a formal government position.
Usage Notes
キャリア is often used in formal and business contexts but is also common in everyday conversation when discussing jobs and work history. It is a katakana word, so it stands out as a loanword and is often associated with professional or technical contexts.
A common learner mistake is confusing キャリア with just "job" or "position." キャリア emphasizes the accumulated experience or the professional path, not just the current job role.