Profession and Employment are two different things; a professional is someone who is engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as an amateur, for example;
a professional boxer, whereas later includes two parties, i.e. an employer and an employee.
An employer is a person or organization that employs people; for example, The National Health Service was the largest employer in Europe.
On the contrary, an employee is employed primarily to earn wages or salary, especially at a non-executive level.
Key Takeaways
- Entry requirements: Professions have specialized education and training requirements. Employees may not require specialized qualifications.
- Regulation: Professions are often regulated by professional bodies, while employment is subject to general labor laws and regulations.
- Autonomy: Professionals exercise more autonomy in decision-making, while employees follow employer-set guidelines and policies.
Profession vs Employment
The difference between profession and employment is the main objective of a profession is to provide service; on the contrary, the aim of employment is to earn income in the form of a salary by providing satisfactory work to the employer.
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Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Profession | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Commencement | The profession may/may not commence by completing a degree and getting a certificate of practice. | Employment commences only by entering into a service agreement. |
| Qualification | Specified and professional qualifications, as well as training, are required. | Qualification depends on the nature and demands of the job/employer. |
| Investment | Limited capital investment is required. | No capital investment is required. |
| Risk involved | There is little risk involved in the profession. | There is no risk present in employment. |
| Main objective | Their main objective is to provide service. | The primary purpose of employment is to earn income in the shape of a salary. |
| Code of conduct | The apex professional bodies prescribe a code of conduct. | The terms & conditions mentioned in the service contract apply to an employee. |
| Nature of the work involved | It involves the rendering of services of specialized nature in a personalized way. | Involves performing the work activity as directed by the employer/company. |
What is Profession?
A profession is converted into an occupation only after the completion of a specialized degree as well as training in the same field.
The word “profession” expresses different things to different people. But at its core, it is meant to be an expertise index.
Traditionally, a “professional” was taken as someone who derives their income from their expertise and talents, as opposed to a hobbyist or layman.
A professional has to have a specialized degree and training in the same field to commence their business. Moreover, they need to follow a specific code of conduct laid down by a professional association.
What is Employment?
Employment denotes what you do as a paying job. An example of employment is working as a government employee in a government organization like Indian Railway. The definition of employment is the number of people employed or having jobs.
Employment consists of two parties: the employer and the employee. The former may be a person, an organization, a company, or any other entity, whereas the latter is the one who is supposed to work as per the work assigned by the employer.
An employee contributes labour and expertise to fulfil the main objective of the employer or the person conducting business and is usually hired to perform specific duties that are boxed into a job.
From a business point of view, an employee has to work regularly in exchange for compensation in the form of a salary.
Main Differences Between Profession and Employment
- Meaning: In a profession, the professional must possess a unique skill set and knowledge to perform the work activity, whereas, in employment, the employee is supposed to fulfil the requirements as per the nature of the job or the demands of the employer.
- Qualification: In the profession, the professional needs to have special knowledge as well as training in the same field which should be by the apex professional body, which is the same for all the professionals in that particular field, whereas in employment, the employee needs to qualify as per the job requirement laid down by the employer.
- Earning: The professionals earn income from their customer’s/clients’ professional fees for personalized services. However, the price may vary from person to person, whereas the employees earn their income in the form of salaries or wages given by the employer in exchange for the services rendered by them.
- Capital Requirement: Professionals need initial capital to set up their work, but as far as employment is concerned, there is no need for any capital investment as the employees have to perform services and, in return, get a salary from the employer.
- Rules and Regulations: The professionals are supposed to follow the rules laid down by the apex professional body, whereas the employees are expected to abide by the rules of the respected company or employer, as we may say.
- https://illinoislawreview.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Long.pdf
- https://ideas.repec.org/a/nos/voprob/2012i1p74-92.html
- https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/292803/files/uk-0021.PDF
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
