Here at Rhinebeck Bank we have an array of entry level positions. When we interview for these openings, many candidates state that they are “looking for a career, not just a job.” What does that mean? What is the difference between getting a job, and beginning a career? There may be no way to tell exactly what each candidate means when they say this. After all, it very well may mean something different to each person.

Rhinebeck Bank employee collage

When applicants make this distinction to me, as a manager and Human Resources professional, I come to a few assumptions about their work ethic and personality. Here is what the “looking for a career” statement means to me as an employer: 

  • You understand that your position is a learning experience. You take every chance you have to learn – from your manager, from your co-workers, from reading – EVERY chance you have.
  • You consistently go above and beyond. If there is a task no one else wants to do, you do it. If there is a project to be done, you volunteer. If there is a new technology being put in place, you are the first one to learn it.
  • You have a positive attitude. You look for the positive in each situation and try to spread your enthusiasm to others.
  • You look for opportunities to network with professionals within the company and build positive relationships.
  • You set your career goals and you go about achieving them by seizing opportunities, working hard, and following the above principals.

A career requires you to make a personal investment. You are the only person accountable for the energy and commitment you put into your professional growth. In a career, you need to set your goals and work hard to achieve them, essentially making your road to success a journey and not a grind.

Jeanine Borko

SVP, Human Resources

Jeanine Borko - Headshot