Key Difference: Work is something that people do in exchange for money, such as a salary. A job is often short-term and only done as a person requires money to live. One often has a job in some business. Business, enterprise or firm is an organization that is actively engaging in commercial, industrial or professional activities.

Work, job, and business are words that are closely related, however, many people do not know the actual difference between them. The three words correspond to different things, which are in turn related. Hence, the words often get used incorrectly.

Work is something that people do in exchange for money, such as a salary. The work itself may differ depending on the person, his job, his skill level, etc. The work done can be related to a job that a person has, or it may be a project for which the person will be compensated, or it may even by skilled or unskilled labor for which the person will receive an hourly wage. Work also has another meaning: it is also a place where one does his job. For example: ‘I work in Manhattan’ or ‘I work at XYZ Company.’ My work includes drafting project layouts, etc.

A job is often short-term and only done as a person requires money to live. Jobs do not make a significant impact to society of the person’s life and are commonly short-term. If a person is unhappy with a job, they tend to move on to a better one. There are also various different types of jobs including full-time, part-time, seasonal, temporary, odd jobs and self-employment. Jobs, depending on the type, may also require a specialized study. The hours of the job also depend on the type of job it is, it can range from an hour to 9 hours. For example: ‘My job is the Head of Recruitments at XYZ Company’ or ‘My job is to ensure that the databases are backed up.’

As compared to work, jobs are where you work, i.e. the company, what is your job title, job description, etc. Whereas, work is what you do at your job. For example: I got a job as a Marketing Executive at XYZ Company. My work would incorporate pitching ideas to potential clients.

A business, on the other hand, is completely different. Business, enterprise or firm is an organization that is actively engaging in commercial, industrial or professional activities. It is a company that offers goods or services for a monetary amount. The main purpose of a business is to earn profit and increase the wealth of the owners. Businesses are found in almost every country, but are commonly associated with capitalist economies, where most of the businesses are privately owned and the main purpose is to earn profit.

Business is where you work. You may own the business, or you may work for somebody else’s business or company. If you own the business, then your job title would be something like Founder and CEO, where your work would be to manage the entire business and ensure there is a profit. However, if you do not own a business, then you works, at the XYZ Company, where your job could be anything, and you would work there in return of a salary.

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