The word carrière is the most direct translation for “career” in French. But just like in English, the French language offers a variety of nuanced ways to talk about your professional life, job path, and line of work.

Whether you're preparing for a job interview in Paris, updating your CV (or résumé), or simply chatting with a new French-speaking acquaintance about what you do, knowing the right term is essential.

Let's dive into nine different ways to say "career" in French to make your professional conversations sound more natural and precise!

The standard 'career' – une carrière

The most direct and standard word for “career” in French is une carrière. It functions almost exactly like its English counterpart.

Une carrière is a feminine noun that refers to the entire professional path or progression of an individual in their work life. Because it's feminine, you must use feminine articles like une or la and ensure any adjectives agree with it (e.g., une belle carrière).

This noun is frequently paired with specific verbs to form common expressions about work life. Key phrases include:

faire carrière dans...: to have a career in...
embrasser une carrière: to embark on a career
changer de carrière: to change careers
en début/fin de carrière: at the beginning/end of one's career

Be aware that une carrière can also mean a “quarry” (a place where stone is mined). Context almost always makes the meaning obvious, but it's a potential point of confusion. For example, 'Il travaille dans une carrière' could mean he works in a quarry, not that he works 'in a career'.

💡 * Il a fait une longue et brillante carrière de médecin.

Elle a décidé de changer de carrière pour devenir enseignante.

Ma carrière a commencé il y a dix ans dans cette entreprise.

Un plan de carrière est important pour atteindre ses objectifs professionnels.

The 'profession' or 'trade' – un métier

The 'profession' or 'trade' – un métier

When talking about what someone does for a living, one of the most common and versatile French words you'll encounter is un métier. It broadly translates to a “job,” “trade,” or “occupation.”

While it can be used generally, un métier often implies a job requiring specific practical skills and training, especially manual ones—think of a carpenter (charpentier), a baker (boulanger), or a plumber (plombier). This distinguishes it from the term une profession, which is more often used for intellectual fields requiring extensive higher education, like a doctor or a lawyer.

The word métier carries a strong sense of craftsmanship, skill, and pride in one's work. When someone says they love their métier, it suggests a deep connection to the practical art of what they do, beyond just it being a source of income.

An important grammatical rule to remember is that when you state someone's job with the verb être (to be), you typically drop the article (un or une). For example, you would say Elle est journaliste (She is a journalist). However, you use the article when describing the job itself: C'est un métier intéressant (It's an interesting job).

You'll also find métier in common French expressions. For example, after making a mistake while learning a new skill, someone might say, C'est le métier qui rentre! This literally means 'It's the trade that's entering' and is the equivalent of saying, 'That's how you learn' or 'Experience is the best teacher.'

💡 * Quel est votre métier ? (What is your job/trade?)

Être électricien, c'est un métier très demandé. (Being an electrician is a trade in high demand.)

Mon père m'a appris les bases du métier. (My father taught me the basics of the trade.)

Elle a choisi ce métier par passion pour le bois. (She chose this trade out of a passion for wood.)

The 'job' or 'occupation' – une profession

When discussing jobs in a more formal or official capacity, the French word you'll encounter is une profession. It directly translates to 'a profession' and is used in contexts where 'occupation' would be appropriate in English.

Like its English counterpart, une profession refers to an occupation that often requires specialized education, training, or a particular skill set. Think of fields like medicine, law, or engineering. It's the term you'd typically see on official documents.

The use of profession is more formal than other words for 'job' like métier (a trade/craft) or boulot (slang for 'job'). The most common and polite way to ask someone what they do for a living in a formal setting is: Quelle est votre profession ?

You use une profession when you need to sound official or when referring to the specific title of a qualified job. For instance, you would write your profession on a legal form, a census survey, or a customs declaration.

In summary, reserve une profession for formal contexts or when referring to a specific, often qualified, occupation. It's the official term for what you do for a living, distinct from more general or informal words for 'work'.

💡 * Quelle est votre profession ? (What is your profession?)

Il exerce la profession d'avocat. (He practices the profession of a lawyer.)

Enseigner est une profession noble. (Teaching is a noble profession.)

Sur le formulaire, j'ai écrit « journaliste » dans la case « profession ». (On the form, I wrote "journalist" in the "profession" box.)

The 'position' or 'post' – un poste

Un poste translates to a 'post,' 'position,' or 'job' in a professional context. It refers to a specific role within a company or organization. Crucially, in this sense, the word is masculine: un poste.

This term is commonly used when discussing job applications, career paths, and organizational structures. For example, one might apply for un poste de vendeur (a salesperson position). It is more specific than un travail (work) or un emploi (employment), as it refers to a particular, defined role.

Do not confuse the masculine un poste (a job) with the feminine la poste (the post office/mail service). The article is essential for the meaning. Je cherche un poste means 'I'm looking for a job,' while Je vais à la poste means 'I'm going to the post office.'

💡 * J'ai postulé pour un poste de manager.

L'entreprise a plusieurs postes vacants en ce moment.

C'est un poste qui demande beaucoup de créativité.

Il est très content de son nouveau poste.

The 'job' (colloquial) – un boulot / un taf

When talking about work in a casual setting, French speakers often use informal words instead of the formal travail. The two most common slang terms for 'job' or 'work' are un boulot and un taf.

Un boulot is a very common and widely understood informal term for 'a job' or 'work'. Think of it as the French equivalent of saying 'gig' or 'job' instead of 'employment'. It's informal but not considered heavy slang.

Un taf is a more recent and even more informal slang term. It's particularly popular among younger generations. It is believed to come from the acronym T.A.F., standing for 'Travail À Faire' (Work To Be Done).

While both are informal, boulot is more of a standard colloquialism, whereas taf is decidedly slang. You would use boulot with most colleagues or friends, but taf is best reserved for close friends or peers in very relaxed situations.

Crucially, you should avoid both boulot and taf in formal contexts, such as a job interview, a business meeting, or when writing a professional email. In those cases, stick to the standard word travail.

💡 * Je cherche un nouveau boulot. (I'm looking for a new job.)

Il a beaucoup de taf en ce moment. (He has a lot of work right now.)

On se voit après le boulot ? (Shall we meet after work?)

C'est quoi ton taf ? (What's your job?)

The 'professional life' – la vie professionnelle

The 'professional life' – la vie professionnelle

In French, la vie professionnelle is the direct and standard way to say “professional life” or “work life.” It’s a broad term that encompasses everything related to a person's career, including their job, ambitions, workplace environment, and professional development.

This phrase is used in both formal and informal conversations when discussing work. You might hear it in a job interview when asked about your career goals (vos objectifs dans votre vie professionnelle), or when talking with friends about managing work-related stress. A key related concept is l'équilibre entre la vie professionnelle et la vie personnelle (work-life balance).

While le travail means “work” or “the job,” la vie professionnelle is more holistic. Le travail refers to the specific tasks or the job itself, whereas la vie professionnelle refers to the entire sphere of your career as part of your life. For example, you'd say “Je vais au travail” (I'm going to work), but “J'ai des défis dans ma vie professionnelle” (I have challenges in my professional life).

💡 * Il est difficile de concilier vie professionnelle et vie de famille. (It's difficult to balance professional life and family life.)

Elle a décidé de changer de vie professionnelle à 40 ans. (She decided to change her professional life at 40.)

Mon objectif est de m'épanouir dans ma vie professionnelle. (My goal is to find fulfillment in my professional life.)

La vie professionnelle peut être très exigeante. (Professional life can be very demanding.)

The 'career path' – le parcours professionnel

The phrase le parcours professionnel directly translates to 'the professional path' or more commonly, 'career path.' It's a comprehensive term that encompasses an individual's entire sequence of jobs, training, and experiences throughout their working life. Think of it as the narrative of your career.

This term is essential in formal and professional contexts in France. You'll use it when writing a CV (un CV), in a job interview (un entretien d'embauche), or during a performance review. For example, an interviewer will almost certainly ask, 'Pouvez-vous me décrire votre parcours professionnel ?' (Can you describe your career path to me?).

💡 * Son parcours professionnel est très impressionnant.

J'aimerais changer de parcours professionnel et travailler dans le marketing.

Pendant l'entretien, elle a résumé son parcours professionnel en dix minutes.

Quel a été votre parcours professionnel avant de rejoindre cette entreprise ?

The 'vocation' or 'calling' – une vocation

The 'vocation' or 'calling' – une vocation

In French, une vocation refers to a strong feeling of suitability for a particular career or occupation. It's more than just a job (un travail or un métier); it implies a deep, personal calling or a sense of purpose.

This term carries a significant weight, often suggesting a lifelong commitment or a path one is destined to follow. It is frequently used for professions like medicine, teaching, or artistry, where passion and dedication are key components.

A common phrase you'll encounter is avoir la vocation pour, which means 'to have a calling for.' For example, someone might say, Il a la vocation pour être médecin (He has the calling to be a doctor).

💡 * Il a trouvé sa vocation dans l'enseignement. (He found his calling in teaching.)

Elle sentait que la médecine était sa véritable vocation. (She felt that medicine was her true vocation.)

Ce n'est pas un simple métier pour lui, c'est une vocation. (It's not just a job for him, it's a calling.)

The 'field of work' – un domaine d'activité

To talk about a 'field of work' or 'area of activity' in French, the most direct and common phrase is un domaine d'activité. This term is standard in professional, business, and academic contexts.

Let's break it down: domaine means 'domain' or 'field,' and activité means 'activity.' Combined, un domaine d'activité literally translates to 'a field of activity,' which is the French equivalent of an industry, sector, or professional field.

The phrase un domaine d'activité is masculine. You will use articles like un (a) or le (the). A common question you might hear in a professional setting is: Quel est votre domaine d'activité ? (What is your field of work?).

A close synonym you will often encounter is un secteur d'activité. The word secteur (sector) is frequently used interchangeably with domaine in this context. For example, you can say either le domaine de la finance or le secteur de la finance to refer to the finance industry.

💡 * Quel est votre domaine d'activité ? (What is your field of work?)

Elle a de l'expérience dans plusieurs domaines d'activité. (She has experience in several fields of work.)

Notre entreprise se spécialise dans le domaine d'activité des énergies renouvelables. (Our company specializes in the renewable energy sector.)

C'est un domaine d'activité en pleine croissance. (It is a fast-growing field of work.)

Are there other ways to say 'career' in French?

This article covers the most common and versatile ways to say 'career' in French. However, the world of work is vast, and you'll find other nuanced terms in specific professional fields, from law and medicine to the arts and technology.

To discover more specialized terms, you can try an online search for phrases like 'vocabulaire professionnel [field]' (e.g., 'vocabulaire professionnel droit' for law) or 'parler de sa carrière en [industry]'.

You might discover some interesting synonyms for carrière or métier. Before using a new term in a professional setting like a job interview or on your CV, always check its precise definition and observe how it's used in context by native speakers.

Pay close attention when you read French business news, watch interviews with French professionals, or browse LinkedIn profiles in French. You'll naturally pick up on the subtle differences in how people describe their professional journeys.

And if you're looking for more vocabulary related to jobs, professions, and the workplace, the WordReference forum for 'carrière' is an excellent resource to see real-world discussions and examples.

I hope this guide has been helpful in navigating the vocabulary of your professional life in French. To end, here’s a timeless piece of advice, often attributed to Confucius: 'Choisis un travail que tu aimes, et tu n'auras pas à travailler un seul jour de ta vie.' (Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.)

'9 ways to say "career" in French'