working life
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working life
The entire period and the experiences a person gathers during their professional activity. It covers the time from entering the world of work until retirement.
Nach 40 Jahren im Berufsleben freute er sich auf seinen wohlverdienten Ruhestand.
After 40 years in working life, he was looking forward to his well-deserved retirement.
This word is a clear example of a compound noun. It consists of 'der Beruf' (profession/job), the linking -s, and 'das Leben' (life). So it literally means 'life in one's profession'.
Das Berufsleben stellt viele Menschen vor große Herausforderungen.
Working life presents many people with major challenges.
There are fixed expressions that describe different phases of a career: 'ins Berufsleben eintreten' (to enter working life), 'im Berufsleben stehen' (to be active in working life), and 'aus dem Berufsleben ausscheiden' (to leave working life).
Nach dem Studium trat sie direkt ins Berufsleben ein.
After university, she entered working life right away.
The word is often used to summarize a person's entire professional career, for example in a résumé or in conversations about career planning.
Sie blickt auf ein langes und erfolgreiches Berufsleben zurück.
She looks back on a long and successful working life.
career
'die Karriere' and 'das Berufsleben' both have to do with work and professional development. 'Die Karriere' emphasizes a person's professional path, especially positions, success, and advancement. 'Das Berufsleben' means the whole time during which someone works, with all their professional experiences, even without any special advancement. The words can be confused because both talk about work as part of life. When it is about success and upward development, 'Karriere' fits; when it is generally about working years and professional experiences, 'Berufsleben' fits.
Im Berufsleben lernt man oft Dinge, die in keiner Prüfung vorkommen.
In working life, you often learn things that never appear on any exam.
Nach dem Studium begann sie ihre Karriere in einer kleinen Firma.
After university, she began her career at a small company.