The 13 types of work, summarized

A summary of the main types of work, classified according to various criteria.

In today's era, there are multiple types of work, according to a number of characteristics. Likewise, there are different classifications through which we can locate one type of work or another.

In this article we have selected five parameters through which we will be describing the different types of different jobswith their respective examples.

Types of work (and their characteristics)

We are going to classify the different types of work according to five parameters, obtaining a total of 13 types of work that exist in the labor world.

1. According to the main tool

The first classification we will make of the existing types of work is based on the main tool in each of them. That is to say, depending on whether the hands, creativity or intellect are used primarily.

1.1. Manual work

The first of the types of work we are going to describe is manual work. This type of work involves the primary use of the hands.

It is considered by many to be the oldest work in the world; in fact, before the advent of the Industrial Revolution, manual labor was the predominant, indeed, the only work known to exist. Examples of professions that perform manual work are: bricklayers, carpenters, mechanics...

1. 2. Craft work

Craft work is actually a type of manual work, although in this case, a certain creativity and originality is necessary in order to be able to creativity and originality are necessary to be able to perform it..

Intellectual work

Another type of work is intellectual work; intellectual work could be considered "contrary" to the previous one, since in this case it is the mind that is essential for its development. That is to say, the use of the intellect and ideas is required, which is why they are usually jobs that require a minimum of studies and training..

Generally, intellectual jobs have to do with professions in the field of science and technology. These types of jobs emerged after the First World War, when tourism, service, insurance, etc. companies began to appear.

2. Depending on the qualifications required

The different types of work can also be can also be classified according to the qualification required to access them (or to perform them correctly). (or for their correct performance).

In this case we find: low-skilled (or unskilled), semi-skilled, skilled and high-skilled jobs.

2.1. Low-skilled work

This is the type of work in which the person who performs it does not need to have a minimum of studies or knowledge of a certain subject.. They are usually more mechanical jobs, with a lower level of demand in the intellectual sense (for example: waiters/waitresses, sales clerks, cleaning staff, etc.).

2.2. Semi-skilled work

The next type of work is semi-skilled work. It differs from the previous one in that a minimum of knowledge on a specific subject is necessary for the correct development of the work..

It is true, however, that this knowledge is not usually very specific (hence the term "semi-skilled"). Examples are: flight attendants, beauticians,

2. 3. Qualified work

We also have qualified work, where certain academic and professional training is necessary for the correct development of the work. That is to say, it is required to have a series of knowledge to opt for this type of work..

Normally, these are jobs that require at least: a higher degree, a degree, a master's degree, etc. Examples of professionals who perform qualified work are: nurses, doctors, pharmacists, engineers, psychologists, etc.

2.4. Highly skilled work

In this case, it is a job similar to the previous one, although here the level of demand (in terms of training and experience) is even higher.

We are talking about the need for and doctorates, many years of experience, and similar requirements to be able to access them. to be able to access them. Examples of these would be: certain specializations, certain engineering jobs, senior management positions, university professors, etc.

3. Based on legality

The different types of work can also be classified according to whether they are registered or not. What does this mean? Let's take a look:

3. 1. Registered work

Registered work is work in which the entrepreneur (or employer) pays a series of tax charges for each employee he/she employs.. (i.e., he/she must register the employee with the Social Security).

In other words, the employer must comply with the regulations in force and the laws corresponding to its sector. The worker or employee, in this case, as he/she is contributing to the Treasury, has a series of rights, such as: paid vacations, unemployment, retirement, etc.

3. 2. Unregistered work

On the other hand, unregistered work (also called informal or non-formal work) would be, in fact, work that is performed "on the black", where the employer does not register his employees with Social Security.where the employer does not register his employees with the Social Security.

That is to say, the employer or the person who hires would not pay anything to the Treasury for hiring his employees. It would be, therefore, an illegal work, which does not comply with the regulations. In addition, the workers in this case are not entitled to unemployment, paid vacations, sick leave due to illness or accident, etc.

Examples of this type of work are: prostitution, cleaning staff in some cases (generally when they work for a private individual), tutoring, babysitters, etc.

4. Depending on who you work for

Depending on whether we work for others (for another company) or for ourselves (having different clients, i.e. self-employed), there are two types of work:

4. 1. Freelance work

The most common type of work for others; it involves working for a particular company (or several companies), in exchange for a salary at the end of the month.. There is an employment contract, and the worker has paid vacations and other benefits mentioned above.

4. 2. Self-employment

Also called self-employed workers, self-employed persons, at the level of the Treasury, are registered in a tax regime, are registered under a regime different from the usual regime for persons working in a given company..

They pay a monthly fee in addition to the typical taxes that we all pay (i.e., they pay their own Social Security).

Thus, are employees and bosses at the same time (of themselves), since they choose their own clients and tend to have more flexibility (time, salary...). and they usually have more flexibility (time, salary...). They usually have several clients and instead of having a payroll at the end of the month, they issue invoices to them.

5. Depending on the place where the work is performed

Finally, depending on whether the work is performed in person (e.g. in the office) or telematically (e.g. at home or in a cafeteria, with a computer), we find the following two types of work:

5. 1. Face-to-face work

Face-to-face work, as its name suggests, is work that takes place in the company or work center itself.Examples of on-site work? Any work that takes place in the office of a company; administration, marketing, economics...

5. 2. Telematic work (online)

Telematic or online work, on the other hand, is the one that can be carried out from any location that generally has an Internet connection and a computer..

It is an increasingly recurrent job; many companies, in fact, opt for a work modality that combines face-to-face and telematic work (especially companies in the technology sector). Examples of professionals who often carry out this type of work are: computer scientists, freelance writers....

Bibliographical references:

• Hogg, M.A. (2010). Social psychology. Vaughan Graham M. Panamericana. Editorial: Panamericana.
• Rotundo, G.Z. (2012). Job types and the formation of task specialization in the organization. Revista de Ciencias Sociales (RCS), 18(1): 58-73.