The Sims 2/Careers

Careers are one of the most important parts in a sim's life. Normally, most of an adults sim's life will involve advancing in one. This page explains the mechanics of careers. For a list see, List of Careers

Careers Tab
The main place to look for information about careers is the careers and skills tab. From there you can see. These are all very important in the career game.
 * Job Name
 * Job Hours
 * Workdays and Days Off
 * Daily Pay
 * Vacation Days
 * Job Performance
 * Friends Requirement
 * Skills Requirement

Getting a Job
The first thing to do is to get a job. There are two sources.
 * Newspapers. Newspapers list 3 jobs all at level 1 daily.
 * Computers. Computers list 5 jobs with job level depending on qualifications. If you're unqualified, you'll be offered level one. However the more skills and friends you have for the job, the higher a level you'll be offered. Computers can offer jobs up to level 6.

Going to Work
The next thing to do to excel is to actually go to work. The carpool will arrive for your sims one hour before the job starts and goes when your sims get in or the job starts. Sims work for the hours stated on the careers tab and come back ten minutes after the last hour. Jobs also have days off to allow you to gain extra skills. There will always be at least two days off per week. On those days the carpool doesn't come.

Work and Needs
Every day at work, your sims needs change to reflect the job. A desk job increases comfort but a physical job will decrease hygiene. Hunger and bladder will also be fulfilled as sims do get lunch and toilet breaks. Environment is unaffected as well.

Chance Cards
Every so often, your sims get a chance card at work. This represents a situation in which you are given two choices to undertake with benefits and penalties. Benefits include. Penalties include You can also choose to ignore the chance card if you want to avoid the penalties that come with it.
 * Money
 * Skills boost
 * Promotion
 * Fines
 * Skills loss
 * Demotion
 * Resignation

Workdays Off
Sims can take workdays off in a few ways.
 * Vacation days. At the bottom of the career tab, you can see the amount of vacation days you have earned. These are earned by working. It takes around 7 workdays to earn a vacation day. On these days you get paid even if you don't take the carpool.
 * Calling in sick. Always available even if your sim isn't sick. Whether they believe you depends on job performance. If your sim is actually sick, they'll always believe you, if not make sure job performance is high unless you want to receive the penalties. It counts as a missed day if they don't believe you.
 * Maternity leave. When sims get pregnant by Try for Baby or an alien abduction, sims get paid days off. After the baby is born, the carpool will come but your sims don't have to take it to work at all and they still get paid for the day.

Promotion
To get promoted should be one of your goals if your sims want it. Getting promoted requires three things.
 * Skills
 * Friends
 * Mood

Skills
Sims require advancement in three skills in order to get promoted. With every promotion, these requirements are increased. This means that if you get to level ten, one of your sim's skills will likely be maximized. The need skill levels are always highlighted for you to pick out.

Friends
Under your job performance meter is the number of friends your household has. If there's no additional number, then you have enough friends. If not, the number in brackets is the number of additional friends that you need for your promotion. Also losing friends won't result in a demotion

Mood
The job performance meter is based solely on mood. When mood is high, so does the meter. If mood is low, the meter is dragged down. You must have a high mood in order to gain a promotion. Platinum aspiration will always maximize the job performance meter so it's a good idea to go to work with one.

Demotion
If job performance is too low then your sims will be demoted one level. Make sure your mood is high next time, your sims go to work to get the job back. If sims get demoted, then they'll likely get the want to quit work.

Getting Fired
If job performance hits rock bottom then your sim will be fired from work. The same will also occur if your sims miss work for two days in a row.

Age Groups and Careers
Careers work differently for different age groups.
 * Teens. Teens can have jobs as well as go to school. Teen careers only have three levels though. When they grow into adults, they also receive a promotion, if in level one. If they've reached level three, then they start in level two of the adult career. Also teens in private school start work at level two.
 * Adults. Adults have the normal, ten level career tracks. They can also earn career rewards. Career rewards help sim learn skills faster although rewards introduced with expansion packs work a bit differently.
 * Elders. Elders don't change careers if they grew up while being employed, they can still advance as well but they can't switch career tracks. They are also given the option to retire. After retirement, then can start work again in the same career tracks as teens.