noun
career bureaucrats; elite civil servants
Refers to high-level civil servants who entered through the competitive career-track exam, as opposed to non-career (ノンキャリア) staff. Often used in the context of Japanese government ministries.
彼はキャリア組として財務省に入省した。
He joined the Ministry of Finance as a career bureaucrat.
キャリア組とノンキャリア組の間には昇進の差がある。
There is a difference in promotion between career and non-career civil servants.