1937లో జోషి [[ముంబై]]<nowiki/>లోని గోక్లిబాయ్ హైస్కూల్లో ఉపాధ్యాయునిగా ఉద్యోగ జీవితం ప్రారంభించాడు. ఆపై ఎం.ఎ. పట్టా సంపాదించాక ముంబైలోని సైదెన్హామ్ కాలేజ్ ఆఫ్ కామర్స్ లో పార్ట్-టైం లెక్చరరుగా 1939 వరకు పనిచేశాడు. గుజరాత్ వెర్నాక్యులర్ సొసైటీ (గుజరాత్ విద్యాసభ)లోని పోస్ట్ గ్రాడ్యుయేట్ రీసెర్చ్ స్టడీస్ విభాగంలో ఆచార్యునిగా నియమితుడయ్యాడు.
After that, he was appointed as professor in post graduate research studies department, at [[Gujarat Vernacular Society]] (Gujarat Vidyasabha). He worked there till 1946 when he took voluntary retirement. Then, in 1948, he was appointed by [[Bombay State|Mumbai Government]] on the Gujarati Textbook Committee. In 1953, he served as a visiting faculty at Lokbharti Shikshan Sanstha which was an educational institution in [[Sanosara]], [[Bhavnagar district]], Gujarat. In June 1954, he was appointed as professor of Gujarati Literature at [[Gujarat University]]. He was also appointed head of School of languages in that university. In 1956, he toured [[United States of America|America]] and England as a member of a committee sent by the Indian Government to study the activities of 'General Education' in American and some British Universities. In 1964, he became a member of a committee appointed by the Government of Gujarat for establishment of South Gujarat and Saurashtra Universities. From 30 November 1966: he was Vice-Chancellor of Gujarat University. On 17 November 1972: he retired from that post.<ref name="umashankarjoshi.in2" /><ref name="Divya Bhaskar 20162" />
