Jobs, Careers, Calling, & Vocation
Career Change Advice: Find Career Jobs or a Calling
A person's perception of work, rather than the nature of the work, is more important in determining the level of satisfaction the work provides.
Jobs, Careers, and Calling
We spend at least a third of our adult lives at our work. It's not surprising then that research studies show a person's happiness and satisfaction in life is a function of how they perceive work. People perceive their vocation in three general categories: jobs, careers, and calling.
Jobs
A job is just a job, a means of earning income. There may be aspects of a job that are desirable, but for the most part, people who regard their work as a job have little invested and gain little satisfaction other than the paycheck. When work is perceived as a job, people look forward to breaks, quitting time, the week end, holidays, and vacation. Outside of working hours, little or no thought, time, or energy is devoted to the work.
There is little satisfaction from a job, other than the paycheck and benefits. People who perceive their work as a job are the least satisfied with life compared with those in the career or calling categories.
Careers
A career is perceived as a progression of continuous improvement through pay raises, promotions, better opportunities, and experiences viewed necessary for ongoing advancement. People who view their work as a career invest a large part of themselves in their work. They apply themselves to work well beyond the normal workday, during evenings, weekends, and vacations.
Satisfaction from a career depends on continuous progression. People who perceive their work as a career become frustrated when progression or growth slows. Career workers are generally more satisfied with life in total than job workers, but that likely depends on where they are in their career and whether it is progressing.
Calling
People who perceive their work as a calling report the highest satisfaction with life in general. A calling is work that a person feels called to do by a higher power. Work that is a calling feels like it simultaneously contributes to humanity and aligns with an individual's purpose in life.
Typically, people perceiving their work as a calling indicate they would do the work for little or no pay. The work is that satisfying. The work itself provides satisfaction, rather than external recognition or reward.
Research Studies
Studies show that workers perceptions are split evenly among the three categories: jobs, careers, and calling. The surprising finding is that this split is constant regardless of a person's occupation. That is, one-third of workers perceive their work as a calling, even if the work itself would normally be described as routine and non-challenging.
Disturbingly, this also implies that one-third of surgeons, lawyers, financial advisors, and other professionals perceive their work merely as a job.
What Can You Do For Greater Satisfaction?
There is the opportunity for greater meaning from all work, even routine employment, by focusing on the greater good the work accomplishes. For example, janitorial work can focus on keeping the workplace clean and free of unsafe materials, contributing to greater worker productivity and safety. Sales clerk work can focus on helping customers find products and services best suited for their needs.
Focusing on the greater good to which a job contributes, rather than the job's duties, can provide meaning and fulfillment from the work.
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Career Advice: Use Core Strengths
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