Our work can be considered a job, a career or a calling. Because a number of you in the Fabulous After Fifty community have told me they are frankly done pursuing a career, I decided to research this subject. Dr. Amy Wrzesniewski, a professor at Yale, has established three definitions of work: job, career and calling.
An article by Melody Wilding , which refers to the professor’s work, explains the difference:
- Job: a job provides you with pay, benefits, and perhaps some social perks. Because it’s primarily about earning that paycheck, you likely view your work as simply your job. You no longer see work as a place to learn, gain experience or increase your connections. Besides that, you want to focus on family and friends, more than professional pursuits.
- Career: a job is something you do for others, while a career is what you do for yourself. You are certainly working for the paycheck, but people who consider their work as a career are more driven to seek opportunities for advancement. They also tend to have a long-term vision for their professional future.
- Calling: when you have a calling you are more likely to feel a deep alignment between your work and who you are as a person. Most importantly, there is a personal and emotional connection to what you do. There is a sense of purpose, which usually means there is a deeper sense of satisfaction.
What Does Our Community Think?
Some women I know who are (or have been) managing teams, tell me they don’t want to supervise people anymore. They admit that at this stage in their lives they simply want a job. I have encouraged these women to incorporate mentoring into their work. This can be tremendously satisfying and rewarding, because you are able to teach others without dealing with all the personnel issues that come with direct supervision.
Do you see moving from a career to a job as another variation of downsizing? Or, are you tired of trying to ‘climb the corporate ladder’ and you are looking forward to a time when you can transition from a job (or career) to your true calling?
Are you interested in knowing what other women in our community are feeling? Take 5 minutes to complete this survey: FabulousAfterFifty: Job, Career or Calling? Your input will be anonymous, and I will share the results in a future post!
Only you can decide what it is that you need. Most importantly only you can decide if it is time to make a shift; find fulfillment at work OR collect that paycheck and focus on a work-life balance. Whatever you decide, stay fabulous and be strong!
