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Job-Career-Calling

Job seekers: are you looking for a job, a career or a calling?

I was reading this book by Richard J Leider and David A Shapiro ‘Work Reimagined’. It distinguished jobs, careers and callings. I could identify with the distinction as I have come across people who are looking for a job, a career or their calling.


The authors explain that those of us who have jobs or are looking for jobs keep our focus on the economic gains or material benefits from the work we carry out so as to get the resources we need to enjoy our time away from our work.


Those of us who have or are looking for a career ‘have a deeper personal investment’ in our work and mark our achievements not only through financial gain but through a progression or advancement within our fields. And this career progression or advancement often brings about higher status, increased power and higher self-esteem.


Those of us who have a calling or are searching for our calling find our work inseparable from our lives. We work not only for the material gain or career advancement but also for the fulfillment that comes with doing the work we do.


They add that ‘anyone can view their work as a calling’; all it takes is to use our gifts doing something we are passionate about in an environment that lines up with our values. They referred to a tailor who seemed to have, according to them, designed his life around the work he loved to do – “bringing joy” to people’s lives – through his gifting – tailoring.


“Calling is about connecting who we are with what we do.” ~ Richard J Leider and David A Shapiro ‘Work Reimagined’.


If you’re keen to find out more about what they wrote, look up the book. For those who are a member of the National Library of Singapore, you can find their ebook on Libby.



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