A light-hearted survey which will reveal to you whether you think of your work as a job, career, or calling - and what that says about your likely satisfaction with life.
Job, Career or Calling?
How would you describe the way you earn a living? Research by Amy Wrzensniewski, Professor of Management and Organizational Behavior at New York University, shows that most people view their work either as a job, a career, or a calling.
I've drawn inspiration from her questionnaire to offer you a light-hearted version of the test below. Answer the questions and add up your scores to find out which category you belong to - and what that says about your satisfaction with life!
1.Your Lottery numbers finally come up - you win £20 million! What do you do?
a) Quit my job immediately, check into the Hilton and start spending
b) Keep working - I love what I do
c) Take a break but probably go back to something similar, preferably at a higher level or with a bigger organisation
2. When you're working, how often do you check the time?
a) Whenever I get bored or hungry
b) Never - I'm so engrossed in what I do
c) I've arranged my desk so the office clock is permanently in my line of vision
3. What would persuade you to attend a networking event?
a) Nothing, evenings are MINE!
b) The certain knowledge that it would help my prospects...and a couple of vouchers for a free glass of wine
c) Where is it? I'll be there - I love talking about what I do
4. Would you encourage your friends or children to enter your line of work?
a) Possibly, if they were interested
b) Definitely, even if they weren't interested
c) No, I'd probably discourage them
5. What do you enjoy most about your work?
a) Payday
b) That I'm able to express my talents and passions
c) Knowing I am advancing in my organisation or chosen field
6. How would you feel if you were doing the same work in 5 years' time?
a) Great - I never get bored with it
b) A bit disappointed - I'd have hoped for a promotion by then
c) Like I'd just won tickets to watch Olympic croquet
ANSWERS Add up your points according to the key below 1a) 1 1b) 3 1c) 2 2a) 2 2b) 3 2c) 1 3a) 1 3b) 2 3c) 3 4a) 2 4b) 3 4c) 1 5a) 1 5b) 3 5c) 2 6a) 3 6b) 2 6c) 1
YOUR SCORE 9 or less - JOB You work to earn enough money to support your life outside of your job: you live for weekends and vacations. You don't necessarily dislike what you do, but it doesn't define you - it's just a job.
10 to 15 - CAREER You usually enjoy what you do, accepting that no job is perfect. Often you're kept motivated by the prospect of a promotion and better pay. You tend to rate how you're doing by comparing yourself to your colleagues and wider peers.
16 and above - CALLING You love what you do. It's not utopia - some days are better than others - but there's nothing else you would rather be doing. You feel it's helping in some small way to make the world a better place.
So how did you do? Congratulations if you made it into the calling category - Wrzensniewski's research found that people who saw their job as a calling reported the highest life satisfaction. Interestingly, it's your perception of your work, not its intrinsic nature, which counts. (In a follow up study, hospital cleaners who viewed their job as a calling talked about the impact of their work - how it allowed the hospital to run more effectively, ultimately benefiting patients).
As someone who makes a living encouraging others to find work they really love, I'm generally an advocate of the vocational or calling approach. However I'd qualify this by recognising that different people organise their lives in different ways to make themselves happy. You can have a deeply satisfying career without it being your life's purpose. The trick I believe is to listen to what makes sense to you. If a 9 to 5 job is what works for you, great. But if you're a closet calling type in career clothing, perhaps it's time for a new wardrobe.
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