A few years ago, Yale psychologist Amy Wrzesniewski demonstrated something we’ve suspected but often forgotten: two people can experience completely different realities in the same job. It all depends on their mental and emotional relationship with their work.
Wrzesniewski DIVIDED PROFESSIONALS INTO THREE GROUPS BASED ON THEIR ATTITUDE. No one category is better than another but understanding where you are (and where you want to be) changes everything in terms of your career.
Which of these three profiles do you identify with today?
1. The “Job”
For this group, work is a pure and simple transaction: time and effort in exchange for financial compensation.
• Their driving force: Salary and job security.
• Their attitude: They strive to fulfill their responsibilities and schedule efficiently, but their true life—their passions, their interests, their fulfillment—begins when they clock out.
• Their career focus: They don’t seek big promotions or take on more responsibilities if it disrupts their personal balance. Work is the fuel that funds what truly matters to them outside the office.
2. The “career” (career as progression)
Here, work isn’t just a means to an end; it’s a path of constant growth. Career-oriented professionals always look to the future.
• Their driving force: Status, recognition, advancement, and skills development.
• Their attitude: They are willing to put in extra hours, take on complex projects, and continuously learn because they see each current position as a stepping stone to the next level.
• Their career focus: Their success is measured by progression: higher titles, larger teams to manage, and an increase in their market value. They enjoy the process of professional growth.
3. The “calling” (vocation as purpose)
This is the group of those who feel a “calling,” those with a clear vocation. For them, the line between who they are and what they do is almost invisible; their profession is a direct extension of their identity and deepest values.
• Their driving force: Impact, meaning, and contribution to the world.
• Their attitude: They find profound gratification in the act of working itself. They don’t do it just for the money (a job) or for the status (a career), but because they feel they are doing exactly what they are meant to do.
• Their career approach: They seek absolute alignment. They prefer authenticity and purpose over a higher salary or a more prestigious title. Their profession is their way of making a difference.
THE KEY TAKEAWAY:
None of the three options is inherently good or bad. The real problem arises when there is a mismatch: when you are in a job seeking a calling that the company cannot provide, or when you have career ambitions but operate with a job mindset. As the author summarizes:
- A job is a way to pay the bills. It’s a means to an end and doesn’t generate much attachment.
- A career is a path toward growth and success. Careers offer clear routes to advancement.
- A calling is work that constitutes an important part of your life and gives it meaning. People with a vocation tend to be more satisfied with the work they do.
Building a solid personal brand and authentic leadership inevitably involves deciding how you view your daily life. And you, do you work out of necessity, for advancement, or for purpose?