On National Careers Week (1-5 March 2021), Dr Clara de Inocencio Laporta, a social and organisational psychologist at the University’s School of Psychology, explains some of the benefits that individuals can experience from pursuing a career they are passionate about.
Sense of purpose
‘Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, many young professionals across countries and industries have decided to change companies, switch sectors, re-train or even set up their own businesses. There is a renewed interest in spending one’s life doing meaningful, fulfilling work that contributes to the world in a more direct way.
‘People with callings find that their work is meaningful and has a positive impact on others. Those with callings often feel that their work makes the world a better place, which provides a strong sense of purpose and meaning, as well as resilience. Recent research shows that this kind of individual purpose is among the core factors having a disproportionate impact on employee well-being and work effectiveness during the pandemic. A career that is fulfilling can act as a buffer against the stress that has accompanied the pandemic and make workers more resilient to adapt in the face of constant change. The trend towards more purpose-driven jobs and careers was well underway before Covid-19, but it has gained many subscribers during the pandemic.’
Wellbeing and optimism
‘Generally, students and workers who view their career path as a calling have higher wellbeing, life satisfaction, and life meaning. They also find their work and studies more rewarding, enjoyable and satisfying, performing at higher levels than their peers. Most people with callings demonstrate good psychological health, optimism and mastery goals. They are also more resilient facing career challenges, adversity and failure because they have a clear idea of ‘why’ they do what they do as well as its value and impact for others.’
“Job crafting”
‘To view our work as a calling, we don’t always need to change jobs. We can stay on the same role and derive more meaning from it simply by changing what we do and how we do it. Basically, we can “craft” ourselves a job that we love, and in a sense, turn the job we have into the job we want. There are three possible ways to go about this…
- “Task crafting”, which involves shaping our role by adding or dropping responsibilities to fit our strengths and passions. For example, a chef with a passion for design may take it upon themselves to not just serve food but to create beautifully designed plates that enhance a customer’s dining experience.
- “Relational crafting”, which involves changing up who we work with on different tasks, who we communicate and engage with on a regular basis. For example, a salesperson may form a relationship with the engineers in their organisation because they get along well with them and it helps them to understand the features of the product they are selling (even though this relationship is not prescribed in their job description).
- “Cognitive crafting”, which is how people change their mindsets about the tasks they do. For example, a hairdresser can have the mindset that they are not only cutting people’s hair to make a living, they are empowering people every day and making them feel more confident and positive about themselves.
‘By changing perspectives on what we are doing, we can find or create more meaning about what might otherwise be seen as futile work. Through one, two, or all of the above, job crafting can help us redefine, reimagine, and get more meaning out of what we spend so much time doing.’
Dr Clara de Inocencio Laporta is a Lecturer in Social and Organisational Psychology at the University’s School of Psychology. Clara’s current research focuses on vocational callings (i.e., a meaningful passion for a particular line of work) and their psychological antecedents and outcomes for people’s wellbeing and work.
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