Calling and Vocation at Work

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to initiate an effort to establish the constructs calling and vocation within counseling psychology. First, updated definitions of calling and vocation, developed with an eye toward stimulating research and providing useful practice applications, are proposed. Next, the authors explain how the constructs apply to the domain of human work, review empirical and theoretical work related to calling and vocation and their role in human functioning, and differentiate the terms from each other and related constructs. Finally, directions for basic and applied research on calling and vocation are suggested, and implications for career counseling practice are outlined.