Occupation and vocation can mean the same thing. They are words that can describe the work you devote your working life to. But language is powerful, and words with a similar definition can evoke very different things.
In this sense, vocation goes far beyond simply describing a profession, referring more accurately to a strong sense of suitability for a particular career.
Rather than describing a job as just a form of occupation, vocation is meant to describe something inside you with deeper roots and a more intense passion.
The difference between these two concepts can be difficult to establish because they often overlap in the workforce. What’s interesting is that vocation and career go hand in hand in the same direction of growth.
It’s easy to get lost in that process and become paralyzed by frustration, but let’s look at some suggestions below so that finding your professional vocation doesn’t become a living hell.
5 tips for finding your professional vocation
- Determine what you enjoy professionally
If you are unsure what you want to do professionally, the best thing to do is ask yourself what you enjoy and hate.
It is a difficult question for most people. There is no clear answer, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to figure out. The best way to determine what you enjoy professionally is to ask yourself what kind of work would make you happy and fulfilled. Perhaps you see yourself as a great lawyer, programmer, web designer, essay writer, or journalist.
If you’ve never faced a professional assignment, it’s helpful to try to visualize yourself in the job you’re a priori interested in and pay attention to your feelings. It is also helpful to prospect for courses and careers that match your preferences and analyze their professional opportunities.
If you still want to refine further, there is nothing wrong with contacting professionals from different fields and asking them about their work and how much they enjoy it. They’ll be delighted to share their story with you.
- Consider your interests, skills, and values
Identifying the qualities, you should focus on to develop a fulfilling life is essential. By understanding and knowing what is good for you, you can create these skills and feel more satisfied with your work and life.
When choosing which skill to develop, the most important thing to consider is what makes you happy and fulfilled, not what would generate the most money, what would impress other people, or what others are supposed to expect from you.
- Create a network related to your interests
Whether you’re actively looking for a new career option or just trying to get an idea of what direction you should be heading in, networking is a great way to tackle that task.
The more people you meet, the more information you can gain about what the work environment is like, what the people in it are like, and how they enjoy their work. Studies have concluded that around 85% of jobs are filled through networking.
- Make a list of your options
It is often overwhelming to decide on such vitally important matters. Whether you know clearly what you want to do or not, learning how to get there is always tricky. To find the career of your dreams, it’s imperative that you carefully sort through your different options.
Start by listing all possible options (without too many filters at the moment), whether job opportunities, training, internships, or career paths. Once you have written it down, you can make a more exhaustive analysis and narrow your objectives progressively.
- Try a vocational orientation test
A vocational test is a test that measures your skills and personal traits to match them with a career activity that aligns with your interests. They are often taken in high school or college to get an idea of what jobs would best suit the student before choosing a career.
A vocational test can be taken for a variety of purposes. Some people take them to find out what they are good at and what they might want to do in the future. Others take them to find the best path to their desired career.
Taking one of these tests is also a smart way to determine what careers suit your skills and interests. It’s a great way to discover where your talents will take you.
Certainly, finding the career you’ve dreamed of is no easy task, and the road may be met with fears and insecurities. However, all the effort you put into this decision will be worth it. Think about how much time you will devote to your job over the course of your life: 90,000 hours for the average person.
You need to make sure that all that time and effort will be used to your benefit, pursuing a career that makes you happy, aligns with your values and interests, enhances your talents and skills, and offers you a fully satisfying life.
You have the power to get there, not without effort. And now, you also have some tools to help you find that path. Go for it!
