The Evolution of Work: Navigating the Job, Career, and Calling Journey

Work isn’t just a paycheck—it’s a journey. We explore the three stages, Job, Career, and Calling, and how each phase shapes purpose, growth, and reinvention. In this episode, I discuss: 

• How to move from survival to growth to purpose 
• Why true callings often come from disruption and reinvention.
• Three key strategies for fulfillment at each stage of work.

Transcript

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Introduction to Career Refresh

Speaker 1 0:00

Hey , this is the Career Refresh your resource for career strategy , leadership development and the tools you need to create high-performing teams . I'm your host , jill Griffin . I'm a former media and marketing executive turned leadership strategist and executive coach , and I help leaders excel in career strategy , building resilience , rebuilding confidence , working on that professional presence and that overall brand of you narrative , and I help clients through those reinventions , those high-stake challenges , career transitions and also working through often some complex , tricky and maybe prickly team dynamics . I want to make sure that everyone is taking the lead that they want to create and doing that lead with clarity and impact

Three Stages of Work Overview

Speaker 1 0:49

. Today I'm talking about three stages of work job , career and calling and why understanding them can really change how you see work .

Speaker 1 1:02

Ready , let's dig in . A job pays the bills . A career builds on your expertise and reputation . You start to feel a little bit more situated , a little bit more . The foundation is built , you can spread your wings , you can advance upwards , but a calling , that's something different . Now listen , at times I use calling and purpose interchangeably . Purpose , I believe you choose based on all the information that's in front of you .

Speaker 1 1:35

Here I'm talking about the nuance of a calling , and a calling is something that you may not have chosen , it chooses you , so to speak . It comes because of your actual experience or from disruption . You've built a path , you're on your journey and suddenly something isn't right anymore , and maybe that's because you've been laid off , or maybe because there is a major shift in your perspective on the work that you've been doing or the industry that you work in . But there is a shift , and it feels real , on the work that you've been doing or the industry that you work in . But there is a shift and it feels real . We're also going to talk a little bit about the hero's journey , which is the classic story arc that explains why so many people tend to bottom out first in their careers before they find the true calling . And by the end of this episode , you're going to have a roadmap for recognizing which stage you're in and how to move forward to continuing to achieve what it is that you want to achieve in your professional development and your career .

Speaker 1 2:34

But listen , just because you go job , career calling , you may also go back into a job again , and I'm going to explain what I mean by that . So if we're getting from definitions here right , so again , job , it's necessary , it's money , it's survival . It's the basics . It's if you're in the US listening to this , it's your health insurance . It's those benefits . Career is growth , skill building , upskilling , expertise , success . Growth , skill building , upskilling , expertise , success Calling tends to come from that transformation .

Speaker 1 3:08

It could be a disruption , an intentional reinvention , or you know what I surrender , I tap out this is not working . Going a little deeper if the job , if getting a job , is the base level right , a job is covering those basic needs food , rent , security , benefits it could be enjoyable , it serves a purpose . I like money , I like benefits , I like to be able to do things with my life beyond the basic needs . And most people start here . This may be something that you're starting at right as

The Job Stage: Basics and Benefits

Speaker 1 3:42

you're entering college . Or if you've opted not to go to college , then it could be the thing that is starting right as you're leaving that timeframe of that secondary school , that educational school or high school . This is getting that first job . But I'll also tell you there are other times in your life that you may be coming from a layoff or an experience where it's just about getting a job again . A good enough job . It is good enough . It is again hitting those basic needs . So sometimes the challenge is here is that the work you're doing in a job can feel repetitive or meaningless and you can lack some passion and engagement for what you're doing , and there is the risk of getting stuck sort of in that cycle of just getting it done , starting it over , coming back the next day , starting it over , starting it over . So when you're in this position and again , this has nothing to do with age , this has nothing to do with experience level you could be a 43 year old person who got laid off and needs to get a job again and you're going to start there because the career isn't necessarily what you're looking for or the marketplace isn't allowing that in the particular career or skill set you possess .

Speaker 1 4:49

When you're in this space , it's about managing and finding ways to feel fulfilled at this stage . So I'm going to tell you to find those small wins . This is the micro moments where you find fulfillment , the education , the network and the opportunities , the connection with your team . It's finding opportunities to give yourself a small win during the day , and I also recommend that you keep a list . It's your victory laps , it's a list of wins that you're being an appreciation for those small micro moments of fulfillment . Then it's also a time where , if you have the bandwidth to upgrade your skills , this is taking advantage of any training , whether it's offered through the organization that you work for , whether you're doing online training . If you go to LinkedIn , there's tons of training . There's Coursera , there's Udemy . There's so many places where you can get training in a particular skill and look to uplift that you may also consider going and taking a course at your local community college or a course that's offered by . I know like Perplexity right now has an AI fellowship program . I don't think they're accepting applications currently because they just closed the cohort , but that's also something that I think is really , really a cool area that you may want to engage deeper in .

Speaker 1 5:59

This is staying focused , and it's time to constantly thinking about the bigger picture , where you are right now . Again , it has nothing to do with age . It has nothing to do with previous experience . You could be in a job , and I want you to see that job as a stepping stone , not a final destination . If you're making a career change , you could be in a job and I want you to see that job as a stepping stone , not a final destination . If you're making a career change , you might need to take a ladder job , a job that kind of stretches you between those two , in order to make a pivot . That's what we're talking about .

Speaker 1 6:24

The next part of the stages of your career , as we're looking through this lens , is what we call career , and this is where

The Career Stage: Mastery and Challenges

Speaker 1 6:31

you start getting progression . There's some mastery , you're starting to feel really good and comfortable with what you're doing , you're getting promotions , you're getting expertise , industry reputation , financial growth and you're really taking pride in what you're doing and you're setting long-term goals . The majority of people reside here . They may go back to being in a job and then then back into a career and back and forth , and that may happen numerous cycles throughout your career . Not everybody falls into the calling bucket , which is what we're going to talk about next .

Speaker 1 7:02

Some of the challenges in the career is it can feel like a little bit you probably heard the expression of a golden cage or golden handcuffs because success can trap you when something isn't your passion right . Success can keep you in a position where you're doing it because the money is good and it's affording the lifestyle that you've chosen to create for yourself and or your family , but you a little bit feel trapped because you're like I would love to do that , but I can't crack the nut that I need to crack every month in order to make my overhead like what's my burn rate ? Right ? You're thinking about that . So that is one of those challenges that can happen , especially if you're solid at what you do but you're finding it less fulfilling or it's not really within your passion .

Speaker 1 7:44

Burnout can totally take over . There can be over identification , where your work becomes your identity . At this point where , if that job goes away and in this case I mean the tactical job , not the stage if the career , if this opportunity , if the title that you're doing and working for goes away because of a layoff , your connection and over-debtification with that work and title and company can lead you to a burnout because you keep doing and giving but you're getting less and less returns , it's diminishing returns on it and there could also be fear of taking some risks because you're in a stable career and I'm not going to leave this . You know what ? I'm just going to stay here for a couple more years because it's easier and it feels right . There is nothing wrong with any of these decisions . I just want you to have your own back if you make those decisions .

Speaker 1 8:36

I know plenty of people who make decisions based on the financial entanglements that they're in right , they're paying for the mortgage , they're saving for the college education , they're saving for the things that they want to do and they're saying you know what I'm not gonna , you know I'm not gonna beat myself up here , I'm going to continue to have my own back . I've made these choices . This gives me the affordability . I've also heard that this career is working for me and it also gives me time to spend with the people I love the children in my life . If you have aging parents , it also gives you time to do that because you have a little bit of security , because you've been there enough , right . But the flip side of that is it can also lead to burnout and there's the feeling of you know what . I'm not going to take any risks right now because I'm going to stay here because of what it's affording .

Speaker 1 9:21

So if you find yourself in this part of the career stage thinking about redefining success beyond money this is beyond salary or title I've heard a lot of people make comparisons based on their age , their title and their bank account and then comparing it to somebody that is younger than them and also comparing what they believe is in their bank account , their title and age , and saying like , did I achieve enough ? And what I will tell you that I know to be true for sure is that a lot of people that are having the title and making the money there are other things that they want . They want that balance of lifestyle that maybe you have because you're not working in the same way or in the same capacity . Those are some of the ways that you want to think about redefining your success . You are creating a life and a lifestyle that works for you at this point in your career . You know what Own it . It's all good .

Speaker 1 10:12

Another way to think about it is you do want to stay curious , because this can go from it's working well to being managed out there rather quickly If the organization is changing and you are also not evolving . You want to avoid complacency . You want to figure out how you're staying connected within both your networks , internally and managing up and out and over and across . You know whoever you're doing business with vendors , clients , whoever those customers are staying curious . And then , last , is you want to continue to check in with yourself regularly . Is it still filling ? Are you playing safe ? There's nothing wrong with playing safe Again , I'm going to keep repeating that but if you're playing safe and you kind of wish you weren't , well , there's some things that you want to start thinking about . What changes might you make ? Is this time to talk to a mentor , an internal sponsor , hiring a coach ? Finding a way for you to even increase your capacity in what you're doing within the company doesn't necessarily mean you need to change the company .

The Calling Stage: Purpose Through Disruption

Speaker 1 11:10

The third stage is that calling that disruption . Again , not everyone's going to hit this , and I don't mean calling through a religious sense . Again , I'm saying calling or purpose . This tends to happen when it comes out of disruption , that something unexpected shakes you off or out or knocks you aside in your career path and suddenly you start to question what's happening , what you're doing , you starting to seek something deeper . You didn't necessarily ask for it , it's chosen you . It could be marketplace conditions , it could be a reorg , it could be your health concerns , your lifestyle , your own burnout . You tend to not be trained for this . It tends to be something that demands that you stretch and grow and potentially even surrender . And surrender I don't mean defeat , I mean acceptance , like okay , I'm all in .

Speaker 1 12:00

For me it was a head injury . I did not ask for that calling . I did not ask to have that experience happen to me , but what it did do for me is help me get back on the beam for what I wanted around my lifestyle , my health , my fitness and balance . How am I going to fuel my body and how am I still going to have a fulfilling career ? That's what I'm talking about . You don't have to have had something happen to you to that level of severity . It could . Severity of your health , it could be a layoff which can feel devastating if it's happening to you . Severity of your health , it could be a layoff which can feel devastating if it's happening to you .

Speaker 1 12:35

You want to think about the work . You're not trained for this , but it tends on being a catalyst for something greater than yourself . And if you've studied any Jungian philosophy or if you've looked into any of Joseph Campbell's work , right , the hero's journey a lot of archetypal work . Right , there's the call a lot of archetypal work . Right , there's the call to adventure . There's like I don't want this to happen . Then there's this idea that you realize the path that you're on isn't working , and then you start to find mentorship , you start to seek out that transformation and then you have the return , which you also then able to teach others what you're doing .

Speaker 1 13:11

Your calling may be within your career . It also may be within your community . There could be something that's happening within your community that you're now also . You didn't ask for it , but now that it's here and not your doorstep , when that C comes , a calling , you're like okay , how am I using this , both for myself and can I use it to help others ? The challenges here are there is uncertainty . There tends to be no roadmap because we don't necessarily know what's going to happen next . There may be a lot of self doubt what am I doing ? How am I working through this ? Am I right ? Have I figured this out ? This is where , again , the areas of having support whether it's therapy , counseling , mentorship , sponsorship , coaching these are the areas . If those are not available to you , there are free areas online and in communities where you can find support to help you through this , but that's really one you want to make sure that you have support .

Speaker 1 14:03

And then , obviously , if you're in this situation , there may mean some starting over and need to really look at how you are strategizing your lifestyle , your finances , accordingly . When you're in the stage , figuring out that discomfort is part of the journey . You're going to feel uncomfortable and embracing that uncertainty . Remember , the only thing that is certain is your thoughts and your brain and your feelings and your reactions , and that is what you can choose to be certain on , which can give you some level of being steady when things are feeling so uncertain and

Finding Support and Moving Forward

Speaker 1 14:35

rocky . As I said before , finding a mentor or community of like-minded don't go it alone Seeking that advice for people who have walked this path or similar paths is really going to help you . And then finding the way that things are going to flow through you and what I mean by that is that you're the vessel and you're not trying to control . That's the surrender . You're allowing for this next phase to emerge Again , if you're coming from a level of unemployment , you are exploring the next right option .

Speaker 1 15:02

You are asking questions to the people around you who should you meet ?

Speaker 1 15:05

Who should you introduce ?

Speaker 1 15:06

I never thought of doing that before . You know what . Make the call , have conversations with people , be in that space of possibility . So again , there's the job , there's the career , there's the calling , that purpose that happens to you , that you didn't necessarily think you were going after but all of a sudden it's been served up to you on a platter . And how are you going to move forward successfully in this , making sure that you don't burn your out and you're still feeling fulfilled , really thinking through what sustained you , what builds your career right now , and thinking about if you're in a situation where , all of a sudden , it feels as if it's a calling , that you've completed a cycle and you're now here .

Speaker 1 15:47

Next , what do you want to do with it next when you get through this time ? To do with it next , when you get through this time , who else might benefit from the experience you've had ? Friends , as always , I want to hear

Closing Thoughts and Contact Information

Speaker 1 16:00

from you . I want to hear , I want to hear your experiences . I want to know what sustains you , how you are finding the job , the career , the calling , and what you are doing in order to support yourself . You can email me at hello at jillgriffincoachingcom and , as always , be intentional and be kind . I'll see you next time .